US embassy cable - 05MANILA1857

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MANILA 001857 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, RP, MY 
SUBJECT: LATEST GRP/MILF TALKS STEP UP MOMENTUM TOWARD PEACE 
 
REF: MANILA 1456 
 
Classified By: Pol/C Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C)  Summary.  The GRP is pleased by the April 18-20 
GRP-MILF talks and views a peace accord as do-able by the end 
of 2005.  The latest talks seemed to lead to a meeting of 
minds on how to define ancestral domain and set up a 
mechanism for delineating territory.  The GRP believes that 
existing laws on indigenous peoples will suffice for the 
implementation of any eventual accord, and that the MILF 
increasingly agrees.  This seems a little too easy, unless 
the MILF is truly under growing pressure from its peoples to 
reach an agreement that could lead to peace and development. 
Test of the joint statement issued after the talks in para 9. 
End Summary. 
 
2.  (C)  In a meeting on April 22 with Pol/C, the 
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Secretary Teresita 
"Ging" Quintos-Deles, expressed optimism for a peace accord 
with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) before the end 
of 2005, based on new momentum from the 7th round of 
exploratory talks that took place in Fort Dickson, Malaysia 
April 18-20 (reftel).  While noting that both sides had 
agreed not to divulge the details of the "breakthrough" cited 
in the joint statement for fear of "causing new anxieties and 
problems" among those who did not understand the "full 
context," she confirmed that a consensus had emerged on 
twelve major points. 
 
3.  (C)  Secretary Deles clarified that the concept on 
ancestral domain that the MILF had put forward at the talks 
clearly seemed to mesh with existing GRP "definitions and 
laws," which would obviate the need for any Constitutional 
changes.  She said that the GRP was ready to recognize the 
Bangsamoro as a group that would meet the terms of the GRP's 
legislation on indigenous peoples with entitlement to special 
benefits, including autonomous areas once approved by the 
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.  She specified 
that these territorial definitions would cover bodies of 
water and include the need at least for "consent" by the 
indigenous people over exploitation of mineral resources in 
those areas.  Both sides agreed in principle on "joint 
delineation" of territory that an eventual agreement would 
cover, based on an exchange of maps expected at the 8th round 
of exploratory talks, which she predicted would take place in 
June.  She confirmed that the technical teams of both sides 
had now returned home to prepare for the next round. 
 
4.  (C)  For its part, the MILF had agreed -- for the first 
time -- to an explicit recognition that the identification of 
indigenous people would follow the "principle of choice," 
i.e. non-Muslim residents in MILF areas would be able to 
decide whether or not they wished to be included in the 
Bangsamoro group, according to Secretary Deles.  She added 
that this would also mean that the MILF would also recognize 
the rights of other indigenous peoples in these areas who did 
not identify themselves as part of the Bangsamoro group.  She 
underscored that the MILF had explicitly recognized the 
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as "a core" of the 
Bangsamoro area.  She added that the MILF had not expressed 
any reservations or positions about the August 2005 ARMM 
elections, for which the Arroyo Administration (including 
coalition parties in Congress) was now deciding on its 
favored candidate.  (She noted that she was chairman of the 
panel to pick the candidate but declined to offer any names, 
although she said that President Arroyo would have to make a 
final decision before April 30 in order to meet campaign 
deadlines laid out by the Commission on Elections.)  She said 
that the MILF had appeared to accept that the GRP would have 
to go through "legal processes" to make any modifications to 
the ARMM if necessary following a final peace agreement, but 
claimed that "this is yet not an issue for the MILF." 
 
5.  (C)  Secretary Deles admitted that the Fort Dickson 
discussions had at least alluded to links between the MILF 
and the Jemaah Islamiyah but claimed that the MILF 
negotiators "didn't deny" this as a problem that they "seemed 
to accept the need" to resolve.  She also claimed the MILF 
was "already doing something" unilaterally, as well as 
through the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group, against the JI, 
although she declined to provide more details.  She confirmed 
that the April 15-16 attack by the Armed Forces of the 
Philippines (AFP) on a suspected JI-ASG hideout in MILF 
territory "had not affected" the mood of the GRP-MILF talks, 
with the MILF merely "accepting" the GRP account of the 
incident.  She added that both sides remain committed to the 
use of the Coordinating Committees on Cessation of 
Hostilities (CCCH) to deal with such cease-fire related 
issues.  She noted that the MILF had not raised the possible 
designation by the USG or others of individual MILF 
commanders as terrorists, and she confirmed the GRP view that 
such designation "could help" the peace process. 
 
