Source: Luwaran 

Political Affairs Minister of the Embassy of Japan, Yasunori Nakayama, met yesterday Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, Chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Central Committee, at Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Shariff Kabunsuan. Yoshihisa Ishikawa, Embassy Secretary, Nagaishi Masafumi, Japanese representative with the IMT, Muhammad Ameed, Secretary of the MILF Central Committee, Mohagher Iqbal, Chairman of the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel, Atty. Datu Michael Mastura, Member of the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel, and Engr. Aida Silongan of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) were present in the meeting.

Nakayama was recently posted as the Minister for Political Affairs of the Embassy of Japan in Manila replacing Her Excellency Taeko Takahashi, the popular strong lady minister among the Bangsamoro people.

Minister Nakayama conveyed that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, just like Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is so concerned about the progress of the peace process between the government and MILF.

He said that the government of Japan is deeply committed in attaining peace in Mindanao, even as he said “Japan will extend substantial help for the progress of the peace process.

Appealing to both the government and the MILF to resume the peace talks, Nakayaman cited the good teamwork and tremendous accomplishments on the ceasefire accord as positive indications.

The high ranking officials arrived here yesterday for a two-day mission, to include the inauguration and turn-over of Japanese projects in the municipalities of Talitay and Guindulungan, both of Maguindanao under the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD).

J-BIRD is the umbrella project of Japan in support to the GRP-MILF peace process being implemented in collaboration with the MILF’s Bangsamoro Development Agency.

More than 10 J-BIRD projects are ongoing and more committed and pipeline projects are underway amounting to millions of dollars.

J-BIRD projects which were inaugurated recently by Japanese Ambassador Ryuichiro Yamazaki and JICA Country Representative had earned a reputation of projects completed with high, if not excellent, satisfaction due to strong community participation and local government involvement.

Chairman Al Haj Murad stressed that Japan’s participation and contribution to the peace process is indispensable in achieving an enduring peace and development which the Bangsamoro has been longing for.

“The active participation of Japan has provided a significant boost to the GRP-MILF peace process intended at ushering in a comprehensive and just peaceful resolution of the Bangsamoro problem and the conflict in Mindanao,” Murad said.

He said that the contribution of Japan and its good people on the socio - economic development and rehabilitation of the conflict affected areas significantly complement the security and political aspects of the GRP-MILF peace process.

The Quick Impact Projects as well as the Grassroots Projects and the J-BIRD, as a whole, being implemented for the war-ravaged communities in this region augur well to the essence of the peace process these provide concrete output and impact in the communities.

However, Chairman Murad explained that peace process is a total combination of political, economic, social, cultural and security approaches in order to really achieve its desired end state that just addressed the legitimate Bangsamoro grievances.

He appealed to the government of Japan through His Excellency Nakayama to exert extra diplomatic efforts to convince the government to resume the long-stalled peace talks.

The GRP-MILF peace talks had not resumed since it had met deadlock on the issue of territory for the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) last September 7, 2007.

Murad said so much time on the issue of territory had been spent yet the peace talks had not move on. “A peace process without a negotiation is certainly replete of essence, it is incomplete.”

The MILF looks forward to a broader participation and contribution of the Japan as the peace process substantially progresses, especially championing the human security paradigm in the Bangsamoro homeland, he said.

Murad lauded the performance and accomplishments of the lone socio-economic expert with the IMT, Mr. Nagaishi Masafumi.

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