130,000 Flee MILF Fighting in Philippines

(Cotabato, Mindanao Island, Philippines) Armed Muslim rebels of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have occupied villages and farmlands in North Cotabato Province, calling for new Muslim homeland and cancellation of democratic elections in the majority Christian region.

An estimated 130,000 people have fled as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have commenced military action to suppress the guerillas.

Philippine Air Force planes bombed Moro positions and ground troops pounded guerillas with artillery after the Moro rebels refused a government ultimatum to withdraw.

Security officials acknowledge that the MILFs are putting up "heavy resistance."

More than 500 guerrillas have refused to leave farmlands in 15 villages in North Cotabato province. Manila, smarting from accusations it had abandoned the majority Christians, has vowed to flush them out.

So far, one soldier and two rebels have been killed and a dozen troops wounded. A civilian was shot dead when a stray bullet hit a passenger bus on a main highway. Five civilians were also wounded in the crossfire.

Nearly 130,000 people have fled, including many from nearby Muslim areas. The Red Cross said it was sending food, water and medicine.

Although more intensive than usual, this latest flare-up between the government and the MILFs is part of continuing hostilities/diplomacy contest as the Muslims attempt to increase the size of their Filipino homeland to more than the six-province Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in the southern region (Socsksargen) of the island.

In summary, the Muslims want more land in the Philippines and have launched guerilla operations to acquire it. The government is fighting the guerillas of MILF to protect the rights of the legal owners of the land. It's a perpetual conflict.

Furthermore, although it seems like outright theft of land from the legal owners, the lexicon of the religion of peace apparently defines it as "Islamic liberation" as indicated by the name of the guerilla group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.