Philippine voters approve southern Muslim-led region
oters of the Philippines have approved a new Muslim-led region in the south of the country, which is hoped to bring a solution to peace after decades of fighting killed thousands and mired the area in poverty.
Hanoi (VNA) - Voters of the Philippines have approved a new Muslim-led region in the south of the country,which is hoped to bring a solution to peace after decades of fighting killedthousands and mired the area in poverty.
According to the results announced by the Philippines elections commission onJanuary 25, voters, who were expected to back the so-called Bangsamoro region,delivered a convincing result of about 1.7 million in favour and some 254,600against.
The result will begin the process of theCatholic-majority nation's largest rebel group, the Moro Islamic LiberationFront (MILF), laying down its weapons and assuming political power.
In July last year, Philippine President RodrigoDuterte signed a Muslim autonomy law - the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) intolaw, which was originally called the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), to allowminority Muslims in the south to start moving towards self-rule by 2022, a bidto tackle extremism and defuse a half-century of separatist conflict inMindanao.
The BOL has paved the way for creating a government for the BangsamoroAutonomous Region, replacing the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao(ARMM).
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, enjoying morepower, can have its own judicial system and parliament. However, the autonomousgovernment cannot have its own military and police force, as these would stillbe under the central government.
Official statistics show that some 150,000 peoplehave been killed since early 1970s in clashes between government troops andMuslim rebel groups. Those killed included not just combatants of both sidesbut also civilians.-VNA
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on July 26 signed a Muslim autonomy law to allow minority Muslims in the south to start moving towards self-rule by 2022, a bid to tackle extremism and defuse a half-century of separatist conflict in Mindanao.
At least 19 people were killed and 48 others wounded in two bomb attacks at a Catholic cathedral in Jolo city, the southern Philippine province of Sulu in the morning of January 27.
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A Muslim voter in Mindanao (Source: AFP) 
