ZAMBOANGA CITY: Government peace negotiators met with their Muslim counterparts in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday in an effort to speed up the peace process in the wake of deadly clashes that took place last month in the southern Philippines.

Peace talks held in August ended with both sides failing to agree on the demand of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for the creation of a Muslim sub-state in the predominantly Christian population in the country’s Mindanao region.

This was followed by deadly clashes between government and Muslim rebel forces in Basilan and Zamboanga Sibugay provinces.

The recent fighting, as well as the links of some Muslim rebel commanders to a spate of kidnappings and terrorist acts, are also expected to be discussed during the talks, aside from the MILF’s demand for a sub-state.

Manila has offered the Muslim insurgent group wider autonomy in Mindanao, which would need to go through a referendum, a process that has been rejected in the past.

The Muslim peace panel, however, rejected that offer and stood firm on its demand.

There was no assurance that Thursday’s talks would bring about an agreement, especially that only four members from both sides attended the negotiations. Its first meeting was held in an executive session, according to a senior MILF official, but details of the talks were not immediately known.

It was yet to be known why some of the peace negotiators were absent from the talks.

MILF Vice Chairman for Political Affairs Ghadzali Jaafar said that his group’s priority was to look for political solutions to the problems of the Muslim people.

“I cannot go into details, but that’s what we want to happen,” Jaafar added.

Chief government peace negotiator Marvic Leonen has said that the government autonomy proposal, called the “3-for-1” formula, offers a political settlement.

“It offers the concept of genuine autonomy,” Leonen has emphasized.

According to him, the proposal follows a comprehensive or three-components-for-one-solution approach to the Muslim insurgency problem: First, a roadmap for development and socio-economic rehabilitation in the region through the creation of the Joint Coordinating Committee on Development; second, a peace accord through the creation of a Bangsamoro Commission which shall re-craft an Organic Act for genuine autonomy and supervise the implementation of the peace pact; and third, to acknowledge the historical injustice of conflict and reconciliation wherein the government is willing to “officially retell the real history of Mindanao.”

The MILF has in the past asked Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks, to intervene in the deadlock. The Muslim rebel group described the government autonomy proposal and its own demand for a sub-state as “heaven and earth.”

Mindanao has a Muslim autonomous region comprised of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur provinces, but its governors have decried the lack of government projects in the provinces.

Leonen said that the government’s offer did not necessarily mean that it would only cover the provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.

“The government is sincere to grant genuine autonomy and there should not be conflict in labeling since the concept [of] sub-state—which is demanded by the MILF in their Revised Comprehensive Compact—is also specie of autonomy for self-governance, where there is still a relation with national government. Let’s not fail to bring peace in Mindanao because of labels,” he added.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), meanwhile, challenged the MILF leadership anew to surrender its rogue members and other lawless elements under its protective custody.

Lieutenant Col. Randolf Cabangbang, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command, said that their call for the turnover of MILF Commander Dan Lakdaw Asnawi, among others, would dispel accusations that the group coddled criminals.

“If they cannot cleanse their own ranks, then they should just allow the AFP and the PNP (Philippine National Police) to perform their mandate,” Cabangbang added.

But Jaafar was quick to deny also on Thursday that they were coddling criminal elements, stressing that they were committed and would honor the ceasefire agreed upon by both parties.

“We would not comment anymore about it. We have already talked a lot about it. We have been explaining this for almost 10 days already, so that’s enough,” Jaafar said.

The MILF official earlier said that the death of 19 Army soldiers in Basilan’s Al-Barka town was the fault of the military because they failed to coordinate with the leadership of the Muslim insurgent group.

He added that they would not surrender Asnawi without due process.