Malaysia Deports Philippines Separatist Leader

by Ma Nguyen Tong

27-1-2002

Philippine Muslim separatist leader Nur Misuari was deported by Malaysia back to his home country. Mr Misuari, the former governor of a Muslim autonomous region in the southof the Philippines, landed at the Fernando air force base south of Manila on January 7, 2002. The Malaysian authorities said seven of his supporters had also been deported. Mr Misuari faced charges of rebellion.

The Malaysian authorities arrested Mr Misuari in November 2001 for entering the country illegally after he fled the Philippines in the wake of a failed uprising on the southern island of Jolo.

Fighting

More than 100 people died in the fighting which came one week before Mr Misuari was deposed as governor in elections in the autonomous region. The Filipino authorities alleged Mr Misuari was behind the uprising. After the election, his supporters were also involved in a stand-off with the military in Zamboanga city, in which more than 100 hostages were held at gun point until negotiators brokered a deal allowing the gunmen to go free.

Peace agreement

Mr Misuari led the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) through a 24-year separatist civil war for an Islamic state in the southern Philippines. In 1996 he signed a peace agreement which created the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), becoming governor. But Mr Misuari was considered a disappointment to both the government and his own supporters.

The November uprising began after the MNLF removed Mr Misuari as its leader and the government arranged for an election in November to choose his successor as regional governor. The new leader was Parouk Hussin, who was backed by the government.