Brunei soldiers arrive to monitor ceasefire pact with MILF

MANILA -- Ten Brunei soldiers arrived on Wednesday to join an international contingent to monitor a ceasefire between the government and Muslim separatist rebels in Mindanao.

Lieutenant Colonel Aminuddin Ihsan and his men flew in aboard a Royal Brunei Air Force cargo plane and were met by Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Rafael Seguis and Brunei ambassador Hajah Maimuna.

They will join 50 Malaysian security personnel who earlier arrived this month to monitor the ceasefire sealed in 2002 between President Arroyo's government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The Malaysians have already been deployed in Mindanao where they will stay for about a year, taking up any complaints of truce violations.

The Philippines has expressed hope that the monitors will be joined by representatives from other Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) member countries, like Bangladesh, Libya and Bahrain.