The Philippine government has reached a framework peace agreement with the country's largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The deal, which was reached after talks in Malaysia, marks a major breakthrough in efforts to end decades of conflict that has cost more than 120,000 lives.
There have been a number of peace accords that have failed in the past but the Philippine government says this deal has a far wider base of support than previous ones.
The framework agreement calls for the establishment of a new autonomous region to be called Bangsamoro, or Muslim nation, in the southern region of Mindanao, by 2016.
The deal proposes that the rebel forces should be deactivated gradually, but no timetable is specified. And many of the indigenous people who have no direct affiliation with the rebels worry that they could be left behind under this new deal.
So can this agreement bring an end to the 40-year conflict? And why would this deal work where so many other attempts have failed?
To answer these questions, Inside Story, with presenter Mike Hanna, is joined by guests: Larry Jagan, a South East Asia affairs analyst, who is also the former BBC World Service Asia editor; Rohan Gunaratna, the head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism; and Marvic Leonen, the Philippine government's chief peace negotiator.
Source: AlJazeera
This blog shows that the people here in the Philippines are happy to know that the Philippine Peace Process are now signed by the Government and the representative of the ARMM.
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