Philippines agrees to rebel talks

Peace talks have been suspended since 2004

The Philippines government plans to resume peace talks with communist rebels next month, officials have said.

The agreement to return to talks was reached after the government promised not to arrest rebel negotiators or demand an immediate ceasefire.

The last round of talks collapsed in 2004 amid communist anger at being included on US and European lists of terrorist groups.

The Philippines' communist insurgency has lasted four decades.

In 2005, the government suspended the Joint Agreement on Immunity and Safety Guarantee, which had protected 97 rebel negotiators and consultants from arrest at the talks and when they travelled to consult rural communities.

Pre-conditions agreed

Avelino Razon Jr, the presidential adviser to the talks, said the government would renew that agreement from 17 July.

The immunity agreement also suspends pending criminal prosecutions against rebels involved in the talks, he said.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita added that the usual ceasefire demand had been dropped.

"We have enough good reasons to agree to the resumption of the talks. We are very, very hopeful," he said.

He said the rebels had given in on their demand that their organisation's and leaders' names be taken off the terrorist black lists first.

Chief rebel negotiator Luis Jalandoni said that talks may resume as early as next month in the Norwegian capital of Oslo.

Norway, which has been brokering the negotiations, arranged an informal meeting of both sides last month in the Netherlands, where the chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines, Jose Maria Sison, lives in exile.

It is understood the agreements on pre-conditions were reached then.

The communist New People's Army has been conducting sporadic attacks in recent months. It is accused of "taxing" landowners and others to help fund its operations.

It reached a peak membership of about 25,000 during the 1980s, but membership is now estimated to be less than 5,000.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) marked its 40th anniversary in December 2008 with a call to arms.