N o M ore Guns Documenting Local Conflict Resolution Initiatives in Select Asian Communities Rosalie Arcala Hall Editor No More Guns: Documenting Local Conflict Resolution Initiatives in Select Asian Communities Philippine Copyright 2015 by Rosalie Arcala Hall, Editor ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ISBN 978-621-95269-1-3 Published by: University of the Philippines Visayas Miagao, Iloilo FOREWORD Violent conflict at the local level is a persistent This monograph is a product a research project of phenomenon in many parts of Asia and has claimed the same title funded under the Asian Public Intellectual numerous lives, displaced large numbers of populations (API) Collaborative Grant for 2014-2015. The project was and destroyed unmeasured productive capacities. In the conceptualized to document cases of local violent Bangsamoro areas of Mindanao, Philippines, localized conflict resolution and management in four Asian violent outbursts reflect the conflict between government settings (central Mindanao, Philippines; Pattani province troops and Islamic Moro separatists overlaid with clan in Thailand; and Sambas, Western Kalimantan in feuding (rido), rivalries between political warlords and Indonesia). The project probed the variety of institutions illegal economies of drug trafficking and smuggling. In and mechanisms on the ground - formal, informal or the Southern Thailand provinces, an insurgent war is hybrid - crafted organically based on traditions and carried out amidst episodes of reciprocal atrocities customs or adapted from government templates to between Muslim an d Buddhist population s. In manage or resolve conflicts within. The cases were Indonesia, tensions between rival ethnic groups simmer selected because of several key elements: (1) they feature and erupt as it did in Western Kalimantan in 1999-2000. "localized" strategies embedded within a larger peace Local violent conflict refers to armed en counters framework, which carry with it interventions by outside between or amongst state and non-state actors in a actors including national government agencies, civil confined geographic area that affects a significant society actor s, r ebel shadow gover n men t an d proportion of the local population. To manage conflict international humanitarian organizations in these means to limit the occurrence of violent clash by crafting localities. The strong imprint of the Moro Islamic measures that undercut the ability of troublemakers (i.e. Liberation Front (MILF) governance apparatus in the armed groups or individuals with intentions to commit Maguindanao locales are as remarkable as Pattani's violent act) to move personnel and arms. Strategies status as a border-frontier with Malaysia. In the case of towards this end include the typical repertoire of security Western Kalimantan, outside intervention by civil measures like checkpoints, patrols, curfews, ceasefire or society groups and arrangements for the relocation of the peace zones, and corresponding monitoring/reporting Madurese in another Regency point to these dynamics. systems. Resolution is the termination of the conflict and (2) the cases depict "out-of-the-box" institutions and is achieved through a formal agreement or a ritual mechanisms that locals patronise and appear to work at settlement between the conflicting parties. Whether managing or resolving localized violent conflicts, with vertical (state versus insurgent) or horizontal (communal reservations. The Iranun area of Maguindanao province, or clan/ethnic warfare), violent conflicts manifest the Philippines has its own unique tradition of local conflict inherent weaknesses of the government apparatus in resolution, which is largely based on Islam, but also channeling contested incompatibilities. Government borrows from formulaic government prescriptions on power radiates weakly in peripheral areas, leading to institutions like the Peace and Order Council. Given also ungovernable spaces where threatened groups resort to the prevalen ce of MILF-suppor ter s within th e armed responses. Where there are central government communities, MILF Sharia courts operate freely with their templates for institutions and mechanisms, often they are corresponding shadow enforcement arm, with the not grafted effectively unto the local culture. The result acquiescence of local government entities (including the is often the emergence of informal formations, both army). In Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat, grassroots tradition or customary-based as well as hybrids that (village-based) peace building have been the focus of generate more following among the local population. many Track 3 efforts by civil society actors, often with international donor support, but producing little headway challenging governance environment where most local with respect to higher-level actors involved in formal chief executives rule as strongmen or absentees, and with negotiations (Track 1). a weak local police. There are diverse types of informal, The four case studies are narratives that illustrate both traditional/customary and MILF-based, as well as the history, the variety of locals actors involved and a hybrid mechanisms like the Joint Ulama Municipal Peace map of how these "local" conflicts intersect with and Order Council for conflict resolution. The informal "national" political contestations. The case studies also mechanisms are hybrid in that they feature government, described and explained the modalities of local conflict religious and traditional leaders; draw support from resolution and management, highlighting the unique government and personal connections for contributions aspects of these tr aditional/customar y, hybrid or to blood money payments and for facilitation; and adaptive mechanisms. The data from which the narratives allows case referral between the informal mechanisms to were drawn was generated through a qualitative approach formal venues such as the Lupon Tagapamayapa (village featuring: (1) review of national-local legal frameworks for justice) an d Sh ar ia cour t. Conflict man agemen t conflict resolution and their policy/program contexts; (2) arrangements exist between government troops (army), review of academic writin gs, local news articles, the local government and the MILF enforcement arm, government or civil society reports) to establish a Task Force Kalilintad indicating the porousness of formal chronology of violent conflict and interventions in the and informal boundaries. However, the performance of area; and (3) personal observations from site visits; and these institutions and mechanisms is limited by the fact (4) key informant interviews and focus group discussions that they can only deal with low profile rido cases. (FGD) with key commun ity members as well as Feuds involving political families with access to more representatives from the local government, mediation/ h igh -powered fir ear ms do not submit to th ese arbitration panel, security actors like the police and the mechanisms nor are resolved using said platforms. army, and civil society groups- all with historical memory Prangtip Daorueng's chapter "Conflict management and hands-on experiences on conflict resolution and in Betong district - Managing differences in the context management. The tentative findings from each case of Southern Thailand insurgency violence" documented study were presented at the Association of Asian the unique characteristics that enabled the community of Studies Conference at National University of Singapore the border district of Betong to resist violent attacks (NUS) on 17-19 July 2014; and at the 08 October 2014 which have afflicted the political landscape elsewhere in Public Forum at East Asia Royale Hotel, General Santos southern Thailand. The community's strategic location, City, Philippines. The public forum in General Santos strong multiethnic (as opposed to the mono-ethnic City, Philippines was generously supported by a grant identity narratives of Pattani Sultanate in other areas the from The Asia Foundation (TAF)-Manila. conflict zone) features, the close-knit ethnic communities Rosalie Arcala Hall's chapter "When the fighting with migration and education-induced multicultural stops: organic local conflict resolution initiatives in atmosphere, and recognition of common interest have Iranun areas (Mindanao, Philippines)" examined local lead to cooperative platforms in dealing with insurgency conflict resolution and management platforms in the problems. These characteristics allow for the mobilization Muslim-dominated, former Moro Islamic Liberation Front of the community and the crafting of local initiatives (MILF) Camp Abubakar communities (covering the towns that emphasize ethnic balance towards protecting the of Parang, Matanog, Barira and Buldon municipalities), district from outside attack and political influences from which bore the brunt of the government's All-Out-War the central government. The relatively safe atmosphere against the MILF in 2000. This Iranun ethnic area in Betong amidst the ongoing extreme violence in the features a complex conflict landscape with multiple armed province is largely due to the strategic security networks groups (including private armies and lawless elements) and family approach in conflict management. coexisting with the army and the MILF. While incidences Rina Shahriyani Shahrullah's chapter "Dealing with of kinetic engagements by the MILF and the military has the violent past: managing tensions between Malay and gone down, rido or clan feuding has increased in number Madura