Historical injustice and human insecurity: Conflict and peacemaking in muslim mindanao

Abstract

This chapter addresses the question of why conflicts that are deeply rooted in historical injustice tend to defy straightforward resolution. It traces the historical roots of the conflict in Mindanao and the various efforts of the government in the Philippines to reach a political settlement. In particular, it examines the peacemaking efforts by the Macapagal-Arroyo and Aquino administrations, the contexts in which they made progress but also stalled and the ways in which the general public reacted to these efforts. It argues that it takes more than political will and historical sensitivity on the part of the government to address the problem. If a broader segment of the public, especially in political elite circles, do not share the need to recognize historical injustice and address restorative justice then obstacles to resolution remain.