EDITORIAL - An opportunity for development

Two years ago it was the site of much bloodshed and destruction. Today an uneasy peace has settled in Camp Abubakar, the sprawling 2,000-hectare area in Maguindanao that was once the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s main redoubt. Extreme poverty in the area fueled Islamic separatism, which in turn hindered development and aggravated the poverty.

The MILF, which broke away from the Moro National Liberation Front, has been exploring peace with the government, but from the start the peace process has been marred by clashes between government troops and the rebels. Ceasefires were forged then quickly broken. In 2000, amid renewed clashes, the government launched a major offensive that finally routed the MILF, driving the rebels out of all their camps, including Abubakar.

An insurgency, however, does not end when rebel camps are overrun. The MILF has since regrouped. Although still greatly weakened, the group is likely to gain more adherents if the government does not move quickly to consolidate its victory and address the root causes of the separatist movement. The government now has Abubakar. To finally squelch speculation that the government will return the camp to the MILF as part of a peace package, President Arroyo has ordered the Army to set up a base on 50 hectares of the area, with the rest of the land being divided among three towns.

This is an opportunity for the government to discourage Muslim separatism. By bringing development to what the President now calls Camp Datu Sinsuat, the government can dispel the perception among residents in these areas that they have been ignored or forgotten by Manila. MILF leaders, who have forged a controversial interim peace agreement with the government, have promised to help maintain peace and order. Peace in this part of Mindanao, however, can be broken any time. The best way to reinforce this fragile peace is by making the residents of Camp Datu Sinsuat feel the fruits of economic improvement as soon as possible.