June 23, 2003	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 22,1424

MANILA, June 22: The chairman of the Philippines’ largest Muslim separatist group on Sunday denied for the first time any links to the regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah as rebel and government representatives held informal talks in Malaysia.

Salamat Hashim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said the rebel group was determined to “overcome all obstacles that pose as stumbling blocs to the peace process” with the government.

“I hereby reiterate our condemnation and abhorrence of terrorist tendencies in order to eschew the reverse side of the language of endemic state violence,” he said in a statement dated on June 20 but released on Sunday.

“Consequently, we reject and deny any link with terrorist organizations or activities in this part of the Asian region, particularly the southern Philippines and elsewhere in the world,” he added.

Eduardo Ermita, chief of the government’s peace negotiating panel with the MILF, said Salamat’s statement “fulfils one of the conditions of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for peace negotiations to move forward”.—dpa