Philippines Declares Christmas Cease-Fire
The Philippine government Tuesday declared a Christmas holiday cease-fire with communist rebels, but the guerrillas did not immediately say if they would reciprocate with their own cease-fire as they have done in the past.
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Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the military will suspend offensive military operations against the 5,000-strong New People's Army on Dec. 24-Dec. 25 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1.
There was no immediate response from the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines, which will mark its 40th anniversary on Dec. 26.
Last year, the government's unilateral cease-fire ran for a longer period _ from Dec. 16 to Jan. 13. Ermita did not explain why it was shorter this year. The rebels then declared their own truce for Dec. 24-Dec. 25 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1.
In an informal meeting brokered by Norway in Oslo early this month, rebel negotiators rejected an indefinite cease-fire pushed by the government as a condition for resuming formal talks stalled since 2004.
The rebels suspended the talks after accusing the government of including the Communist Party and its military arm _ the NPA _ in U.S. and European lists of terrorist organizations.
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