KUALA LUMPUR - THE Philippine government will aim to seal a peace pact with Muslim separatist rebels to end a decades-long rebellion in the south by March or early April, a Malaysian official said on Wednesday.
Mr Othman Abdul Razak, who is facilitating the peace talks, said the two sides also agreed to revive an international monitoring team of cease-fire observers and expand the panel's scope to include civilian protection.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has been fighting for Muslim self-rule for decades in Mindanao, the southern homeland of minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic Philippines.
read more @ straits times2. Ampatuan clan killed at least 200 others since 2001, aside from latest massacre
MANILA - A MUSLIM clan accused of a political massacre last month killed at least 200 other people during its rule of a southern Philippine province, the nation's human rights commissioner said on Wednesday.
'We are looking at a minimum of 200,' Commission on Human Rights chairwoman Leila de Lima told reporters, adding that the bodies were believed to be buried in mass graves scattered across Maguindanao province. 'These are victims of the same clan and the private armies.'
Ms De Lima said there were witnesses to the killings who were only now feeling confident to speak out against the Ampatuan clan because its leaders had been arrested over the November 23 massacre of 57 people....Five police officers who had direct knowledge of some of the murders were among those now willing to speak out against the Ampatuans, according to Ms de Lima.
read more @ straits times3. in other rebel news, Saudi royal navy destroys two boats
JAZAN: The Saudi Royal Navy has destroyed two boats smuggling arms in the joint waters of the Kingdom and Yemen on Monday.
Frigates fired at the boats when they tried to flee after refusing to stop for checks. Helicopters also participated in the chase. The boats exploded violently because of the arms and ammunition they were carrying. Both crews died before the navy could attempt a rescue operation.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Armed Forces, which is continuing its operations against infiltrators near the Saudi-Yemeni border, has taken full control of the Dukhan Mountain in Jazan after disarming land mines placed there by militants.
Sources also say soldiers used to receive reinforcements regularly. On Monday they received new tank units including Bradley and Piranha models that are used to fight the infiltrators.
source: arab news
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