The Philippine government and Muslim separatist rebels will resume peace talks in neighboring Malaysia this month, a rebel spokesman said yesterday.
Moro Islamic Liberation Front spokesman Eid Kabalu said political turmoil in Manila, sparked by claims of elections fraud against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, will not setback negotiations aimed at ending decades of conflict in the southern Philippines.
"The unfolding political events in Manila have no bearings whatsoever on our efforts to pursue peace in Mindanao," he told reporters, adding that the talks will resume July 25-26.
Kabalu acknowledged that negotiations may be delayed if Arroyo succumbs to growing pressure to step down. But he said it would not shake the process, which is supported by neighboring countries, the United States and the international community.
"If there is an abrupt change of leadership in Manila, it may slow down our talks, but the peace process will go on. Whoever takes over will have to honor an international commitment to resolve this issue," he added.
Eid said the new round of informal talks in Malaysia will tackle the final issue of governance, before formal negotiations are launched. MILF negotiators are expected to submit several proposals for self-rule, ranging from independence to a federal state, he said.
"What's important is that we do not close our door to one option only," he said.
"We are optimistic of coming up with a consensus on the issue of governance, and formal negotiations will follow through on finalizing the formula and the political solution to the conflict."
The government offered limited autonomy in 1996 to another rebel group, the Moro National Liberation Front, in exchange for peace. But the MILF, which was formed from a disgruntled MNLF faction, says autonomy is insufficient.
‘SHORTSIGHTED’: Using aid as leverage is punitive, would not be regarded well among Pacific Island nations and would further open the door for China, an academic said New Zealand has suspended millions of dollars in budget funding to the Cook Islands, it said yesterday, as the relationship between the two constitutionally linked countries continues to deteriorate amid the island group’s deepening ties with China. A spokesperson for New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters said in a statement that New Zealand early this month decided to suspend payment of NZ$18.2 million (US$11 million) in core sector support funding for this year and next year as it “relies on a high trust bilateral relationship.” New Zealand and Australia have become increasingly cautious about China’s growing presence in the Pacific
Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki yesterday erupted again with giant ash and smoke plumes after forcing evacuations of villages and flight cancelations, including to and from the resort island of Bali. Several eruptions sent ash up to 5km into the sky on Tuesday evening to yesterday afternoon. An eruption on Tuesday afternoon sent thick, gray clouds 10km into the sky that expanded into a mushroom-shaped ash cloud visible as much as 150km kilometers away. The eruption alert was raised on Tuesday to the highest level and the danger zone where people are recommended to leave was expanded to 8km from the crater. Officers also
ESPIONAGE: The British government’s decision on the proposed embassy hinges on the security of underground data cables, a former diplomat has said A US intervention over China’s proposed new embassy in London has thrown a potential resolution “up in the air,” campaigners have said, amid concerns over the site’s proximity to a sensitive hub of critical communication cables. The furor over a new “super-embassy” on the edge of London’s financial district was reignited last week when the White House said it was “deeply concerned” over potential Chinese access to “the sensitive communications of one of our closest allies.” The Dutch parliament has also raised concerns about Beijing’s ideal location of Royal Mint Court, on the edge of the City of London, which has so
The team behind the long-awaited Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile yesterday published their first images, revealing breathtaking views of star-forming regions as well as distant galaxies. More than two decades in the making, the giant US-funded telescope sits perched at the summit of Cerro Pachon in central Chile, where dark skies and dry air provide ideal conditions for observing the cosmos. One of the debut images is a composite of 678 exposures taken over just seven hours, capturing the Trifid Nebula and the Lagoon Nebula — both several thousand light-years from Earth — glowing in vivid pinks against orange-red backdrops. The new image
RSS