Most people are aware of the website Wikileaks and its stated mission to lift the veil of secrecy that clouds all our lives. Founded by an Australian religious cultist cum computer hacker Julian Assange, the site has made international news headlines dozens of times for its suprising, neigh often startling revelations. The problem of course is that IF the information offered is "secret," there is no way to corroborate it. In fact, several major problems with Wikileaks' trust factor. For starters, his man in Sweden is a rabid Anti-Semite of the Nazi persuasion, "Israel Shamir." Shamir not only is a confirmed bigot but has been caught MANUFACTURING fake cables concerning Belarussia and its right wing dictator whom Shamir counts as a close personal friend. That is all fine and dandy but what in the world does THAT have to do with Southeast Asia, let alone the Philippines, and not even introducing Mindanao into the mix? Funny you should ask...
In short, absolutely nothing EXCEPT that with the veracity and authenticity of every nugget Wikileaks coughs up is in question, UNLESS partcipants themselves somehow corroborate the information therein, there is no way in which to accept these cables as authentic or at all believable. The Manila-based media outlet ABS-CBN has become a bit fixated on cables having to do with the MILF. Reporter Jojo Malig has produced a few srticles since late July dealing with MILF-centric cabels. At first the MILF played dumb, hoping that the hoopla would dissipate but of course we are just about into October and behold, here I am. In mid-September the MILF finally lost its cool. Did they get angry at the US State Department, the entity allegedly behind the cables? Did they get irate with peroxide blonde Julian Assange and his wacky website? Of course not, don't be silly. No, the MILF placed ABS-CBN reporter Jojo Malig on its shi* list and began tossing off higly acidic condemnations.
What was it that FINALLY got the MILF spinning its propellers? Malig slash ABS-CBN dared to publish excerpts from cables in which former Malaysian Facilitator to the Peace Process, Datuk Othman bin Abdul Razak clearly went above his pay grade and conveyed, seemingly unwittingly, that Malaysia had its own beady eye on the economic spoils in Mindanao and resented American influence in what Malaysia consider to be its own sphere of influence. Not only was America in Southeast Asia, it was in Islamic Southeast Asia.
It is ironic given the fact that in more than a dozen cables Othman practically begs the American Ambassador to Malaysia, Christopher J.Lafleur to expand its presence in Central Mindanao. Othman specifically asked America to involve itself in the "bakwit," or Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) dynamic as well as to build an institution to train future Filipino Muslim leaders. The last wish is a fine idea but the cultural parameters of Filipino Muslims are so far removed from the Liberally Democratic parameters of most any Western Culture.
On September 15th, 2011, the MILF Central Committee contacted ABS-CBN and asked the media giant to "discipline" its reporter, Jojo Maliga. Chairman of the Central Committee, Muhammed Ameen, criticised Maliga's September 9th article entitled, "MILF Talks Show Malaysia Eyes Mindanao," in which Maliga posted excerpts from Wikileak Cables in which Othman did exactly as Maliga claimed. Says Ameen, "The newscaster must be reprimanded or axed immediately for violating the ethics of journalism [sic]." Let us hope Ameen wasn't speaking literally when he demanded that Mr.Maliga be axed. After all, the fun loving folks in the MILF Shari'a Supreme Court HAS had men decapitated over less serious crimes.
Jojo Maliga's other articles, and many cables never published, show perfectly the naked, unadulterated pro-MILF bias that caused the Philippine Government to nearly sacrifice the entire Peace Process in order to ensure Othman's permanent removal as Facilitator. I'll spare the petty drama regarding the entire replacement process since I have discussed it in depth in other "GPH-MILF Peace Process" entries.
I will offer some juicy excerpts from the Wikileaks Cables that perfectly frame the GPH campaign to replace Othman and how the Philippine Government really had no choice in the matter.
