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Philippines cancels peace deal with MILF
The Philippines announced on Thursday it had cancelled a peace deal with the country's biggest Muslim rebel group after fighting broke out this week, but a guerrilla leader rejected its calls for re-negotiation. The announcement by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's government that it was giving up on the agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forged only last month looks certain to prolong a decades-long conflict in the south. "The cancellation of the memorandum of agreement is a painful step in our collective effort to come to an agreement with the MILF," Lorelei Fajardo, a spokeswoman for Arroyo, said in a statement to reporters. "She (Arroyo) will seek a new agreement within the boundaries of law set within the constitution. Furthermore, the president will not allow adventurism by MILF forces to pressure government to sign any agreement even if it is for peace." The peace deal, which envisaged the enlargement of a Muslim autonomous area in the Mindanao region, has been halted by the Supreme Court pending hearing an appeal by Christian groups that it was unconstitutional. Posted by: Fred 2008-08-22 |
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