The rebels launched their attack last week after the Philippines Supreme Court halted a deal to create a new, larger homeland for Muslims that would give them more autonomy in the resource-rich south.
Muslims in the south of the largely Catholic country have been seeking some form of independence for decades in a conflict that has killed more than 1,20,000 people, but as details of a secretive land deal began emerging last month, Christians took the matter to court.
Cunanan said some of the displaced farmers had been allowed to check their homes and farms, but most of the 1,60,000 displaced farmers were afraid to return. Only around 10 per cent of the displaced are estimated to be in evacuation centres with the rest either camped outside or staying with relatives.
On Wednesday, the UN said it was concerned about a humanitarian crisis. “The Secretary-General appeals for restraint, protection of all civilians as well as access for the provision of speedy humanitarian assistance to the affected population,” the statement read. Most aid agencies have been unable to access the region because of the fighting.
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3:59 AM
Moderate Islamist here
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