After four years of stagnation in negotiations the official Philippines again meet with Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New Peoples Army (NPA). This time in Oslo with Norwegian facilitators.
The communist rebels and the Filipino government meet in Norway later in Aurgust to try to reach a peaceful solution for the future. The group of communist rebels has led guerrilla war against the incumbent government since 1969.
“Now, it looks clearer that it will push through. We have a schedule. The last week of Aurgust is when the formal talks will start in Oslo, Norway,” says chief negotiator on the Philippine side, the 57-year-old Avelino Razon.
He has been the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process since January 2009 and previously he was chief of the Philippine police.
The communist rebel group that is on both U.S. and EU lists of terrorist organizations sends spokesman Luis Jalandoni, who normally lives in exile in The Netherlands.
“Preparations are being made by the Negotiating Panels of the NDFP and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) for the resumption of formal talks in the peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway sometime in August 2009,” NDF negotiating panel chairman Luis Jalandoni said in a statement.
Between the two chief negotiators are Norwegians who have undertaken the task to try to mediate the parties to peace.
Four years ago, the two parties were in Norway to try to resolve their 40 years old conflict, but on this occasion the rebels left the negotiations before they had come to an agreement.
Norway has earlier stood in the forefront of peace negotiations on the conflicts in for instance Northern Ireland, the Middle East and Sri Lanka.
