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The United Kingdom Sunday renewed its travel advisory against the Philippines, citing ongoing fierce fighting between the government troops and Muslim rebels in the southern province of Sulu.
The British embassy said in its updated advisory that its citizens are advised not to travel to central, southern and western Mindanao islands as well as Basilan and Tawi-tawi in view of the ongoing operations against rebel groups, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
"We advise against all travel to central, southern and Western Mindanao, to Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and the Sulu archipelago, where military and police operations against terrorist and rebel groups are continuing and where kidnappings and bombings have taken place," it said.
It also warned that its national should "take particular care and maintain high levels of vigilance when traveling to the rest of Mindanao."
However, the Philippine military Sunday said that the situation of the southern province of Sulu, where the fighting between government troops and MNLF rebels has been lasting for almost one week, has been under control.
According to the military, the fighting between the military and the MNLF breakaway group has claimed 70 lives.
The MNLF rebels and Abu Sayyaf members on Monday waged a series of attacks in Sulu to pressure the government to transfer MNLF leader Nur Misuari, who is detained in Laguna, to Sulu.
Misuari was formerly the chief of the MNLF, which signed a peace treaty with the government in September 1996. He later became the governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and stayed in the office until he was dislodged in November 2001.
Misuari was later arrested and detained in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, after leading a failed revolt in Zamboanga City to protest agains this sacking in 2001.
(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2005)
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