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.