Philippine rebel group to resume peace talks conditionally
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-09-08 13:49

The Philippine rebel group of the National Democratic Front (NDF) Thursday issued demands as a precondition of the resumption of peace negotiations and a cease- fire with the government next month, a local TV reported.

According to the ABS-CBN news channel, Luis Jalandoni, chairman of the NDF's peace negotiating panel, said in a statement that the peace talks can only resume after the government answers satisfactorily the prejudicial questions about the listing of the group by the United States and other foreign government as a terrorist organization, which he said was interference in Philippine affairs and particularly in the peace negotiation.

"The prejudicial questions raised by the NDF must first be answered satisfactorily by the GRP before the place, date and agenda for the resumption of formal meetings of the negotiating panels can be set," he said.

In addition, Jalandoni urged the government to order an end to alleged assassination threats and attempts against the leaders of the NDF, its political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and armed wing of the New People's Army (NPA), "before formal meetings can be resumed."

He also demanded that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sanction National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales for allegedly proposing the assassination of CPP founder Jose Ma. Sison during a high-level national security meeting.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Wednesday announced that the NDF had agreed to resume peace negotiations with the government next month after it lifted its suspension of an agreement ensuring the safety of all rebel peace negotiators and staff during the talks.

But, Jalandoni denied that they had agreed to resume peace talks suspended after informal talks in Oslo, Norway, late August.

Formal talks between the government and the NDF have been stalled since August 2004 because the NDF was identified as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

The NDF-CPP-NPA have been waging an armed campaign in the remote areas in the Philippines since 1969, and thousands of people have lost their lives during this campaign.

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