Philippines: June 28, 2005

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In the Moslem south, a clan war left 15 dead, and about twice as many wounded. This conflict, over control of real estate, has been going on for a long time, and has left at least 40 dead in the last month. This system of armed clans, and clan wars, has been traditional in the south for centuries. The system provided the basis for the Moslem separatist movements, and still threatens peace and prosperity in the south. The government has never been able to disarm the clan militias, and attempts to do so caused many of the more powerful clans to side with the separatists. The current negotiations with the MILF (the major separatist group), are unable to deal with many of the clans.