6.  (C)  According to Secretary Deles, GRP optimism in the 
wake of the talks was based not so much on the substance -- 
although she described these talks as clearly the most 
substantive ever on issues beyond the cease-fire -- as on the 
"way the discussion was undertaken."  She noted that MILF 
negotiators had not "lectured" their GRP counterparts as 
formerly, and appeared "diligent" and "serious."  She 
expressed confidence that MILF Chairman Murad would be able 
to "sell" these new developments -- and an eventual peace 
accord -- to MILF members and residents in MILF areas, and 
said that she expected the MILF soon to convene meetings to 
educate them.  At the same time, the GRP would reach out to 
civil society groups -- especially Christians in Mindanao -- 
to seek their support as well. 
 
7.  (C)  The peace accord by year's end that Secretary Deles 
envisions "does not need to resolve all territorial issues" 
but rather only needed to establish accepted "procedures on 
how to define," such as "setting up an agency."  She admitted 
that the MILF had not yet formally abandoned a call for 
independence, but had simply not even raised this at all in 
the latest talks.  "Governance" would be the next major issue 
to tackle as part of the "political discussions," she added. 
She speculated that the MILF would be heartened by the recent 
approval by the NCIP of two new autonomous zones for Moro 
groups in territories outside of MILF-controlled areas. 
 
8.  (C)  Comment:  Embassy has not yet been able to get a 
direct read-out from the MILF, although the media quoted MILF 
chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal as hailing the "very fruitful 
negotiations," while MILF Chairman Murad reportedly predicted 
"the road to victory is long and winding."  An agreement in 
the next six months that is built primarily on existing GRP 
laws and practices seems surprisingly too easy and likely 
still difficult for the MILF to swallow whole, unless growing 
internal pressure in MILF zones for peace and development 
really has contributed to some genuinely new and positive 
thinking in the MILF leadership. End Comment. 
 
9.  (U)  Text of the Joint Statement 
quote 
 
The 7th Round of GRP-MILF Exploratory Talks concluded on a 
high note today in Fort Dickson, Malaysia with both Parties 
expressing deep satisfaction over the result of the joint 
discussions on ancestral domain. 
 
The GRP-MILF Panels led more than 40 technical resource 
persons from both sides in multi-level meetings to examine 
the details in the agenda, which included the concept, 
territory, resources, and governance aspects of the ancestral 
domain issue. 
 
After a three-day session on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of 
the Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001, the Technical Working 
Groups (TWGs) agreed on several substantial points vis-a-vis 
the strands on concept, territory and resources, and further 
agreed to tackle the strand on governance in the next round 
of talks. 
 
Since the inception of the GRP-MILF peace process in January 
1997, the Fort Dickson talks marked the first time that both 
sides entered into substantive discussions outside the 
cessation of hostilities. They hailed the outcome of the 
meeting as a breakthrough towards a just and durable solution 
to the Mindanao conflict. 
 
The Panels decided to forge on with technical level talks in 
Malaysia to exhaust all possible consensus points before the 
start of formal negotiations expected to be held by mid-year. 
 
They also affirmed that recent hostilities in Mindanao would 
not affect the impetus of the peace talks and that both sides 
would strive to resolve all outstanding cease-fire issues at 
a subsidiary level. 
 
The Parties likewise agreed to strengthen the operations of 
the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) in order to bolster the 
joint campaign against lawlessness and criminality. 
 
Both Parties reiterated the substantive role of the 
International Monitoring Team (IMT) in monitoring the 
implementation of the security, rehabilitation and 
development aspects of the GRP-MILF Tripoli Agreement on 
Peace of 2001.  Both Parties hope for the continued presence 
of the IMT in Mindanao. 
 
The Panels expressed their gratitude to the Malaysian 
Government headed by H.E,. Prime Minister Dato Seri Abdullah 
Bin Haji Ahmad Badawi for its continued facilitating role in 
the peace process, and the unwavering commitment of H.E. 
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the achievement of a 
durable, comprehensive and lasting peace in Mindanao. 
 
They lauded the excellent facilities and assistance extended 
by the Malaysian Secretariat under the Office of the Prime 
Minister.  They likewise expressed their appreciation for the 
efforts of the technical experts of both sides who worked 
hard to ensure the successful outcome of the talks. 
 
Done on the 20th April 2005 at Fort Dickson, Malaysia. 
 
For the GRP             For the MILF: 
 
Silvestre C. Afable, Jr.                  Mohagher Iqbal 
GRP Panel Chair               MILF Chair 
end text 
Ricciardone