{UAH}

 Robert Atuhairwe,

Here is the picture of the historic meeting in Oslo, Norway where for the first time since its founding in December 1968, the leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines meets with representatives of the Philippines government. The most striking element of this picture is that it is also possibly the first time the three previous Chairmen of the Communist Party are physically meeting for the first time since the overthrow of Marcos. professor Jose Maria Sison founded the party in 1968 and led its armed wing, the New Peoples Army, until he was captured by Marcos in 1971. He was released from prison when Marcos was overthrown in 1986, and immediartely went to exile in the Netherlands, where he lives today. he was replaced as Chariman of the Party by Mr Rafael Baylosis, until Baylosis himself was captured in 1989, to be replaced by Allan Jasmines. Benito Tiamzon then took over the leadership of the NPA from around 2000, with his wife Wilma Tiamzon as Chairman. These four men and woman have been the top leaders of the communist insurgency for the last 40 years, and  yet have not really been in close physical contact for most of the time. It shows you the value that the Communist party puts on the ideological education of all their cadres. They must all be ready to assume leadership role, when the situation demands, and must have the ability to function well, independently for long periods of time without much contact with the central organs of the party. To operate with such degree of semi-independence and autonmy requires an extraordinary amount of discipline and ideological conviction- that's why all recruits to the NPA are chosen on the basis of their ideological outlook and must all undertgo strict ideological training before they even begin to carry any fire-arms.

The other people to mention in this picture are the former Catholic priest Luis Jalandoni, who is the head of the National Democratic Front, and his wife, Connie Ledesma, a former nun. Both of them are from the organisation called CHRISTIANS FOR NATIONAL LIBERATION, which brings together catholics and other Christians who decided to take up arms to bring change in the Phillippines, people who decided prayer alone is not enough to bring about social justice.

Bobby

Government begins formal peace talks with communists

By CNN Philippines Staff

Updated 22:44 PM PHT Mon, August 22, 2016

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The resumption of the GPH-NDF peace negotiations in Oslo has been described as historic as it also served as a venue for the reunion of Filipino Marxist leaders who assumed top positions in the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).      

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Philippine government (GPH) resumed formal negotiations in Oslo, Norway on Monday to seek peace with the National Democratic Front (NDF), hoping to forge a settlement in order to end Asia's longest running communist insurgency.

Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Sec. Jesus Dureza and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who is concurrent GPH chairman, led the five-member government panel that met with NDF leaders — some of whom flew directly from the Philippines immediately after being released on bail.

"We are all here, in a foreign land, to reignite the lost sparks that were there before as both parties search for political settlement and peace. The last talks were five years ago and in all these peace efforts spanning under six presidencies, we had breakdown of talks due to preconditions," Dureza said.

"Why are we here today, doing the same thing and hoping to get the same result? If we look at where we are today, there is a new element: the Duterte presidency. There is also a fresh euphoria among our people about the prospects of peace negotiations," he added.

Bello, on the other hand, noted that President Duterte has made the mission of the government panel very clear: help bring peace to the Filipino people.

"We can never have a peace agreement if we do not talk. It will take more than one party to make a peace agreement," Bello said.

The resumption of the GPH-NDF peace negotiations in Oslo has been described as historic as it also served as a venue for the reunion of Filipino Marxist leaders who assumed top positions in the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).      

For the first time in 30 years, founding Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Chairman Jose Maria Sison huddled under roof with three other guerilla leaders who — according to the military, once served as party chairman — Benito Tiamzon, Allan Jasmines, and Rafael Baylosis.

The meeting in Oslo from August 22 to 26 will be the first formal peace talks under the Duterte administration. This comes on the heels of informal talks earlier also held in Norway, where the rebels agreed to resume negotiations with the government.

The agenda of the first meeting will cover five major points:

• Affirmation of previously signed agreements
• Accelerated process for negotiations, including the timeline for the completion of the remaining substantive agenda for the talks: socio-economic reforms; political and economic reforms; and end of hostilities and disposition of forces
• Reconstitution of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) list
• Amnesty Proclamation for the release of all detained political prisoners, subject to concurrence by Congress
• Mode of interim ceasefire

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