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u.s. in the philippines
While many of us have had our heads turned towards the Middle East,
watching and waiting to see how the Bush regime’s War on Terror will
unfold, Washington has begun mobilizing U.S. troops to other areas of the
globe. In mid February a quiet news report revealed that the Bush
administration had recently sent 3,000 troops to the southern island of
Mindanao in the Republic of the Philippines. This move is significant
because it offers us another example of how the U.S. government is incapable
of respecting a sovereign nation’s right to self-determination. To
truly understand the impact of this move, it is important that we look
closer at the island of Mindanao.
Island History
Mindanao has always been a unique place within the Republic of the
Philippines, with a somewhat different history than the other main
(Northern) islands. Mindanao has traditionally been more influenced by Muslim
elements of Indonesia rather than the predominantly Catholic ideology
that is prevalent throughout the rest of the country. Religions,
combined with certain aspects of class, have created deep-rooted antagonisms
on the island, which, to some extent, are visible in other parts of the
country (made up of 900 islands) as well.
Mindanao became a place of refuge, as did other places in the
Philippines, for wealthy Chinese families who had fled their country during the
revolutionary years. This influx of rich foreigners brought with it a
distinct air of imperialism that left a bad taste in the mouths of the
indigenous Filipino people. Throughout the decades these Chinese
immigrants were able to buy up large tracts of land and build impressive
industrial centers. Today 1% of wealthy Chinese Filipinos control between
40-60% of the production market in agriculture and industry. To be
sure, the stark contrast between rich and poor, which fundamentally is a
reflection of owner and the exploited, has led to numerous struggles.
NPA and Abu-Sayef
There are two organizations that have been predominately active on the
island of Mindanao: the NPA (New People’s Army) and Abu-Sayef. These
two organizations come from extremely different political ends and have
dissimilar goals, however they have ironically used similar tactics in
their struggles, which have earned them the title “terrorist” groups.
The NPA, for decades, has found broad support among the poor and
working class sections of the country. All throughout the 1980’s, when the
island nation was rocked with political struggle and plagued with
instability, various communist and socialist organizations formed a left wing
popular front within the political arena. Part of this broad
organization was the formation of a people’s army that would be able to fight
for and defend the rights of the working class, peasants, and unemployed.
Today, with a somewhat stable political situation, the NPA has become
more isolated from its base and has been pushed into the hills and rural
areas by the Philippine army with, at times, support from the U.S.
military. In order to fund their political activities they have resorted
to the kidnapping of prominent and wealthy members of society, often
times Chinese Filipinos. Typically these individuals are ransomed for
money and thus the NPA funds their activities. At times, either when the
money is not paid or when other factors play into the situation, the
kidnapped person is killed. These murders are seldom solved since the
local police, made up of poor working people, tend to empathize with the
general goals of the NPA. In which case, the national military is
called in to deal with the guerillas.
Abu-Sayef is a fundamentalist Islamic organization that came into the
limelight after September 11th and has often been characterized by the
U.S. government as members of the Al Queda organization. Links to Osama
Bin Laden have been cloudy, but Abu-Sayef has similar ideological
principles. This organization has also found that kidnapping and other such
terrorist activities prove to be an exceptional way to fund their
organization and to catapult them and their cause into recognition.
The Dubious Role of the U.S.
The U.S. has had a large role in the development of the Philippines
since the beginning of the 1900’s and has routinely used the country has a
strategic military point in Asia/South Pacific. So, after 9/11 the
U.S. troops already stationed in Mindanao began the assault on Abu-Sayef.
Between the untied forces of the Philippine army and the U.S. military
much of the Abu-Sayef operation has been shut down and quelled.
However, the NPA still remains somewhat active and to a larger extent than
Abu-Sayef, enjoys a broader base of support.
One wonders whom the 3,000 fresh troops will be fighting. With a broad
definition of terrorism the U.S. could easily be targeting the NPA,
hoping to once and for all silence the voices of the left in the
Philippines. On the other hand, one may be inclined to conclude that Washington
is seeking a strategic military and political stronghold within South
Asia, especially with North Korea “acting up.” The Filipino government
right now is pro-Bush and offers a convenient location should action
take place on the Korean peninsula. The South Korean government,
however, has just changed hands and has adopted an oppositional view of the
Bush regime and U.S. dealings with their northern neighbors.
As world wide political tensions play out and become more untenable the
U.S. is forced to keep its proverbial ducks in line with force. With a
$400 billion military budget the Bush regime seems to be posturing
itself for a real showdown. In these times of fast paced politics it
becomes the duty of us all to be conscious, alert and aware of the decisions
the government is making in our name and with our tax dollars. In the
end, we must declare that the atrocities of September 11th do not
justify U.S. military violence throughout the world! NO MORE WAR!
The article above was written by Rob Welsh.
