. | . |
Communist rebels reject Philippine govt's new demands by Staff Writers Manila (AFP) July 5, 2018 The Philippines set fresh conditions Thursday for resuming peace talks with communist rebels, drawing a quick rejection from leaders of the nearly 50-year-old insurgency. The rebels would have to drop collection of a so-called "revolutionary tax" from businesses and demands to be part of a governing coalition. President Rodrigo Duterte's peace adviser Jesus Dureza also said talks would need to move to the Philippines from Europe and rebels would have to live in special camps. "The doors for peace negotiations with the communist rebels are still open," Dureza said in a statement. Duterte called off negotiations in November and formally designated the Communist Party of the Philippines and its 3,800-member armed wing the New People's Army as "terrorist organisations". The 49-year-old conflict in the largely Catholic nation is one of Asia's longest-running insurgencies and has claimed 30,000 lives by the government's count. "Duterte has killed the peace talks," rebel leader Jose Maria Sison told journalists via video link from his base in the Netherlands, calling government officials, "double-faced hypocrites" for claiming the negotiations could continue. Sison, a former college professor of Duterte, said the communists had originally hoped the peace talks would progress under the president who took office in mid-2016, calling himself a socialist. The rebel leader rejected the Duterte government's new pre-conditions, saying that the communists would be taking a major risk if they turned up to talks in the Philippines. Previously talks were to be held in Norway, but Duterte has put them off. Sison also said the military was overstretched, fighting Muslim extremists in the south and communist rebels in rural areas all over the country, adding that his guerrillas faced "big opportunities to hit" under Duterte. "There will be more guerrilla offensives... while Duterte is in power," he said. Sison also sneered at the military's estimate that the communists numbered less than 4,000, saying they had forces all over the country although he would not give specifics. Calling the president a "monster", Sison said that regarding peace talks, the communists "can wait for the next government, the next administration". Asked how long the conflict would last, he said "the revolutionary forces will fight for as long as necessary to overthrow this rotten system".
NYT lambasts 'intimidation' against Sri Lanka reporters Colombo (AFP) July 3, 2018 The New York Times sounded alarm Tuesday over an "intimidation campaign" being waged against two Sri Lankan reporters who assisted the newspaper's investigation into alleged corruption involving former president Mahinda Rajapakse. The pair have been subjected to intense personal abuse on social media and public criticism by parliamentarians loyal to Rajapakse since the report was published late last month. "It is unacceptable for journalists to be intimidated this way. This action appears intend ... read more
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |