Filipino Christians vs. Muslims: The Acronymns

MNLF Moro National Liberation Front

After the Muslim population of Mindanao waned in the late 1960s, the remaining Moros felt the Christian government was not concerned about their welfare. This group was formed and waged war against the government in the 1970s.

MILF Moro Islamic Liberation Front

In the mid-1990s, many disgruntled mnlf members defected to this organization, building a jungle army of some 30,000 guerrillas. Its goal is a separate Islamic state in the Philippines.

ARMM Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao

A region created by the government in 1990 to help solve Muslim problems and hasten economic development in Muslim areas. After a 1989 plebiscite, only four Mindanao provinces formed the ARMM—Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, the islands of Sulu and the islands of Tawi-Tawi.