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Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Communists hit terror tag, vow more attacks
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Communist insurgents denounced their inclusion in the European Union terror list, but at the same time vowed to continue their armed struggle in the Philippines.
The terror tag included the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), its political arm the National Democratic Front, and its armed wing the New People's Army (NPA).
The NDF said the terror listing would hamper efforts to revive the stalled peace talks between government and rebel negotiators.
It also accused Manila and Washington as behind the terror tag.
"The Council of the European Union is contributing to the paralysis of the RP-NDF peace negotiations, making Europe inhospitable to peace negotiations and emboldening the escalation of human rights violations in the Philippines," an NDF statement said.
It said insurgents are determined to pursue the armed struggle in the country.
"The CPP and the NPA, which are components of the NDF, are key forces in the Philippine national liberation movement waging a just war," it added.
The NDF branded its terror tag as arrogant and slammed the European Union for interfering in its armed struggle in the Philippines.
"It is a highly politically-motivated malicious act deliberately done at the instigation of the Philippines and the United States in a futile scheme to compel the NDF to capitulate to the Arroyo government through peace negotiations," it said.
A senior leader of the country's largest Muslim separatist rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), earlier urged the government to lift its terror tag on communist rebels and resume the peace talks.
"This terrorist tag does not serve the best interest of the peace process, but instead only shows that the government is not serious in talking peace," Khaled Musa, MILF deputy chairman on information, had said.
Peace negotiations between the government and the communist rebels have been suspended since August last year, following the pullout of the National Democratic Front (NDF) from the talks due to its inclusion in the US terror list on Manila's prodding.
The rebels have vowed to step up attacks on government targets after Manila suspended safety and immunity guarantee for the group's negotiators following the collapse of the peace talks.
The government has suspended the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantee (Jasig) after the rebels abandoned the peace talks.
Rebel leaders said they would only return to the peace negotiations if Manila asks the United States and the European Union to strike them off from their terror lists.
The MILF appealed to the government and communist rebels to exert efforts in opening the negotiations and sign a ceasefire agreement to protect the peace process.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo opened peace talks with the MILF and forged a ceasefire agreement in 2001. The MILF is optimistic it can strike a peace deal soon with the government. (Sun.Star Zamboanga/Sunnex)
(December 6, 2005 issue)
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