From: "Magnus Bernhardsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Peoples War] De Venecia: Peace with communists soon http://www.inq7.net/nat/2001/dec/09/nat_1-1.htm De Venecia: Peace with communists soon Posted: 11:16 PM (Manila Time) | December 08, 2001 By Juliet Labog-Javellana Inquirer News Service Ceasefire, prisoner swap SPEAKER Jose de Venecia has endorsed to President Macapagal-Arroyo the proposal of the National Democratic Front for a one-month Christmas ceasefire and a prisoner swap that would put a derailed peace talks back on track and lead to a final peace agreement by early next year. Noting that the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, and the NDF have a political and military alliance with the MILF, "this development would have a domino, calming psychological effect on the nation," De Venecia said. In a press conference Saturday, De Venecia said the government and the communist-led NDF have agreed to accelerate the peace talks and sign a final peace agreement in "three to five months." The Speaker said the agreement resulted from a round of "back-channel talks" that he conducted last weekend with communist leaders Jose Ma. Sison, Luis Jalandoni and Fidel Agcaoili in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and with Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik in Oslo. "The President, and she is supported by the military, is pushing for a final peace settlement. I believe we are now on the verge of resolving this (communist insurgency) conflict," De Venecia said. De Venecia added that he would ask the President to approve the NDF proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with the communist rebels from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15 next year. He said this could also pave the way for the release of four New Peoples Army captives--Sgt. Jeremias Rosete Jr. and his three companions--by January or February next year. In exchange, the NDF would be seeking the release of several political prisoners, including the convicted killer of US Army Col. James Rowe. However, the United States had strongly objected to his release. De Venecia said the President and the Norwegian premier, who is hosting the peace talks, had endorsed the accelerated timetable that would dramatically cut the targeted schedule for a settlement from two years to five months. The final peace agreement would include the permanent cessation of hostilities and "demobilization" of rebel forces, De Venecia said. He said the protracted communist insurgency problem could be finally laid to rest within the new timetable if the two panels resume peace talks before or after Christmas. He warned, however, that the recent move by the US government to include the NPA in a list of terrorist groups could affect the ambitious timetable. President Macapagal-Arroyo said, however, the US move would not affect her agreement to an NDF offer of a Christmas ceasefire between Dec. 15 and Jan. 15 next year. "We are a sovereign country, so it's really up to the NDF to show that they are sincere in wanting to have peace and they are not terrorists," she said. The US recently included the NPA, the communist urban hit squad, the Alex Boncayao Brigade, and the Pentagon kidnap-for-ransom group in a list of "foreign terrorist organizations" compiled by the US State and Justice Departments. The US will deport or deny entry to anyone suspected of being linked to any of 39 suspected terrorist organizations included in the list. The US government has three such terrorist lists. The one compiled by the US Treasury Department includes the Abu Sayyaf kidnap group. The US State Department has another list of "other terrorist groups." _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
