MILF WELCOMES EAP A/S CAMPBELL LETTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MANILA 002423 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS KISL RP SUBJECT: MILF WELCOMES EAP A/S CAMPBELL LETTER REF: A. MANILA 2391 (KIDNAPPERS RELEASE IRISH PRIEST) ¶B. MANILA 2097 (PROPOSED USG REPLY TO MILF LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA) Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: EAP DAS Marciel and the DCM met two senior members of the southern Philippines' rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) November 6 to talk about the group's peace process with the Philippine government and to deliver a letter for MILF Chairman Murad from EAP A/S Campbell reaffirming U.S. support for peace talks. The two senior members, Vice Chairman for Information Mohagher Iqbal and Senior Peace Panel Member Michael Mastura, expressed appreciation for the letter's clear statement of U.S. policy, said the MILF would continue to adhere to the peace process, and sought greater U.S. pressure on the Philippine government to move the peace process forward. They denied MILF involvement in the October kidnapping of an Irish missionary, and stated the MILF had no ties to terrorists. Separately, in a discussion later that day, DAS Marciel shared a copy of the A/S Campbell letter with Philippine Peace Panel Chairman Rafael Seguis, who provided a brief update on plans to resume formal peace talks, the assistance provided to internally displaced persons, and the kidnapping incident (which has since been resolved). END SUMMARY. POLICY LETTER DELIVERED TO MILF -------------- ¶2. (C) Visiting EAP DAS Marciel and the DCM met November 6 in a Manila hotel with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Vice Chairman for Information Mohagher Iqbal and Senior Peace Panel Member Michael Mastura to discuss the Mindanao peace process and deliver a letter from EAP A/S Campbell to MILF Chairman Murad Ebrahim, reiterating U.S. support for peace (see para. 8). Iqbal, who said he rarely enters Manila's urban areas out of concern for his safety, thanked the DAS for the letter and expressed the MILF's continued support for a peaceful settlement of the group's conflict with the government. He expressed deep concern about some Philippine officials' penchant for inflammatory, anti-MILF rhetoric, as illustrated by Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno's comments alleging MILF involvement in the October kidnapping of Irish missionary Michael Sinnott. Mastura noted positively that statements from Washington such as A/S Campbell's letter made MILF field commanders less skeptical of international support for a peaceful settlement. Mastura added that he and Iqbal later that day would attend an MILF "all commanders meeting" at Camp Darapanan near Cotabato City. ¶3. (C) As informal peace talks advanced, Iqbal said the MILF was reaching out to peace experts in London and Belfast and had maintained a dialogue with Sinn Fein, from whom they surmised that the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) approach favored by the Philippine government was "not the way" for the MILF. Although the group would adhere to the peace process, Iqbal said that the MILF sought additional U.S. pressure on the Philippine government to help "settle" the peace issue. DAS Marciel noted that the U.S. was looking at ways to continue our support for the parties in their quest for prosperity and peace, including development projects. However, the U.S. remained concerned about the MILF leadership's possible lack of control over elements involved in terrorist activities. Mastura assured that the MILF were "not in the least terrorists," an had, in fact, "confronted" terrorism. GOVERNMET WELCOMES LETTER -------------- ¶4. (C) In a meeting at the Department of Foreign Affairs directly following the MILF meeting, DAS Marciel provided GRP Peace Panel Chairman Undersecretary Rafael Seguis with a copy of A/S Campbell's letter to the MILF. DAS Marciel explained that the letter reaffirmed U.S. support for the peace process, our commitment to Philippine territorial integrity, and the need for the MILF to dissociate itself from terrorists -- points that closely resembled the content of a 2003 letter from then-EAP A/S Kelly. DAS Marciel said that the U.S. wanted to be supportive in the peace process to help unleash the potential of Mindanao, and would continue to be supportive wherever possible. Regarding the potential for U.S. participation in the International Contact Group (ICG), he said that the U.S. would be comfortable with whatever decision the parties made. ¶5. (C) Seguis voiced appreciation for the letter and said that the parties would further discuss plans for the ICG at a MANILA 00002423 002 OF 003 November 16 meeting in Kuala Lumpur, to be followed by a discussion on the format of formal peace talks and the relaunching of the International Monitoring Team under new terms of reference. While the Philippine government had wanted the U.S. to be a member of the ICG, Seguis said, the MILF was opposed to U.S. participation. Seguis hoped that prospective ICG member The Asia Foundation -- as a U.S.-based organization -- could help ensure that the U.S. view would be represented. The Philippine government still hoped to reach a negotiated settlement before the end of President Arroyo's term and expected to resume formal talks in December. The government continued to assist internally displaced persons to return to their home communities and aimed to complete the process by January or February, although Seguis noted that some IDPs remained worried about their personal security despite the enduring ceasefire. He admitted that there was "no prior coordination" on government statements about alleged MILF involvement in the Sinnott kidnapping; Interior Secretary Puno was speaking only for himself when he accused the MILF. For his part, Seguis said he was "convinced" that MILF leadership had nothing to do with the kidnapping. COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (C) The MILF members were pleased to receive the written U.S. affirmation of support for the peace process and implied, as they have in the past, that such written statements are extremely important to them -- possibly for demonstrating to anxious and skeptical MILF field commanders that the U.S. supports a peaceful settlement. Seguis expressed appreciation for the USG informing him about U.S. discussions with the MILF -- which he accepted, as long as it did not give the appearance of "paying homage" to the MILF leadership. End Comment. ¶7. (U) DAS Marciel did not have an opportunity to clear this cable. ¶8. (SBU) Text of the undated letter from A/S Campbell to MILF Chairman Murad Ebrahim: Dear Chairman Murad, Thank you for your letter of November 21, 2008 to President Obama congratulating him on his election. We appreciate your thoughtful outreach and your desire to seek clarification about United States policy toward the conflict in Mindanao. Current United States policy on the Mindanao conflict adheres closely to the points expressed in then-Assistant Secretary James Kelly's letter of June 18, 2003. I would like to reassure you that: -- The United States Government is committed to the territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines. -- The United States recognizes that the Muslims of the southern Philippines have serious, legitimate grievances that must be addressed. -- As a concerned observer of the peace process, the United States firmly believes that a peaceful solution to the conflict in Mindanao is the only durable solution. We support and encourage the efforts of both parties to enforce their ceasefires and work toward a resumption of peace talks. -- The United States remains concerned that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has not completely severed its links with international terrorist organizations, and asks that the MILF dissolve those links immediately. -- The United States stands ready to support a bona fide peace process between the Republic of the Philippines and the MILF through political and financial means, including continued support for livelihood and development programs for the people of Mindanao. The United States Government, through our Embassy in Manila, will stay in close touch as this process moves forward. -- The United States appreciates the notable work that the Government of Malaysia has performed in connection with the peace process, and will continue to work with the Malaysians for a successful peace settlement. A confluence of wills to attain a lasting peace has led both sides to this important moment; ceasefires appear to be holding and the parties are laying a foundation for new peace talks. There is now, once again, an opportunity to craft a MANILA 00002423 003 OF 003 peace that can last for generations to come and that will benefit all the people of the Philippines. I strongly believe that the Muslim people of Mindanao can have a future that is both peaceful and prosperous. Sincerely yours, Kurt M. Campbell KENNEY