MILF, Korean peace activists hold International peace summit and unveiling of peace marker

• Jan 25, 2016
• Gandhi Kinjiyo
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The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and Korean peace advocate organizations namely Heavenly Culture, World Peace and Restoration of Life (HWPL), International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) and International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), held an International Peace Summit and Unveiling of Peace Marker at Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao Province on January 24, 2016.

The activity aimed to bring to the world’s attention the yearning of the Bangsamoro people to achieve just peace and development in their homeland.

Bangsamoro people from the provinces of Maguindanao, Iranun, Bandar, Kutawato, Buayan and other Bangsamoro communities joined the event which started with a peace caravan from Awang Airport to the assembly area in Darapanan. Organizers estimated more than a hundred fifty-eight thousand people joined the peace initiative.

MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim welcomed HWPL Chairman Man He-Lee and Chairwoman Nam Hee Kim with their delegations.

“So much conflict is happening in the globe today. The world is engulfed in turmoil because of violent human conflicts that have erupted and continue to erupt in all the continents,” the MILF chair said.

He added conflicts continue to proliferate despite the efforts of international peace organizations and movements and the United Nations to establish peace.

The Front’s leader underscored the effort of the MILF engaging with the Philippine government that yielded the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in more than 17 years of peace talks. 

“Yet again, while peace is within sight, up to now it is still out of reach,” he lamented.

The CAB was signed in 2014 which provided the drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), the legal translation of the peace deal that once passed by Congress, will pave way for the establishment of Bangsamoro autonomous government. 

However, the deliberation was delayed due to the Mamasapano encounter last January 25 and the absence of quorum attributed to election fever.

The MILF feels that legislators who are opposed to the peace process are using the Mamasapano incident to delay and dilute the mutually agreed BBL.

The proposed measure is now known as Basic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BL-BAR), which for the MILF is unacceptable because important provisions of the original BBL were deleted or revised.

With few days left for the lawmakers to do their job before the session adjourns by February 6, the leadership of the MILF is still hopeful that the House of Representatives and Senate will finally pass an “undiluted BBL” and not the BL-BAR.

The MILF and peace advocates have been calling the lawmakers to pass a Bangsamoro law that is compliant with the CAB for it brings meaningful autonomous governance for the Bangsamoro people.

The MILF Chairman pointed out that “peace is not only the absence of conflict but the preponderance of justice.” “In a nutshell, there can only be peace if there is justice and thus peace is underpinned by justice,” he explained.

He elucidated further that the cry for justice and self-determination of the Bangsamoro people is not a religious struggle but to regain the Bangsamoro people’s right to self-determination.

“The MILF leadership believes on the principle of dignified peace and justice,” Ebrahim emphasized.

In his message, Chairman Man He-Lee called for the end of conflict and make peace as a legacy to the succeeding generations. “We can proudly tell the future generation that in our time, we established peace for them,” he said. 

Lee related he went around the world enjoining former state leaders, justices and religious leaders to embrace and help promote peace for mankind. He also stressed the need for the different faiths to understand one another to avoid conflict.

Chairwomen Kim, thankful for being invited to the peace summit, urged everybody to become advocates of peace and to make peace reign in the present generation. She related the efforts of the HWPL going around the globe to invite leaders and people to promote peace.

Kim said she saw how sincere the Bangsamoro people’s longing for peace and she believes that peace can be achieved in this era.

The MILF acknowledged that HWPL’s proclamation of January 24th as the Heavenly Culture, World Peace and Restoration of Light Day and expressed its appreciation for the Korean peace activists’ global movement for peace.

“The MILF hopes that the message of peace anchored on justice be realized on a global scale and that through the initiatives of the HWPL this message is enshrined in the hearts of people so that we may achieve a progressive and just society,” the MILF Chairman said in a signed manuscript that acknowledges the HWPL’s day.

Chairmen Ebrahim and Lee led the unveiling of the peace marker located near the plenary hall of the MILF Central Committee where their respective messages of peace were etched. A press conference followed after the unveiling ceremony.

HWPL is a Korea-based non-government organization that strives to facilitate peace-building initiatives around the world involving women, youth, religious and governmental sectors. It primarily aims for end of war and world peace.

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