Islamists Receive Training in Philippines Camp
Indonesian fundamentalists have allegedly undergone four months of
military
training in the Philippines to prepare for a holy war with Jakarta.
About
600 Indonesian fundamentalists had reportedly completed months of
guerilla-warfare training at a "secret" jungle camp run by the Moro
Islamic
Liberation Front (Milf) deep in Central Mindanao, according to
military-intelligence reports.
Based on the classified documents, "around 600 trainees allegedly of
Indonesian origin" had undergone a four-month intensive guerilla warfare
training in an isolated part of Camp Abubakar.
The camp is the stronghold of the fundamentalist MILF guerillas.
Intelligence sources said the fundamentalists are believed to be members
of
the underground Indonesian Islamic Liberation Front (IILF).
The IILF is reportedly headed by a certain Muhammad Salib Sulayman.
Mr Sulayman allegedly helped his friend, MILF leader Salamat Hashim,
seek
exile in an Arab country sometime in 1980.
Returning the favour, Mr Salamat is reportedly helping his friend
organise
his own revolutionary group and offered Camp Abubakar as the training
ground of Indonesian recruits.
Entering the country through the southern back door in 1988, Mr Sulayman
immediately set up his own training base inside the camp, which he later
named Camp Hudaibic. The military authorities claimed it would be
difficult
to distinguish an Indonesian rebel from his Filipino counterpart because
"they have similar physical features".
Military intelligence sources said the guerilla training focused more on
"Islamic subject aimed at strengthening spiritual resolve".
"The military training is allegedly in preparation for their planned
declaration of holy war or jihad against the Indonesian government,
which
they deemed to be veering away from pure Islamic practises," the
classified
document noted.
"It must be noted that despite being the largest Muslim country in the
world, Indonesia is largely a secular and modern society," it added.
Sources said half of the Indonesian trainees also went through another
"specialised" training in yet another MILF camp in Busra.
The MILF, however, quickly denied the reports, describing these as
unfounded and products of deception in order to discredit the
organisation.
Its military chief, Al Haj Murad, said there were no Indonesian rebels
nor
a training camp for them inside Camp Abubakar.
He said foreign fundamentalists, including Indonesians, have no business
with the MILF.
"They have their own struggle, we are fighting our own fight. Although
we
have one thing in common
that is to establish a real independent Islamic state." The alleged
presence of Indonesian fundamentalists in MILF training camps was
actually
the second time the military has brought to the government's attention
the
growing partnership of Islamist radicals in the region.
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From: Ahmad Yahya Newsgroups:
soc.culture.indonesia,alt.culture.indonesia
Subject: Indonesian fundamentalists have been trained in MILF camp Date:
Fri, 26 Mar 1999 00:43:10 GMT Organization: Deja News - The Leader in
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