Terrorist label clouds RP peace talk

Terrorist label clouds RP peace talk

Agencies, Oslo

The Philippines government and communist rebels met for new peace talks on Tuesday with disputes over prisoners and a U.S. "terrorist" label for the insurgents clouding efforts to end a 35-year-old conflict.

Negotiators said the talks in an Oslo hotel, the third this year and first since Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo won re-election on May 10, were unlikely to make big breakthroughs.

"The president is determined to push the peace process forward and to put it to a logical end," government negotiator Silvestre Bello said, adding talks were in a "transitional stage" ahead of the June 30 inauguration of a new government.

Representatives of the government and the rebel National Democratic Front (NDF) hope the three-day talks will make progress towards ending a conflict that has killed 40,000 people. Talks resumed in 2004 after a three-year break.

But the head of the NDF delegation, Luis Jalandoni, accused Manila of failing to meet commitments made in earlier talks, including an agreed release of 32 political prisoners by May 5.

It also accused Manila of human rights violations, saying killings by the Philippine army were undermining peace talks.

Jalandoni expressed concern over the U.S., European Union (EU), Australian and Canadian listings of parts of the communist rebel alliance as "terrorists", calling it "unjust and baseless".

"So we think that the (Manila) administration...should undertake measures towards the (U.S. President George W.) Bush administration," Jalandoni said.

Bello merely said Manila had agreed to appeal to the international community "to help the peace process by way of addressing the issue of terrorist listing".

He admitted only 17 prisoners had been freed so far, with the planned release of 10 others "going through some administrative difficulties". He accused the other five of being terrorists and said they were subject to further investigation.

Manila -- also seeking peace with Muslim rebels -- is hoping to seal a peace accord with both communist and Muslim rebels to boost security and shore up investor confidence in the country.

Bello told reporters the government wanted to speed up the peace bid, predicting a deal over social and economic reforms within six months. Yet he had once earlier forecast a final peace accord by that time.

The parties also disagree on a possible cease-fire.

"The nationwide prolonged cease-fire would only come after the roots of the armed conflict have been addressed and through agreement on social and economic reforms and with political and constitutional reform signed and implemented," Jalandoni said.

But he held the door open for temporary cease-fires for humanitarian reasons, such as on holidays, to help boost the peace process. The talks in Oslo are scheduled to end on Thursday.