Getty Images- T’nalak Festival celebrated in the Philippines

KORONADAL, PHILIPPINES – JULY 18: Filipino natives wait for their turn to perform at the 2009 T�nalak Festival, showcasing South Cotabato Province tribal cultures on July 18, 2009 in the southern city of Koronadal, Philippines. T�nalak is an indigenous term for colorful cloth woven by women of the T�boli tribe that has brought recognition to [...]

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Getty Images: MILF Separatists Continue Their Fight For An Independent Islamic StateImages

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Peace talks with MILF to resume soon

 
Inquirer
Last updated 02:37am (Mla time) 12/05/2007
 
MANILA, Philippines – The government and the country’s largest Moro separatist group are preparing to sign a peace deal after years of tortuous negotiations, but that may be the easy part.
Implementing an agreement to end a conflict that has killed more than 120,000 people, displaced 2 million and stunted growth [...]

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MILF expects to sign accord on territory

 
Inquirer
Last updated 09:43pm (Mla time) 10/31/2007
 
CAMP DARAPANAN, SHARIFF Kabunsuan, Philippines — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Wednesday said it was expecting to sign a memorandum of agreement on territory with the government in December.
The issue was the biggest stumbling block to the signing of a peace agreement between the government and the Moro [...]

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Gov’t, MILF troops clash

By Jeoffrey Maitem
Mindanao Bureau
Last updated 07:38pm (Mla time) 09/30/2007
 
COTABATO CITY, Philippines–Fresh fighting between government troops and separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forces erupted Sunday afternoon in the remote village of Datu Saudi town in Maguindanao.
Eid Kabalu, spokesperson for the MILF, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) by phone that fighting broke [...]

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MILF confirms involvement in Basilan clashes, Military: Encounters prove collusion with Abu

 
By Jeoffrey Maitem, Julie Alipala
Mindanao Bureau
Last updated 01:28pm (Mla time) 09/27/2007
 
COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has admitted the involvement of its forces in clashes in Basilan province Tuesday that claimed the lives of at least two soldiers.
The military said 10 MILF rebels were also killed in the clashes, the first [...]

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Australia seeks more direct role in Mindanao peace talks

 
By Jeoffrey Maitem
Mindanao Bureau
Last updated 06:20pm (Mla time) 09/20/2007
 
COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Australia has expressed interest in playing a more direct role in the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a rebel official said Thursday.
Australia has been providing support to development projects in war-torn areas in the Autonomous Region [...]

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Army exec ‘bans’ Inquirer correspondent

 
By Edwin Fernandez, Jeoffrey Maitem, Dennis Santos
Inquirer, INQUIRER.net
Last updated 11:44pm (Mla time) 09/21/2007
 
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — A local military commander has allegedly banned correspondent Julie Alipala of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net, from covering military activities in Basilan.
Brigadier Genera Juancho Sabban, commander of Task Force Thunder, was quoted by some of his [...]

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Malaysian execs hopeful of Mindanao peace agreement this yr

 
By Charlie Sease, Jeoffrey Maitem
Mindanao Bureau
Last updated 04:18pm (Mla time) 09/22/2007
 
COTABATO CITY, Philippines–Two Malaysian officials, including the new head of the International Monitoring Team (IMT), predicted on Saturday that a final ceasefire agreement could be signed between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front this year.
Malaysian Army Brig. Gen. Yasin bin Mat Daud formally [...]

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Military blames Moro rebs for attacking peace monitors

By Jeoffrey Maitem
Mindanao Bureau
Last updated 08:53pm (Mla time) 09/23/2007
 
CAMP SIONGCO, Shariff Kabunsuan – Moro rebels ambushed a convoy of International Peace Monitors (IMT) and military on Sunday in remote village of Datu Saudi town in Maguindanao, a military official said.
The IMT, composed of representatives from Malaysia, Indonesia, Libya and Brunei, is tasked to monitor the [...]

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