Gov’t, MILF report breakthrough in peace talks

Finally, a "breakthrough" in the quest for peace in troubled Mindanao.

Philippine government negotiators and Muslim separatist rebels announced they had made significant progress in peace talks Wednesday, resolving several key sticking points relating to the territorial rights of Muslim tribes in the South.

The three-day talks, brokered by Malaysia between Manila and the

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), "concluded on a high note with both parties expressing deep satisfaction over the result," a joint statement read by chief government negotiator Silvestre Afable said yesterday upon arriving from Malaysia.

However, neither side released any details on what agreements had been made.

When asked if a final peace agreement can be reached within the year, Afable said: "That is the objective of our panel."

The preliminary talks were held to explore each side’s positions on ancestral domain, which refers to the concept of a homeland, the territory it encompasses, management of its resources and governance.

Afable said it was the first time since the peace process began in 1997 that both sides have had substantive discussions regarding these issues.

"Since 1997, the Philippine government and the MILF held several rounds of talks but all these were centered on how to strengthen the ceasefire on the ground," Afable said in a press briefing.

The two sides agreed on several substantial points regarding the first three issues but governance remains unresolved, he said.

President Arroyo was "very happy" upon getting a preliminary report on the result of the talks, Afable said. "We informed her that we had broken ground."

"We have bridged more than 60 or 70 percent of these (ancestral domain) issues. This gives us much confidence to move forward in a satisfactory way," he told reporters.

MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal hailed the "very fruitful negotiations."

"I suppose that if we can fully harness this issue of ancestral domain, then the next issue which will be finding a negotiated political settlement... would be quite easy for us," said Iqbal.

The MILF has been demanding it be granted rights over ancestral domain, which traditionally means the entire southern island of Mindanao where the MILF has been fighting to establish an independent Islamic state for about 30 years.

MILF officials have said they were willing to compromise on the demand, without saying what they were prepared to accept.

The highly productive exploratory talks in Malaysia, Afable said, would not have been possible "without the commitment of both sides and the sincerity shown by the MILF."

Asked for specifics of the breakthrough, Afable said: "I cannot go into details but in the area of concept, territory and resources we have some detailed consensus."

The joint statement said the two sides would further discuss the various aspects of ancestral domain over the next few months.

The MILF signed a July 2003 ceasefire ahead of the peace talks.

The 20-month-old truce has largely held despite isolated clashes, and the two sides have held informal talks in the past, culminating in the first formal talks that began Monday.

Meanwhile, technical level discussions will continue in Malaysia to forge a common consent on all issues by June when formal talks for a peace deal will start. No date has been set for the technical talks.

"The panel decided to forge on with technical level talks in Malaysia to exhaust all possible consensus points before the start of formal negotiations expected to be held by mid-year," the statement said.

Afable stressed "there is confidence on both sides" as to how the talks were going but on the signing of a final peace pact, he said, "We do not want to state any deadlines."

Malaysia has a huge stake in a peaceful settlement of the rebellion in the southern Philippines because tens of thousands of Filipinos have been fleeing into Malaysia for years to escape the fighting.— With AP, AFP