Philippine gov't assures no foreign intervention in peace talks with Muslim rebels

Philippine gov't assures no foreign intervention in peace talks with Muslim rebels

The Philippine government assured on Monday that it will not allow foreign governments to intervene in the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that Malaysia's role is strictly the one as a facilitator in the peace talks.

"We can assure that we will not allow foreign intervention in the substantive issues between the peace panels," she said, adding that both the government and the MILF peace panels have yet to discuss the substantive issues of the peace process.

A Philippine lawmaker has proposed that peace talks with the MILF should be held in the country to avoid intervention from foreign governments.

Peace negotiation between the government and the MILF has been stalled since August this year due to huge differences on the proposed comprehensive peace compact of the two parties.

The government has been offering enhanced autonomy to the MILF, while the rebels have been seeking for a creation of a substate that will end the decades-old conflict in Mindanao.

The MILF has been fighting government troops for decades to establish a self-rule Muslim sub-state in the south of the predominantly Catholic country. Peace talks between the government and the MILF stalled in August 2008 following the aborted signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain.

A final peace deal with the government will touch the issues of autonomy and the civil settlement of the rebel group's 11,800- strong guerrilla fighters.

Editor: Fang Yang


English.news.cn   2011-10-31 16:40:03 FeedbackPrintRSS
MANILA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua)