Philippine Army launch all-out war in Mindanao ON April 29th, 2000 the Philippine Armed Forces (AFP) launched an all-out offensive against the forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on the southern island of Mindanao. The following report on the escalation of hostilities has been compiled from information provided by supporters of the Revolutionary Workers' Party of the Philippines (RPMP) based in Mindanao.
The MILF leadership has publicly denied any relationship with the group. The Abu Sayaff's aim is the establishment of an Islamic State in Mindanao and the elimination if necessary of all Christians and their vestiges in Mindanao.
This group started as a motley gang of individuals sharing extremist Islamic ideals in early 1993. They gained notoriety through a terror campaign of kidnappings, assassinations and bombings targeting primarily Christian religious missionaries and even ordinary civilians.
### Sowing terror
Their attack in Ipil, a dominantly Christian town in Zamboanga del Norte, where they practically razed the whole town to the ground, proved the extent of damage and capacity to sow terror that this
RENDS indicate that there will be no let up with the military confrontations between the AFP and the MILF. On April 30th the MILF unilaterally declared an indefinite postponement of its peace talks with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), led by President Joseph Estrada.
The previous day, elite AFP troops had launched attacks on the MILF's main camp, Camp Abubakar. In response, the Jihad Revolutionary Command of the MILF issued the activation and operationalization of its Oplan Zero Hour, meaning an all-out military offensive against the Philippine Government, within and even outside of Mindanao.
On the other hand, the GRP-AFP also had their Oplan Phoenix, a military operational plan intended to wipe out the MILF militarily through all out war.
Given the macho image of President Estrada it will be very unlikely that he will call off the offensives, since this would also create widespread demoralization in the ranks of the AFP.
The MILF had already said that once the government attacked their mother camp they would launch synchronized all out war against the armed forces. On May 1st at midnight, two towns in Zamboanga del Sur were bombed, allegedly by the MILF.
The following night, the MILF attacked one of the towns in south Cotabato where the Moro rebel armed groups held the mayor and councillors and two towns in Sultan Kudarat province
The Philippine National Police and the 34 International Viewpoint #321 May 2000
Philippine Army have both declared triple red alert in the cities and towns of Mindanao.
Meanwhile, around 38,000 citizen forces geographical units and thousands of Christian Liberation Army (CLA) armed vigilantes, organized by local government and the AFP, are being used to stage attacks on the different MILF stronghold communities. The AFP has distributed 100 M14 long arms in each town in Mindanao to arm the civilians against the MILF and group can inflict. Of late, the group has resumed its activities by kidnapping 30 individuals in the island of Basilan, including more than 20 foreigners, to pressure the government.
Supporters of the RPMP have previously exposed the possibility of the government being behind the creation of this group, pointing out five agents of the AFP inside the leadership of the Abu Sayyaf, one of whom became its operations chief.
The RPMP continues to argue that the other revolutionary forces
There is a strong possibility of escalation of the war in Mindanao due to the MILF's close connections to the international Islamic movement. One should not underestimate the reactions and interventions of the Islamic countries, since Hashim Salamat, the Chairman of the MILF, is one of the leaders of the International Islamic Brotherhood Movement and camp Abubakar is considered as the Islamic center of Asia.
Much attention has been given to the activities of the extremist Islamic fundamentalist group "Al Harakata Al Islamiya" or as they are notoriously known, the Abu Sayaff.
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Philippines * ALAB-KATIPUNAN 25-C Mapagmahal cor. Matatag Sts. Baranggay Pinyahan, Quezon city telefax 4349381 Email : [email protected] PEACE FOR MINDANAO! STOP THE WAR, RESOLVE THE ROOTS OF CONFLICT. ALL-OUT war against the Moro people is what the government actually does in its offensive against the MILF. And it is not only the Moro people who suffer but the whole population of Mindanao. On latest count, the number of civilians forced to evacuate their homes has reached
500,000, and the amount of damages to properties has been estimated to reach Php500 million as the fighting continues and becomes more intense between the MILF and the AFP forces (...) War is not the solution!
