Philippines says rebels may accept autonomy offer

Philippines says rebels may accept autonomy offer

MANILA (Reuters): The Philippines' biggest rebel group has indicated it may consider a government offer of autonomy to end a 28-year-old separatist rebellion, a government official said on Sunday.

The apparent breakthrough in talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) came after another Islamic rebel group freed a Malaysian hostage among 21 mostly foreign captives being held in the jungles of southern Jolo island.

Presidential press undersecretary Mike Toledo said the MILF had sent a government panel a draft of its reply to the offer of autonomy for Muslim areas in the south of this mainly Roman Catholic country.

"It would seem that they are already acceding to the position that any discussion on this will be based on a meaningful autonomy within the ambit and within the mandate of the Philippine constitution," Toledo told reporters.

He said the government and MILF would resume talks, which have been going on for three years, on Monday and added: "Hopefully, an interim agreement is being drafted."

Government negotiators have rejected the rebels' demand for an independent Islamic state and instead offered Muslims autonomy that respects Philippine territorial integrity.

More than 120,000 people have died in the revolt which began in 1972. The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), once the Philippines' biggest Muslim rebel group, signed a peace deal in 1996 accepting autonomy for four Muslim-dominated provinces.

The MILF did not take part in the talks but launched separate negotiations with Manila in 1997. The talks have been marred by outbreaks of fighting.

Reports that the MILF was considering autonomy came just before the June 27-29 annual meeting in Malaysia of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), the world's leading Islamic body. The MILF has applied for an observer status at the meeting in a bid to gain international recognition.

Handed over

Freed from 62 days' captivity by fundamentalist Abu Sayyaf rebels, Malaysian forest ranger Zulkarnain Hashim urged his captors to release the 20 other hostages.

Close to tears, Hashim embraced waiting Malaysian diplomats at the presidential palace. He looked fit apart from a scorpion bite.

The Abu Sayyaf is also fighting for an independent Muslim homeland but has shunned talks with Manila.

"I would like to thank Allah... for his blessing to release me and I hope as soon as possible that my friends, the 20 other hostages, will also be freed," he said in halting English -- the only statement Philippine officials allowed him to make.

Chief Philippine negotiator Roberto Aventajado said he understood Hashim had been well treated. He and four other Malaysian forest rangers held captive had been adept at dealing with scorpion bites, he added. "They just poured hot water and burned the poison with a cigarette."

The 20 remaining hostages include eight Malaysians, three Germans, two French nationals, two South Africans, two Finns, two Filipinos and a Lebanese. The group was abducted from a Malaysian diving resort on April 23 and brought to Jolo, 960 km south of Manila.

Aventajado said Hashim had told him his fellow Malaysian and Filipino captives were in good shape. The other hostages were being held separately".

Hashim's release was the first bright spot in the grim hostage saga which has embarrassed President Joseph Estrada's embattled government.

Aventajado said no ransom was paid for Hashim's release. Officials have said the rebels want $1 million for each hostage.