At Last, Peace Came to Mindanao, the Philippines!

At Last, Peace came to Mindanao, the Philippines

 

For 40years, Mindanao was an area of constant religious conflict in the Philippines. Because of this religious dispute, about 140,000 victims died, and no archbishop who dispatched to Mindanao survived.

The size of Mindanao is similar to South Korea. Also, Mindanao was abode of Muslims. When the United States ruled the Philippines, Catholics moved to Mindanao, and the incessant religious conflict began. In 1970s, Mindanao insisted secession from the Philippines that most people are Catholics, and religious strife was getting worse.  

 

 

However, this conflict finally put an end by a Korean peace activist Man Hee Lee. He is a representative of private peace movement organization. He made Islam and Catholic leaders to make an agreement about peace, and they conclude a peace treaty. Next day of this agreement, the government of the Philippines and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which is the largest Islam organization in the Philippines signed the peace agreement that they would not have any religious conflicts, and they agreed the clause of disarmament.

 

The religious conflict of Mindanao is a big obstacle of world peace. However, the ceaseless problem solved through this agreement. The former president of the Philippines,  Fidel V. Ramos, thanked for the peace representative Man Hee Lee’s work. He tried to make peace in the Philippines, and this Korean peace activist finally realizes his dream. The national broadcast in the Philippines (PTV) broadcasted this remarkable event continuously.

 

With this agreement, peace came to Mindanao and the Philippines. All conflicts indeed end through this settlement. I hope that peace in the Philippines last forever and become a foundation of world peace.