NPA-GOP PEACE TALKS: DUTCH WEIGHING SISON

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 002340 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/PMBS, S/CT, EB/ESC/ESP,INR/EC, EUR/ERA TREASURY FOR ZARATE JUSTICE FOR OIA/FRIEDMAN BRUSSELS ALSO FOR LEGATT E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2008 TAGS: PTER ETTC RP NO EUN SUBJECT: NPA-GOP PEACE TALKS: DUTCH WEIGHING SISON ATTENDANCE REF: A. FBIS JPP 20030916000023 ¶B. FBIS SEP 20030912000037 Classified By: DCM DANIEL RUSSEL. REASON 1.5 (D) ¶1. (C) Press reports (cited in reftels) have pointed to preparations for September 20-21 exploratory peace talks between the New People's Army and Government of the Philippines in Oslo. The Dutch government told us that NPA leader Sison has applied for permission to leave the Netherlands to attend the talks with a guarantee that he be allowed to return. The Dutch have indicated they will probably comply with Sison's request but only after receiving an official request from the Phillippine government to allow Sison to travel and presumably to engage in limited financial transactions to support his journey. Both Sison and the NPA are on the EU list of designated terrorist entities whose accounts must be frozen and financial transactions blocked. SOBEL