It was announced on 8 September (Thrusday), that Norway’s peace facilitator broke the impasse in the peace negotiations between the Philippines and the communist rebels, when both agreed to resume talks, in Oslo.
Norway special envoy Ambassador Ture Lundh met the guerrilla and government negotiators in Manila on 6 September (Tuesday) in a bid to revive the faltering peace talks. Norway has been brokering peace negotiations between the government and the communist rebels since the late 1980s.
Government chief negotiator Alexander Padilla said that during Tuesday’s meeting he reached an agreement with his communist counterpart Luis Jalandoni and agreed to resume formal negotiations in October without any preconditions.
Padilla said the atmosphere during the meeting was very cordial.
“It proved to be a very fruitful meeting of minds. Both sides have agreed to take positive steps towards the creation of a conducive atmosphere for the formal talks,” he said.
Peace talks between the new government of President Benigno Aquino III and the Netherlands-based communist leaders started in February but hit rock-bottom when the guerrillas demanded that the government release from prison some of their jailed comrades.
The military, on the other hand, accused the rebels of insincerity due to unabated attacks conducted by the guerrillas on government and civilian targets.
Communist rebels have been fighting the government since the late 1960s, making the movement one of the longest-running leftist insurgencies in Asia.
