MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine government peace negotiators cancelled formal peace talks with Maoist-led rebels in the Netherlands on Saturday after New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas stepped up offensives in the countryside. The two sides have been engaged in peace talks brokered by Norway to end nearly five decades of conflict, in which more than 40,000 people have been killed. At the latest round of talks with the National Democratic Front, the NPA's political arm, presidential adviser Jesus Dureza said the government had suspended negotiations because the rebels did not reciprocate President Rodrigo Duterte's peace overtures. Reading a prepared statement, Dureza said talks would resume only when there were "clear indications that an enabling environment conducive to achieving a just and sustainable peace in the land through peace negotiations across this table shall prevail". Dureza said the decision was taken when rebel leaders ordered guerrillas to "accelerate offensives" after martial law was declared on Tuesday night on a southern island, in response to the seizure of a city by Islamist Maute group militants.
The Maute militants are not connected to the NDF. It is the second time the government has halted peace talks with communist rebels over guerrilla attacks on military targets and businesses, such as mines and plantations.
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