/ stevenwarran's Library/ Notes/ July 22, 2003, The Philippine Star, Government willing to resume talks with Reds,
July 22, 2003, The Philippine Star, Government willing to resume talks with Reds,
from web site
July 22, 2003, The Philippine Star, Government willing to resume talks with Reds,
[Philippines committed to peace talks with communist rebels says president,]
Despite a recent upsurge of communist rebel attacks, the government remains committed to negotiating a peace settlement with the insurgents, President Arroyo said yesterday.
"We are leaving the door open to rebels who wish to return to the fold of the law while we continue to protect communities from (rebel) depredation," Mrs Arroyo said in a statement. "The employment of force should be balanced by the hand of reconciliation to those who renounced violence in the pursuit of political ends."
Attacks on remote military and police outposts have increased since last year following Mrs Arroyo's order for intensified military operations against New People's Army (NPA) rebels.
Speaker Jose de Venecia, who recently had talks with communist leaders living in self-exile in the Netherlands, said peace negotiations - to be brokered by Norway - will resume in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, next week.
Gregorio Rosal, spokesman for the Communist Party of the Philippines, said the CPP was "ready to negotiate anytime" but the Arroyo administration was not sincere in pursuing negotiations.
"A number of countries, not just Norway, have expressed interest in brokering the talks. It's the Arroyo-US regime that is not ready for genuine peace talks," Rosal told The Star in a telephone interview. "What they want is to weaken us (through) what they cannot do militarily."
The CPP has been battling for a Marxist state for over 30 years through its armed wing, the NPA, which claims to have about 13,500 fighters.
Communist leaders refused to resume talks unless the United States and the European Union strike the CPP and the NPA off their list of terrorist organizations.
Mrs Arroyo ordered an indefinite suspension of the negotiations in 2001 when the rebels assassinated congressmen Rodolfo Aguinaldo of Cagayan and Marcial Punzalan of Quezon.
Last year the government began efforts to resume negotiations and the rebels laid down demands for the resumption of talks.
Aside from removing them from the terrorist blacklist, the rebels said talks would resume if the government agreed to negotiate within a framework of agreements the guerrillas signed with the Ramos administration in the mid-1990s.
In January, the rebels rejected a draft peace agreement offered by the government, saying the text of the document implied that they were capitulating.
Government officials said the document clearly stated that its acceptance by the rebels would not be considered a surrender.
Despite a recent upsurge of communist rebel attacks, the government remains committed to negotiating a peace settlement with the insurgents, President Arroyo said yesterday.
"We are leaving the door open to rebels who wish to return to the fold of the law while we continue to protect communities from (rebel) depredation," Mrs Arroyo said in a statement. "The employment of force should be balanced by the hand of reconciliation to those who renounced violence in the pursuit of political ends."
Attacks on remote military and police outposts have increased since last year following Mrs Arroyo's order for intensified military operations against New People's Army (NPA) rebels.
Speaker Jose de Venecia, who recently had talks with communist leaders living in self-exile in the Netherlands, said peace negotiations - to be brokered by Norway - will resume in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, next week.
Gregorio Rosal, spokesman for the Communist Party of the Philippines, said the CPP was "ready to negotiate anytime" but the Arroyo administration was not sincere in pursuing negotiations.
"A number of countries, not just Norway, have expressed interest in brokering the talks. It's the Arroyo-US regime that is not ready for genuine peace talks," Rosal told The Star in a telephone interview. "What they want is to weaken us (through) what they cannot do militarily."
The CPP has been battling for a Marxist state for over 30 years through its armed wing, the NPA, which claims to have about 13,500 fighters.
Communist leaders refused to resume talks unless the United States and the European Union strike the CPP and the NPA off their list of terrorist organizations.
Mrs Arroyo ordered an indefinite suspension of the negotiations in 2001 when the rebels assassinated congressmen Rodolfo Aguinaldo of Cagayan and Marcial Punzalan of Quezon.
Last year the government began efforts to resume negotiations and the rebels laid down demands for the resumption of talks.
Aside from removing them from the terrorist blacklist, the rebels said talks would resume if the government agreed to negotiate within a framework of agreements the guerrillas signed with the Ramos administration in the mid-1990s.
In January, the rebels rejected a draft peace agreement offered by the government, saying the text of the document implied that they were capitulating.
Government officials said the document clearly stated that its acceptance by the rebels would not be considered a surrender.
Would you like to comment?
Join Diigo for a free account, or sign in if you are already a member.