Philippine communist rebels end ceasefire, accuses Duterte’s government of human rights abuses
The move comes after a third round of peace talks aimed at ending decades of bloodshed wrapped up in Italy last week with no deal on a permanent truce
Philippine Maoist rebels said on Wednesday they would end a five-month ceasefire, accusing President Rodrigo Duterte’s government of treachery and human rights abuses.
The move comes after a third round of peace talks aimed at ending decades of bloodshed wrapped up in Italy last week with no deal on a permanent cessation of fighting.
The Communist Party of the Philippines said it would continue to support the peace negotiations, but ordered its 4,000 fighters to resume “military campaigns and tactical offensives” against government forces from February 11.
“The [government] has treacherously taken advantage of the [rebels’] unilateral declaration of ceasefire to encroach on the territory of the people’s democratic movement,” the rebels said in a statement.
Soldiers and police had used the truce as a licence to “engage in hostile actions” including “human rights violations” in rebel-influenced rural villages.
Past experience had showed “it is possible to negotiate while fighting until the substantive agreements are forged to address the roots of the armed conflict”.