A Philippine Air Force gunner mans a machinegun on a Huey military helicopter as it flies over rebel infested Basilan island in southern Philippines August 20, 2009.
Peace talks collapsed in 2004 after the communist New People's Army blamed the government for its inclusion on U.S. and European lists of terrorist groups. A Norwegian-brokered meeting in June led to an agreement to resume talks Friday in Oslo.
The rural-based rebellion to create a Marxist state has claimed about 120,000 lives and has been blamed by the government for stunting economic growth. Rebel assaults have continued despite efforts to revive the peace talks.
Presidential adviser on the peace process Avelino Razon Jr. said the scheduled talks may no longer take place after rebel negotiators insisted on the release of several guerrillas and the dropping of criminal charges against two others demands he said the government could not immediately grant.
"It's unlikely the talks will take place as scheduled," Razon said. "We cannot subvert our legal process."
Rebel consultant Jose Maria Sison said the Philippine government reneged on an agreement forged in June to either release from detention or drop "trumped-up" criminal charges against about 14 guerrillas who were to serve as consultants in the talks.
The government "has rendered extremely difficult or even impossible the resumption of formal talks," Sison, who founded the Communist Party of the Philippines, said in a statement.
The Philippine government last month renewed an agreement, suspended in 2005, shielding 87 guerrillas from arrest and criminal prosecution while involved in the talks. However, Razon said the agreement was not a license for the government to free detained rebels or drop criminal charges against others.
Sison also condemned the government for agreeing to release a suspected rebel, Randall Echanis, for only six months, "making him a hostaged consultant," he said.
Razon said the government could not direct Philippine courts to immediately free detained rebels or summarily drop criminal charges against two suspected guerrillas, who are at large, so they could participate in the talks.
Rebel negotiators will seek a meeting with Philippine officials to discuss the issue, Sison said.
Government negotiators welcome that proposal, Razon said.
The 120,000-strong military has been carrying out sporadic offensives aimed at crushing the insurgency before President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is scheduled to step down next June.
“Civil War” is Boring: A Film Review
3 days ago
No comments:
Post a Comment