Not more than a month ago, President Estrada openly declared an all-out war against the MILF during his high-profile visit to Kauswagan, Lanao Norte. He gave a June 30 deadline to the on-going peace talks, which was seen as a sign of his insincerity to continue with the negotiations. This posturing of the President was a go-signal for militarists, anti-Moro and other elements within the government who have long opposed a peaceful settlement to grab the control of the situation in Mindanao. The conflicts and problems in Mindanao are complex and arduous. One needs to study and fully understand the culture, traditions, politics, life and interests of its people. The Mindanaoans are highly diverse (Moro, lumad and Christians), but each should be accounted for. Hence, in the quest for peace, one needs to persevere and be highly committed.
The problem will never be solved by macho posturings, sabre-rattling and, most definitely, never by war (..) The Problems of Mindanao Like all the oppressed peoples all over the country, the people of Mindanao have long been submerged in the pits of poverty and oppression. To break free from this deprivation, the Moro people have been waging their struggle for the right to self-determination, a legitimate right that should be fully recognized and promoted. The indigenous people, the Lumad, must in turn be given their right to own their ancestral lands, a sacred right that they have long struggled for. These make up the problems of Mindanao made more complex by the intervention of elements with vested interest — the big landlords and the multinational companies which have forcibly occupied lands in Mindanao and ravaged the ancestral domain of the Moro and Lumad, and destroyed their natural environment. And now, this military solution that the Erap government has affirmed to protect these vested interests will have only contributed to the web of problems in Mindanao (...) Return to the negotiations! Demolish the barriers to the road to Peace! War claims no victors, only victims. In history, nobody has gained from the destructiveness and inhumanity of war but the profit-hungry capitalists who manufacture war weapons. It is such an irony that in the name of the people war is waged while the first and most tormented victims are the people themselves. Hence, we call for the dismissal of the militarists within the government who only rely on the strength of the armed forces to resolve the problem in Mindanao. Likewise, elements in the government/military with anti-Muslim sentiments must not be given a chance to use religious differences in protecting their own selfish motives (...) ERADICATE POVERTY, NOT THE PEOPLE!
whole issue of the right to self-determination struggle waged by the MILF. Its extreme version of Islam puts the group in bad light and raises the issue of conflict on the plane of Christian-Muslim animosity. The Christian peoples, as expected, are reacting negatively and they can hardly distinguish the MILF from the Abu Sayyaf. So, at the instigation of the AFP, Christians are forming armed vigilantetype groups whose purpose is to fight against Muslims.
### Intensified
Conflicts have intensified because of the existence of such fringe groups that divert the real issue and push the situation to the brink of a religious war. The latest Abu Sayyaf kidnapping has succeeded in attracting the media and occupied center stage of the daily news for more than a week, while the main camps of the MILF have been slowly, silently and covertly surrounded and are now being attacked.
The PRMP argues that the root-cause
STOP THE WAR NOW!
ALAB-KATIPUNA 12 MAY 2000 of the insurgency in Mindanao is poverty. Most people are drawn to rebellion not because of ideology but due to government neglect and injustices. Even the AFP and the national government have squarely admitted that the solution of Mindanao problem is not military, but socio-economic. However, in practice they have not applied this approach.
The AFP has been using all their war armaments including those left by the Armed Forces of the United States during last January's joint-military exercises. The Estrada administration and its military advisers want war as the ultimate solution to the Mindanao problem.
By May 8-9th Cotabato city had been completely closed, with all highways and the airport under attack from the MILF. General Santos City (the second largest city in Mindanao) was also under attack. The death toll and the number of refugees were rising rapidly. The RPMP has organized a humanitarian response group, converting all its open premises to quickly respond to the needs of the dislocated women and children. The party's army has been in defensive positioning with some contingents of the MILF Armed Forces.
