(28 Mar 2001)
Manila, March 28
1. Wide shot of conference
2. Cutaway of cameras
3. Midshot of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Filipino President
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Filipino President
APTN FILE
5. Various of rebels
Manila, March 28
6. Various of newspaper headlines of peace talk development announcement
STORYLINE:
President of the Philippines Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced an agreement to talk peace with Muslim rebels on Tuesday, after a year of army assaults failed to end a war that has killed 120-thousand and left the resource-rich south in tatters.
The separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front also agreed to suspend offensives and will designate their negotiators soon.
Eduardo Ermita, who represented the Philippine government, said Malaysia helped arranged the exploratory talks and sent observers to the meeting last week.
Officials and rebels say Malaysia's crucial role make it the likely venue of planned talks.
The deal was signed in a weekend meeting in Malaysia, shrouded in such secrecy that Jesus Dureza, the government's chief negotiator for the planned talks, was not aware of it.
The M-I-L-F, with support based in the large Muslim minority in the southern region of Mindanao, has waged war for a separate Islamic homeland for some 25 years, forcing 700-thousand people to flee their homes and devastating the impoverished region's economy.
Arroyo announced a unilateral cease-fire with the M-I-L-F last month, ending the «all-out war» policy of her predecessor, Joseph Estrada, who was ousted in mass protests in January amid growing corruption allegations against him.
Sporadic ambushes and skirmishes have continued in the remote mountainous jungles of the region despite the cease-fire.
Both sides have blamed each other for launching the attacks but say the fighting will not affect planned peace talks.
The accord with the Muslim rebels was one of two major developments announced by Arroyo on Tuesday in her effort to foster peace since she was swept to office January 20.
Arroyo also approved holding talks with communist rebels in a foreign country, removing a major stumbling bloc to renewed negotiations with the country's other major rebel group.
Vice President Teofisto Guingona said the Cabinet's security committee recommended talks be held in a Scandinavian country.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"An accord has been signed in Kuala Lumpur. The M-I-L-F has agreed to resume the peace talks and form their negotiating panel shortly. Meanwhile they also agreed to suspend all offensive military operations just as we did recently. But I would like the details to be discussed when Secretary Ermita arrives here tomorrow. We can have another press conference then.
SUPERCAPTION: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,President of the Philippines
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