Washington, Nov 13: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during a news conference at the APEC Summit… U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged the Philippines and the country’s largest Muslim rebel group on Friday to strike a peace deal before President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo steps down next June.
Clinton said she believed Arroyo, whom she met over dinner on Thursday, was committed to ending the decades-old Muslim conflict in the southern region of Mindanao and was prepared to make tough and unpopular decisions.
“I think that the president is committed, she wants to see this done,” Clinton said during a televised question-and-answer session with students in Manila, referring to reaching a peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“In fact, what I often found is that it is easier to make these difficult decisions when you are on the way out of office because you know what’s at stake and you are willing to brave the political fire.”
“So strike while the iron is hot, that’s an old saying. When people are in the mood and willing to make peace, do not sleep, do not rest until you finally get there.
The government and the MILF have held on-off peace talks for years, but signed a new ceasefire agreement in July and their negotiators are meeting in Kuala Lumper next week. Muslims account for only about 5 percent of the mostly Roman Catholic Philippines’ 92 million people but many of them live in the impoverished south.
Forty years of conflict there have killed more than 120,000 people, displaced 2 million and stunted growth in the country’s most resource-rich region.
The United States, a long-time Philippines military ally, has troops posted in Mindanao, mostly to help in operations against a much smaller and deadlier Muslim rebel group.
Since 2002, about 300 U.S. troops have been deployed to help train, assist and advise the Philippines on how to counter the Abu Sayyaf, which has ties to al Qaeda and regional network Jemaah Islamiah. They are forbidden from actual combat.
Clinton said the expiration of Arroyo’s term could be an impetus in pushing a government-MILF peace deal.
But, the former U.S. first lady and senator cautioned against reaching an agreement outside the constitution and laws of the country because “that will be creating more problems”.
Clinton said Washington wants to help facilitate peace talks by talking to both sides and providing social and economic aid to improve lives of people in Mindanao and “isolate those who are not interested in peace at all and are only interested in conflict and terrorism”.
–Agencies