On May 7th the number of evacuees reached 500,000 in Central Mindanao region alone. The RPMP is calling on progressive forces around the world:
1. to help us raise medicines, funds and materials to the victims of this all-out war against our peoples;
2. to form support groups to campaign against the intervention of the US in Estrada's all-out military offensive against the revolutionary forces and against the peoples of Mindanao;
3. to exert pressures on the international bodies, agencies, international communities and states and on the Estrada government, calling to stop the all-out offensive in Mindanao, let the civilians back to their homelands and provide relief assistance and rehabilitation to the evacuees. * Estrada's email addresses are: [email protected] [email protected] International Viewpoint #321 May 2000 35
* Norway
THANK YOU
NORWAY STRIKES AGAINST GREED ON May 3rd, 82,000 workers in Norway's private sector went on national strike. This is the biggest strike since World War II. The strike was called against the wishes of the trade union leadership which had agreed to a proposed settlement with employers. Rank and file workers voted overwhelmingly to reject the pact and forced their leadership to call the strike. In the members' referendum there was more than 60% participation, and the result was an impressive 64% voting "no" to the settlement. Behind the strike is a mood of rejection of what the head of Norway's unions calls a new "culture of greed" permeating management in that country. Obscenely high salaries for corporate bosses, tolerated in most advanced industrial countries, conflict with Norway's long-established social democratic culture. In the last couple of months there have been huge bonuses for managing directors and owners, against a background of several years of moderation in the wage struggle. In addition to this, these are the last negotiations involving the present 'moderate' LO-chairperson, Yngve Haagensen, who is retiring. The most high-profile opponent of the moderate line is the chairperson of the Transport Workers' Union, Per Ostvold. He belongs to the left wing of the reformist Socialist Left Party. The broad trade union opposition is now trying to convince him to stand as candidate for the LO chairmanship after Haagensen. There are many issues involved in this strike, but some of the most important are: * Five weeks annual holiday has been promised for 19 years and it should now be introduced gradually beginning from next year. But many workers are tired of waiting, and in Denmark recently there was a general strike demanding six weeks annual holiday. * The proposed deal involved extending the tariff period from two to three years, meaning effectively taking power away from the rank and file. * LO did not succeed in forcing the employers to pay for educational reform so that workers can upgrade their talents. By Tuesday May 5th around 100,000 workers were out. The strike is still only affecting the private sector but looks set to spread. Both Danish and German industrial unions have voiced their solidarity. * Information provided by Bjarke Friborg and Erie Lee, LabourSfart has comprehensive coverage of the strike with many links to background articles - see http://www.labourstart.org/norway/ for your continued support for
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The editors Global capital and global struggles: Strategies, Alliances, Alternatives: 10am-6pm, Saturday-Sunday 1st2nd July, 2000 University of London Union (ULU), Malet St, London WCI. New networks of struggles are posing a serious threat to neoliberal globalization. This conference aims to involve intellectuals and activists in debate on global capital's strategies today, as well as counter-strategies and alternatives. Sponsored by the Conference of Socialist Economists (CSE). More details on CSE webpage, www.gn.apc.org/cse France 1995: Turning Point or Tremor. 9-10th June, London. Organised by PSA French Politics and Policy Specialist Group and the French Department of King's College, London. The impact of the December 1995 strikes in France. Speakers: Stephen Bouquin (Université de Bruxelles), Catherine Lévy (CNRS), René Mouriaux (Cévipof), Pierre Cours-Salies (Université d'Evry), Christophe Aguiton (SUD), Daniel Bensaïd (Université de Paris XIII), Alex Callinicos (University of York), Frédéric Lebaron (Collège de France) Jim Wolfreys (King's College London), Philippe Marlière (University College London), Stéphane Rozès (IEP Paris/ CSA opinion), Stéphane Beaud (Université de Nantes), Eustache Kouvélakis (University of Wolverhampton). www.kcl.ac.uk/kis/schools/hums/french/confs/fr1995.htm or Dr J Wolfreys, Department of French, King's College, London, London WC2 2LS<Jim. [email protected]>
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