Talks on victims' release to resume

Talks on victims' release to resume

SULTAN KUDARAT, Philippines (AFP): Talks to free seven South Koreans held by Moslem rebels in the southern Philippines will resume Friday, negotiators said yesterday.

Governor Norodin Matalam, co-chairman of the negotiating panel said he had met with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief Al Hadji Murad at an undisclosed place late Tuesday to seek the release of the Shinsung Construction Corp. workers.

The MILF, a breakaway faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) which is now holding autonomy talks with the government, has claimed responsibility for Saturday's kidnapping and demanded that military units pull out from the area, where Shinsung is building an irrigation dam.

Talks for the release of the Koreans broke down on Monday after the military refused to give in to demands of the rebels that they be hired as security forces for Shinsung.