'Political will' needed for RP-Moro peace talks<\/p>\n
MANILA (AFP): Peace talks between the Philippines and Moslem
\nguerrillas in the south are making substantial headway but
\n\"political will\" would be required for any political settlement
\nto work, an Indonesian government observer said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Hassan Wirajuda, representing the Organization of Islamic
\nConference (OIC) observer team in the ongoing negotiations in the
\nsouthern city of Davao, was quoted by the official Philippine
\nNews Agency as saying the signs were \"encouraging.\"<\/p>\n
\"Substantial progress has been made\" since Jakarta hosted the
\nlaunching of the talks in 1992, Wirajuda said. \"But political
\nwill would be required from both sides to translate sincerity
\ninto lasting peace.\"<\/p>\n
He said four \"difficult\" issues have taken center stage in the
\ncurrent round of talks -- the establishment of provisional
\ngovernment, a demand by the rebel Moro National Liberation Front
\n(MNLF) to set up a regional security force, economic concerns,
\nand the introduction of Moslem laws.<\/p>\n
The two sides have publicly disagreed on the form, powers and
\ngeographic coverage of an autonomous government that would be put
\nin place in Mindanao and other southern islands, where the Moslem
\nminority waged a bloody separatist uprising in the early 1970s.<\/p>\n
MNLF chairman Nur Misuari is pressing for a \"provisional
\ngovernment\" giving his group control over 13 provinces and nine
\ncities -- an area that spans most of the country's south.<\/p>\n
Manila has said any such government would first have to be
\ncreated through a plebiscite. The country's five million Moslems
\nmake up a large majority in the southern islands, which have a
\ncombined population of about 18 million.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/political-will-needed-for-rp-moro-peace-talks-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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