Philippine Muslim rebels on Saturday rejected a government draft on a proposed ancestral homeland for Muslims in southern Philippines, officials said, dealing a surprise blow to peace talks.
Philippine government negotiators and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the largest Muslim rebel group, met in Malaysia to try to complete an accord in time for a signing next month.
"The talks ran into trouble before they started," said a Malaysian official facilitating the talks. "The MILF panel refused to proceed and even meet the government panel." Both sides then called off the talks and were to return home for a fresh mandate, the official added.
Last month, Manila and the MILF overcame a major hurdle in talks on the homeland for 3 million Muslims in the mainly Roman Catholic country, opening the prospect of an historic agreement to end a 40-year-old conflict that has killed more than 120,000 people.
"The MILF was expecting a different draft from what our team showed them. They have a higher expectation." Jesus Dureza, the Philippine president's adviser on the peace process, told Reuters in Manila. "This is just a minor hiccup. We will make our own assessment and make an effort to go back to the table," he said. "We are still hopeful of signing an agreement on an ancestral domain with the rebels."
A conference source said the MILF accused Manila of reneging on matters relating to pre-agreed points. MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said he was told of problems before the start of discussions but he had no further details.
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