by Pesante-USA
Thursday, Dec. 07, 2006 at 7:38 AM
magsasakapil@hotmail.com 213-241-0906 337 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026
BACKDOOR peace negotiations between the largest separatist rebels and the government continue to be deadlocked over the issue of ancestral domain.
Sources close to Secretary Silvestre Afable Jr. said Wednesday that the December 1 meeting between leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and government negotiators in Malaysia failed to break the four-month impasse in the peace parley.
“Technically, the deadlock stays because the two panels did not reach any settlement on the territorial domain,” the sources told The Manila Times.
GRP-MILF talks deadlocked on ancestral domain
Manila--- BACKDOOR peace negotiations between the largest separatist rebels and the government continue to be deadlocked over the issue of ancestral domain.
Sources close to Secretary Silvestre Afable Jr. said Wednesday that the December 1 meeting between leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and government negotiators in Malaysia failed to break the four-month impasse in the peace parley.
“Technically, the deadlock stays because the two panels did not reach any settlement on the territorial domain,” the sources told The Manila Times.
Eid Kabalu, spokesman for the MILF, confirmed the report. He said both sides clarified each other’s position, “but the deadlock remains.”
Kabalu said they are waiting for the government to present a new proposal on the ancestral domain. “But, so far, we have not seen one,” he stressed.
Government sources said Afable had submitted an “improved proposal” on November 9 on the aspect of ancestral domain, but refused to divulge details.
Mohagher Iqbal represented the separatist group in the talks brokered by Kuala Lumpur.
The deadlock, which started on September 6, was triggered by debates on the extent of the domain of the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity to expand the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
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