Fighting flares in southern Philippines

The article states that MILF, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, has stepped up attacks against civilians to pressure the government to restart the peace process. What a funny way of wanting to restart a peace process.

MILF doesn't want peace, they want shariah law to govern the land. International Herald Tribune

MANILA: A series of rebel attacks this past week in the southern Philippines that left least nine civilians dead underscores the need for the government and Muslim separatists to resume peace negotiations, analysts said Friday.

While civilian casualties are not uncommon in the troubled region of Mindanao, some analysts view recent actions as the insurgents' way of pressuring the government to restart the peace process that has been stalled since August, when the government nullified a landmark agreement that would have expanded a Muslim autonomous region.

On Tuesday, members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the main group that has been fighting for Muslim self-rule in the predominantly Roman Catholic region since the 1970s, attacked villages in Sultan Kudarat township, killing nine civilians and wounding more, the military said.

The next day, Christmas Eve, the rebels reportedly staged another attack, this time in the town of Alamada.

"The attacks came while the people were setting off firecrackers. The attackers timed their attacks during the revelry," said Ernesto Concepcion, mayor of Alamada, according to ABS-CBN television.