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China to Resume Philippine Project
A Chinese construction firm has told the Philippines it is ready to resume work on an irrigation project in the rebellion-racked south but has asked for extra security, officials said on Sunday.
National Irrigation Administration (NIA) head Jesus Emmanuel Paras, whose department is running the project, told reporters he had asked for more troops to secure the site.
Work on the 2.5-billion-peso ($49 million) project was halted after two Chinese nationals kidnapped by Muslim gunmen were killed in a gunbattle last week between soldiers and the bandits.
A third Chinese national was rescued during the fighting but a fourth Chinese and a Chinese Filipino remain in captivity.
Deputy general manager Shao Wei of the China Import and Export Technologies Inc said in a letter to the NIA that work was suspended to allow the Chinese workers a period of mourning but that they were ready to return to the project.
"We can reach our common target of irrigating at least 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of farm lands by September 30 if the security can be fully and carefully guaranteed on the job site and construction area," Wei wrote, according to NIA officials.
About 50 Chinese nationals are working on the project on Mindanao island, 800 km (500 miles) south of Manila.
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels fighting for a Muslim homeland and kidnap-for-ransom gangs operate in the area. The MILF has just signed a ceasefire agreement with Manila.
The project aims to irrigate a total of 10,840 hectares (26,785 acres) of farmland and is due for completion in May 2003.
Chinese project officer Zhang Zhongqiang was kidnapped in June. Two weeks ago, three other Chinese nationals, including a brother of Zhang, and a Filipino went to meet the kidnappers to deliver a ransom of eight million pesos ($156,000) for Zhang's release but they themselves were abducted by the gang.
Zhang, a compatriot and more than 20 kidnappers were killed in last week's clash. The rest of the bandits escaped to a marshy area, still holding Zhang's brother and the Filipino.
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