Government and separatist group begin 2-day talks

Manila/Mindanao: The Philippine government and a major separatist group started two-day negotiations in Kuala Lumpur to resolve two of four issues that will firm up the establishment of a wider autonomous region for Filipino Muslims in the southern Philippines, sources have said.

"Members of the peace panels of the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will try to resolve the remaining two issues separating them from signing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain," said Luwaran, the MILF's website.

The MILF wanted to include the word "freedom" as the basis of the establishment of ancestral domain for Filipino Muslims in Mindanao.

"But the Philippine government wanted to delete the word freedom in the agreement on ancestral domain," Luwaran said.

Earlier, Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, presidential peace adviser on the peace process, said the Philippine government sought the help of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), MILF's rival group, government officials, and stakeholders in Mindanao, to get a "wider view of rights and freedom for all Filipino Muslims".

At the same time, both camps have yet to concede that the proposed memorandum on agreement on ancestral domain might "require the government to undertake necessary changes in the legal framework of this country," said Luwaran, adding that the MILF "has already agreed to this formulation provided that such processes would not derogate prior agreements [that were forged by both camps]."

- with inputs from Ed General, Correspondent