COTABATO, the Philippines, Jun 21, 2009 (Xinhua via COMTEX) by Ana Santos, Xu Lingui

Like many people living around the Liguasan wetland in southern Philippines, Aleem Siddiqui Guiapal grew up somewhat like a nomad, moving from place to place to dodge bullets and mortar shells. Now, at the age of 32 and after studying in the country's best schools, Guiapal decided to return to the central Mindanao region, where the same insurgency war between the military and Muslim separatists that displaced him decades ago is still going on.

"The conflict is older than I am," Guiapal said, recalling his childhood. "My family lost a lot of their land during the war. My mother also lost her brother, who was a rebel."

For the past four decades, Filipino Muslim insurgents have been waging a guerrilla war, aiming to establish a separate state in the south of the mainly Catholic country.

Clashes, especially fierce in places close to the rebel stronghold the Liguasan marsh, have left more than 120,000 people killed and many more repeatedly displaced. Economy growth, as a result, is stalled in the minerals-rich Mindanao.

Many of the Muslim youth have known no other Mindanao except one that is war-torn. They have never known a time of peace in their homeland.

"We had no choice, but to leave," Guiapal said.

Guiapal started to move around at the age of three and he finally managed to leave the conflict-intense zone by the time he was about to enter college.

Guiapal first studied in the Mindanao State University and was later awarded a scholarship by the Asian Development Bank to pursue a Master's Degree at the Asian Institute of Management in Manila.

With such education, Guiapal could have left the conflict zone for good, but he chose to stay.

Guiapal is now a project director of the Young Moro Professional Network (YMPN) -- a group composed of some 200 like- minded young Muslim intellectuals.

YMPN Membership Convener Samira Gutoc, a 34-year-old former fellow at Oxford University, said they want to use their own resources, talent, training and skills "to uplift the plight of the marginalized Muslim communities" in the Philippines, which was blessed with a relatively sound democratic environment.

Armed with laptops, MP3 players and cameras in tow and braving the exchange of gunfire, these young Muslim professionals visited evacuation camps, talked with both government officials and rebel leaders, and rolled out news and in-depth stories on the Internet.

"We could not remain apathetic to the plight of our communities, " said Engr. Don Loong, another YMPN member.

Clashes between the military and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country's largest Muslim rebel group, escalate as he speaks.

Last week, a military spokesman said about 100 MILF guerrillas have been killed in the heavy fighting in central Mindanao since June 4. Peace talks between Manila and the MILF collapsed last summer after the two sides failed to sign a key agreement paying way to a final peace accord.

Renegade rebels went on rampage at Christian villages, government troops fought back, and the five-year ceasefire was shattered. Even though government officials no other than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo call for the resumption of talks, people doubt any breakthrough can be achieved before the 2010 general elections.

It remains unclear what role these young Muslim elites can play in re-imposing peace in their homeland but their participation in itself is encouraging.

"These people form part of the Muslim middle classes and intelligentsia, who may be made -- if supported -- a potent force for peace-building," said YMPN Communications Specialist Sarah Matalam.

Matalam said the young active Muslim intellectuals can bridge the divides from within the Muslim society and in the larger Philippine and global society.

Mohagher Iqbal, chairman of the MILF Peace Panel, also welcomes the YMPN's role, saying that the young play "a definitive role" in the peace process.

"This war may go on past our lifetime. May the next generation of Muslims see the end of this war and come to know another side of their homeland a side that is marked by peace," he said.

(from XINHUA NEWS AGENCY)