Manila, Nov 22 (AFP) Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertehas cancelled all future peace talks with communist rebelswaging one of Asia's longest insurgencies, in a blow toefforts to end the half century-long conflict.
In a speech yesterday night, Duterte criticised theinsurgents over deadly attacks against soldiers and policewhile threatening to categorise them as a "terrorist" group.
"I have decided to cut talks with the NPAs," he said,referring to the communists' 3,800-member armed wing, the NewPeople's Army (NPA).
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has beenwaging an insurgency since 1968 to overthrow a capitalistsystem that has created one of Asia's biggest rich-poordivides.
Peace talks to end the conflict, which the military sayshas claimed 30,000 lives, have been conducted on and off forthree decades.
They were revived last year after Duterte -- a self-declared socialist -- was elected president, with Norway andthe Netherlands hosting the negotiations.
"You tell the guys there in the Netherlands: I am nolonger available for any official talk. Let's just go to war,"Duterte added Tuesday, referring to rebel leaders living inEuropean exile.
Duterte's government had already shelved a round ofnegotiations in May and informal talks in July this year,citing deadly guerrilla attacks on security forces.
His peace adviser Jesus Dureza on Wednesday confirmedDuterte's latest decision in a statement but declined to sayif further meetings had been scheduled.
The president said a rebel ambush in the southernPhilippines this month had killed a police officer and four-month-old baby.
"If you behave like that and we will go to war -- eventhe civilians are being dragged into this -- then we shouldjust stop talking."Last month Duterte also accused the communists ofplotting with his other foes to destabilise his rule.
He added Tuesday he would issue a proclamation declaringthe rebels a "terrorist" organisation and order the arrest ofmore than a dozen rebel leaders he had freed last year.
Dureza said Wednesday he had informed Norway of Duterte'sdecision.
"This is an unfortunate development in our work forpeace. Never before have we all reached this far in ournegotiations with them," his statement said.(AFP)AMS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.