Rebel chief: Japan concerned over slow pace of peace in Philippines

Sep 7, 2007, 5:24 GMT

Cotabato City, Philippines - The Japanese government has called for the immediate resumption of peace talks stalled for a year between the Philippines and Muslim separatist rebels, a guerrilla leader said Friday.

Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed deep concern over the stagnant negotiations.

Murad said Abe's message was relayed by Yasunori Nakayama, a senior official of the Japanese embassy in Manila who met with him Wednesday in an MILF camp near Cotabato City, 930 kilometres south of Manila.

Murad said Nakayama also relayed Abe's assurance that Japan remained committed to attaining peace in the southern region of Mindanao and extending help in developing the strife-torn area.

Peace talks between the Philippines and the MILF have been stalled since September 2006 after the two sides failed to agree on what territories would be included in a proposed Muslim homeland in Mindanao.

The negotiations were supposed to resume in late August but were cancelled by the government chief negotiator at the last minute.

Murad said he urged Japan to take extra efforts to persuade the government to resume the negotiations.

The 12,000-strong MILF is the largest Muslim rebel group fighting for an independent Islamic state in Mindanao. It has been waging the separatist battle since 1978 but has agreed to discuss autonomy in peace talks with the government.