Philippines peace talks open in Rome

(19 Jan 2017) Philippine negotiators and communist guerrillas resumed peace talks in Rome on Thursday, with the Maoist insurgents warning that alleged government violations of an accord on human rights may prompt them to end a monthslong ceasefire. Seventy-seven members from the Philippines' government and 58 from the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) party attended the opening ceremony. Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. also gave a keynote speech. After decades, the peace negotiations between the two factions resumed in August 2016, thanks to Norway's mediation, represented at the opening ceremony by Elisabeth Slaettum, Norwegian Special Envoy. Founded in 1968, the rebels' Communist Party has held peace talks with six Philippine presidents, including Rodrigo Duterte, whose rise to power in June sparked rebel optimism due to his searing anti-U.S. rhetoric and populist pro-poor stance. Battle setbacks, surrenders and infighting have weakened the rebel group, which is blacklisted as a terrorist organization by the United States. A confidential Philippine government assessment obtained by The Associated Press says the number of guerrillas declined to 3,800 with more than 4,500 firearms in the first half of 2016, with about 700 of the country's 42,000 villages affected by the insurgency. Sporadic fighting has left about 40,000 combatants and civilians dead since the rural-based insurgency erupted. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...