Philippines: Declare a humanitarian ceasefire in Zamboanga City now! (tags)
A Petition Campaign in Support for Dialogue, Humanitarian Action and Ceasefire
Climate Space: Rethinking Strategies to Fight For Our Future (tags)
Open call to join the Climate Space at the World Social Forum in Tunisia, March 26-30, 2013
Philippine peace process gaining headway (tags)
Upon assuming office a year ago, President Benigno S. Aquino III declared that the government was ready to resume peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Communist National Democratic Front (NDF) without pre-condition and repeated it in his first State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA).
WHOSE COUNTRY IS IT ANYWAY? (tags)
After 11 years of peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the two sides were close to a deal known as the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain. This was essentially an agreement that would have granted points of autonomy to the Moro people in Mindanao and the Southern Philippines. Just before the signing, the government stopped the negotiations on Sept. 3 and plunged into attack mode. They launched joint police-military offensives against the MILF and civilians. Since then, more than 500,000 people, mostly women and children, have been forced to abandon homes and thrown into refugee camps. Now, one-third of the Philippines is on the verge of erupting into open warfare. I'm not talking about your garden variety guerilla skirmishes here and there. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front and their allies have proven capable of launching conventional maneuvers into the theater in the past. Add to that milieu the very vibrant Communist led New People's Army Southern Command and of course the reactionary group Abu Sayyaf - then you have a situation that could explode into a conflict that could rival the Balkans in the 90's.
THE MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE IN THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
A commentary on the Nov 23 slaughter of 57 civilians in Maguindanao, Philipppines, sketching the historical parameters of the event and the converging political and social forces involved, with a focus on the U.S. role in establishing the groundwork for the evils of the prevailing Arroyo state terrorism.
AJLPP CONDEMNS THE SERIES OF INDISCRIMINATE BOMBINGS IN THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
The Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) based in the United States, and the Filipino-American Community expressed outrage over the series of bombing in the Southern Philippines. The AJLPP express grave concern that the July 5-6 bombings in Mindanao may spread to the other urban centers like Manila. We squarely lay the blame to the US-Arroyo regime and her subalterns in the military who may be behind these barbaric bombings. This is the same scenario staged by the US-Marcos regime when it declared martial law in 1972. Although the perpetrators like to appear that the targets of the bombings are Catholic Cathedrals, Christian population centers and points to the MILF, Abu Sayyaff (ASG) or JI-Al Queda, the Filipino people suspects that the military is behind the bombings as elucidated by ISAFP Sgt. Vidal Doble.
US HAS A HAND ON PROPOSED CHARTER CHANGE (tags)
In a press conference held on Monday June 2, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said the U.S. military’s partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) can be used as a model in fighting terrorism worldwide. Gates made the statement during his visit to Manila for a high level meeting with his Philippine counterpart - Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. Clearly this was a vote of confidence on the Arroyo regime's on-going war against legitimate people's movements in the Philippines from a key member of the Obama Team himself. Emboldened by Gate's statement and promise of continuing military assistance from the United States, on June 3, against the backdrop of worsening economic crisis, of intensifying political killings and forced disappearances and escalating military conflict in Southern Philippines - in a brazen act of indifference and cowardice - the Arroyo controlled congress passed House Resolution 1109 which turned the lower house into a constituent assembly. This will make it possible for the U.S.- Arroyo regime to tinker with the 1987 constitution to further tighten and continue their stranglehold on the country and its people.
Philippine Government Launches New War on Muslim Groups (tags)
War officially came to southern Philippines again as the government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo unilaterally put an end to eleven years of negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) September 3. A month early the government abruptly broke off talks with the MILF on the eve of signing an autonomy pact. There are numerous reports of U.S. Special Forces accompanying Philippines Army units on their deadly sweeps in the Bangsamoro (land of the Moro people) region. More than 100 people have been killed so far and half a million refugees have fled from the fighting. Bourgeois liberals and the petty-bourgeois left lamely call on the government to resume the “peace process,” which in any case was only intended to wear down the insurgents. Revolutionaries instead seek to mobilize Philippine workers to drive out all U.S. forces, whatever their legal status; to force the withdrawal of the AFP from the contested southern areas; and to defend the Bangsamoro people and their right to self-determination.
On the Turkish Armed Incursion into Northern Kurdistan (tags)
The Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) condemns the Turkish authorities in bombing and incursions in Northern Kurdistan part of Iraq for the third straight days. We equally condemn the US and Iraqi authorities for providing the necessary data for such bombings and incursions against the Kurdish people in the border of Turkey and Northern Iraq. The same military incursions and bombings in the islands of Sulu in Southern Philippines where a division size forces of the AFP and undetermined numbers of US military special forces and advisers were deployed for more than a year.