Cable #08KL94, transmitted in February of 2008 from Ambassador Christopher J.Lafleur at the American Embassy in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia to the U.S. State Department in condensed and paraphrased form is as follows:
In February of 2008 Ambassador Lafleur conferred with Datuk Othman bin Abdul Razak during the latter's visit to the US Embassy to Malaysia, in Kuala Lampur. The major point of discussion was the December 2007 failure of the most recent Formal Round, in what both Panels labeled, "Proximity Talks." Othman 'regretted' that the GHP (then known as the GRP, or Government of the Republic of the Philippines before being changed to Government of the Philippines, GPH) Peace Panel wasn't permitted to discuss Governance since both the MILF AND Othman felt that Governance is the most important aspect on the table. Othman suggested to the author that the then-impasse might be resolved via a "secret codicil," or secret Agreement. Othman said that in the February 8th of 2008 Executive Session between Panel Chairmen and one Peace Panelist from each side, he had tabled the idea about the secret Agreement but that the GPH Panel hadn't discussed it and had begged off saying that it would have to discuss the suggestion with President Arroyo and her Cabinet first. Datuk Othman explained that the aforementioned "Secret Codicil" could be in the form of an Interim Agreement
Othman then began discussing how there had been a marked increase of armed contacts between the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces as the MILF's military wing is known. The inference of course being that was a direct correlation to the MILF's frustration at the floundering Peace Process. He discussed how the increase in armed contacts had begun just after the collapse of the December 2007 Formal Round (Proximity Talks) in Kuala Lampur, and that IF the GPH Peace Panel didn't show some gumption and sincerity in the Peace Process the Malaysian Government would drop out of the IMT, or International Monitoring Team, a Malaysian led Security Force that are mandated to serve as a buffer force between acrimonious positions of AFP and BIAF. In fact, Othman warned that his Government might withdraw its IMT contingent "at any time."
Cable #06KL1812, transmitted on September 27th, 2006, once again, by Ambassador Lafleur from the US Embassy in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, to the US State Department in Washington D.C.
Regarding a conversation between the US Embassy's Political Counselor (Political Officer) and Facilitator Othman centering upon the GPH-MILF Peace Process. Othman pressured America to lean on then-President Arroyo. "Compared with his views in early August, Othman's outlook on the Peace Process was far more negative and more partisan in favor of the MILF negotiating position." "Othman continues to show strong pro-Moro sympathies in our meetings and does not hide his view that at this juncture at least, compromises should come from Manila, not from the MILF." "While acknowledging that he risked being labeled as partisan at this juncture, he placed the blame for the current 'impasse' on the GRP (the GRP being the old abbreviation for the Government of the Republic of the Philippines. In September of 2010 the Government changed its official designation to GPH, or Government of the Philippines)." "Othman urged the U.S. To exert diplomatic pressure on Manila to offer more compromise on the issiue of Moro-administered territory." "Othman clearly intended his comments to influence US views in support of international pressure on Manila."
I mean, really, it truly does not get any clearer than that. The Facilitator's role is to remain absolutely neutral and above the communal fray. Yet here was Othman trying to cajole the United States into twisting the Philippine Government's arm so as to achieve a more advantageous position for the MILF/BIAF. The GPH insistence on the replacement of Othman before resumption of Talks in 2010 was widely perceived to be a simple delaying tactic. In reality noone can help but see just how foul Othman really is.
More over, Cable #07KL496, also from Ambassador Lafleur to the State Department, had Othman blaming the AFP for all the armed contacts between the AFP and the BIAF. In his eyes the Government could nothing right.
Cable #06KL2235, again, Ambassador Lafleur to the State Department, offers more of the same bias, "The Malaysian Facilitator notably continued to place the onus for compromise on Manila rather than the MILF."
Aside from Othman's bias and the illustration of just why the Government went to such lengths to excise Othman from the Peace Process are well worth the reading. I had included a scant reference to Othman's suggested "Secret Codicil" which of course ended up evolving into the failed 2008 Interim Agreement commonly referred to, the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain, or the MoA-AD. Like so many other subjects THAT is clearly worth at least one entry all its own.
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