MANILA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government is seeking help from Sweden and the United Kingdom through former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in its peace negotiation with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), reports said on Tuesday.

    Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo told reporters Monday night that the recent attacks by some radical MILF fighters in the southern provinces of North Cotabato, Saranggani and Lanao del Norte have highlighted the need to further consult with various sectors, including the international community, the Philippine News Agency reported.

    Violence escalated in the southern Philippines, allegedly, as a result of the fact that the government failed to sign a territorial pact with the separatists after the country's Supreme Court issued a restraint order on Aug. 4. More than one hundred people, including 53 civilians, have died in the clashes over the past weeks.

    She said both Sweden and the United Kingdom, through Blair, have wide experiences in negotiations with rebel groups.

    "Actually Tony Blair is willing to come to help us because he played a very strong part in the negotiations with Northern Ireland," she said.

    Sweden, on the other hand, is helping the Philippines in its disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation (DDR) efforts, she added.

    President Arroyo also said that the arrest of the MILF commanders and its members who are now being charged by authorities due to the recent atrocities in several provinces in Mindanao was not a precondition to the resumption of the peace talks with the separatist group.

    She said both the government and the MILF peace panels need more consultations, and more importantly, "authentic dialogues with the people in the communities" in search for an end to the Mindanao conflict.

    "These dialogues with the communities will be centered on ending all forms of armed rebellion in the country," she said.

    By talking directly to the people, she said, "we aim to generate a national consensus against armed struggle as a means of achieving political and social change."

    In this regard, President Arroyo said the disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation efforts will be the "overall framework governing our engagements with armed groups in peace talks."

    "DDR, as espoused by the communities, will be a notice to armed groups of their rejection of armed struggle; and a way of showing that the force of arms does not entitle them to representing our people," she said.

    "Our people, through these engagements, will necessarily make all armed groups accountable to the people and the government for all their actions. In effect, our people, together with the government, will be the primary force in defining the shape and direction of societal change, not the force of arms," she added.