Resolution from the Committee of the Fourth International, 31.10.00 1 When President Estrada declared an "all out war" policy against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mindanao, he intended to finish the war in a few weeks.
He has mobilised almost three quarters of his armed forces (air force, army and navy) led by the elite force trained by the US through the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement. 2 The objective of this war is to militarily weaken the MILF and to draw it to the negotiating table where the Estrada government can impose its concept of peace Using the modern military hardware provided by the US like the Global Positioning System (GPS), satellite photos and heavy weaponry, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) attacked the 47 camps of the MILF including those camps where the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Bongcayao Brigade (RPAZhang Kai ABB), the armed unit of the Revolutionary Workers' Party (RWPP) of the Philippines share with the MILE 3 The "all out war» policy of the Estrada government is not only directed against the MILF. The strategic role of Mindanao for the success of the neoliberal project of capitalist globalisation in the Philippines is the main reason for this war.
It is a war directed at all those who will oppose capitalist globalisation. The Revolutionary Workers' Party in the Philippines has been one of the main forces leading the campaign to stop this war, not only in Mindanao but in the whole country.
It has been launching grassroots based peace conferences (local and international) and conducting humanitarian projects for those who have been dislocated by war. 4 The Moro people has been fighting for their right to self-determination for more than 50 years. In fact, it has consistently restated all Philippine colonisers and invaders for more than 300 years.
Currently the struggle of the Moro people for self- determination is led by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Banga Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF). The Revolutionary Workers' Party of the Philippines has been supporting this struggle of the Moro people. 5 The Estrada military solution to a non-military problem has been a failure. But it has displaced almost a million people in Mindanao. Many of these people are children and old people are forced to live in the "plastic tents" in the evacuation centres. Several hundred children have died because of lack of food and medicine in these places. 6 The RWPP has been working together with other progressive groups among the three peoples in Mindanao, the Moro, Lumads (indigenous peoples) and the majority Christians to achieve a comprehensive solution to the problems of Mindanao.
There have been gains achieved in this already but the Estrada regime and US imperialism would not want to pursue this. 7 It was not circumstantial that at the peak of Estrada's military offensives against the MILF, the Abu Sayyaf (Muslim fundamentalist group) came back to life.
They carried out several kidnappings of Christians and foreign tourists in a nearby Malaysian island resort. These acts made the headlines locally as well as internationally.
In fact at an early stage they had announced political demands as conditions for the release of the hostages. The propaganda machinery of the Estrada government had successfully packaged the Abu Sayyaf and the MILF as one.
The terrorist acts of the Abu Sayyaf justified the arming of the Christians in Mindanao to fight not only the Abu Sayyaf but the MILF or the Muslims as well. The Muslims and Christians who have been neighbours for a long time have begun to mistrust each other. 8 After thousands of lives lost and heavy destruction of homes and farms, Estrada announced military victory over the MILE, especially after the capture of the main camp of the MILF (Camp Abubakir). The leadership of the MILF announced jihad, not so much to recapture their camps but to defend their cause and their IK BAYAN! Protestors demand impeachment of Estrada homeland. In the last part of parties have taken advantage July 2000, Estrada sent his of this scandal to further representatives to the weaken Estrada. Foreign Ministerial meeting of the Organisation of 11. In this difficult situation Islamic Countries (OIC) in there is an urgent need for Kuala Lumpur to block the forging solidarity among the application of the MILF as progressive parties and observer in the OIC. A week groups in the world to after this he went to the stop the continuation of the United States to ask for mili- "all out war" policy of the tarv assistance trom Estrada government directly President Clinton. or indirectly supported by the US imperialists. 9 At present the MILF has There is an urgent need for been conducting guerrilla us to support the struggle of counteroffensives against the the Moro people to selfAFP. The war has totally determination and the prodrained the resources of gressive organisations the government, so that it embodying this struggle. has overshot by more than 30% of the allowable deficit 12. The Revolutionary by the IMF. At the peak of Workers' Party of the the military offensives the Philippines has been struggovernment was spending gling with the Moro people more than a million dollars a to attain their political day. This is one of the objective of self maior causes of the eco- government through helping nomic crisis in the country. them in the revolutionary work of building 10. The crisis has worsened and strengthening organisain the last three weeks tions among the working because of the scandal faced and peasant class to by President Estrada. One of ensure lne proletarian conthe members of his inner tent of the right to selfcircle has exposed Estrada's determination. involvement in illegal gam- The FI expresses its full bling in the country. And internationalist solidarity now he is undergoing an with the RWPP comrades impeachment procedure in and pledges to continue its the Congress. political and material supThe bourgeois political port to tnem.