File spoon-archives/marxism-general.archive/marxism-general_1996/96-10-27.164, message 1


Date: Wed, 23 Oct 1996 12:34:27 +0200 (MET DST)
From: malecki-AT-algonet.se (Robert Malecki)
Subject: Re: M-G: Mindanao


Reynaldo writes;
>There are two revolutions going on in the Philippines:  one is being 
>waged and led by the Communist Party of the Philippines together with its 
>National Democratic Front; and, the other is waged by the Moro National 
>Democratic Front.

Actually this is a very interesting document and should be studied very 
closely by those who are interested in world revolution. Unfortunately the 
document quite clearly shows the complete bankruptcy of the Stalinist 
Phillipine CP and shows completely how incapable with their politics that 
the Phillipine CP will ever be in leading a revolution and especially a 
working class revolution.

Reynaldo starts off with a completely ridiculous statement that there are 
two revolutions going on in the Phillipines. What is really going on is that 
there is a traditional Stalinist CP with the democratic stage theory of 
revolution and a more maoist and Islamic orientated party with fundementally 
the same political line running and operation on Mindano. The only real 
difference is the one party,s orientation to Islam and pick up the gun 
rhetoric. Both organisations have in fact the same stratigical orientation 
of a "democratic" revolution meaning the classical popular front politics 
and making a deal with the bougeoisie being the bottom line. Although they 
may differ on which wing of the bougeoisie to make the deal with!
>
>The Communist Party wages a social revolution on the national level, 
>struggling against feudalism, imperialism, and bureaucrat capitalism.  It 
>calls for the transitional national democratic state which will lead to 
>the establishment of a socialist state and eventually to a communist 
>society.

That the CP is waging a "social" revolution and calling for a "transitional 
democratic state" is the tune of these traditional Stalinists. However in 
the era of imperialism
and the links that the imperialists have with the National bougeoisie make 
this kind of idea a reactionary utopia. The only thing this kind of 
political line can bring forth 
is a new blood bath for the poor and working class if they were to follow 
this line to its logical conclusion like they did in Indonesia a few decades 
ago. There the CP was also calling for a national democratic state and look 
how it ended up!   
>
>The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) changes its tactics and 
>concels its strategy.  Hence, in one point in time, it called for 
>secession (total separation from the Philippine state), at other times, 
>it calls for autonomy, etc., etc.  Then, it was split into many camps, 
>like the original MNLF, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and later 
>into subsplits depending on the leaders, such as MILF-Salamat, 
>MILF-Narra.  Some have opted early on to join the Aquino government; 
>others continued their revolution.  But now, Nur Misuari, the leader of 
>the MNLF decided to join the folds of President Ramos.  There are many 
>reasons for that.

Exactly the same line that the CP has. Making a deal on one hand or seccession
in and attempt to either make a deal with the Phillipine bougeoisie or to 
create a split of the bougeoisie and seperation. Nothing about independant 
poor and working class politics here. However there appears to be a new 
factor of religion and capitulation to Islamic fundementalism on the part of 
this party plus perhaps a little more pick up the gun rhetoric from the 
fundementalist Islamic right wing however the bottom line is the 
same..Making a deal with bougeois forces against the poor and working class.

The rest of the document is a polemic mostly against the CP's political 
opponents on Mindano who they certainly would like to bring into the fold of 
their kind of National Democratic Revolution.

However for Trotskyists it is only by building a Communist party of the 
Bolshevik Leninist model as a future Phillipine section in a Revolutionary 
Communist International that can show the way forward. The very basic 
political line is the complete independence of the proletariat from all 
bougeois forces on a program of struggle to set up (not a "democratic" 
state) but a dictatorship of the Proletariat in opposition to the National 
Bougeoisie and imperialism.

The only road forward for young militants in the CP or the maoist 
organisations is to break with these parties and there fundemental 
counter-revolutionary line of popular front politics and a National 
democratic revolution. It is a road to new bloodbaths and betrayal.

Bob Malecki
>
>One, President Ramos is campaigning for "peace" with the communist and 
>Moslem rebels.  Two, Ramos campaigned before the Organization of Islamic 
>Conference to recognize his government and to pressure the MNLF.  Three, 
>the Organization of Islamic Conference in turn (which funds the MNLF 
>through indiviudal member states) pressures MNLF to seek some kind of 
>peace with Ramos.  Four, the MNLF is not militarily very strong now 
>relative to the Marcos years.  Five, there have been many comrades have 
>left the MNLF.  Six, Nur Misuari is not getting any younger.  Seven, some 
>former "Marxists" who advise the Ramos government have floated the idea 
>to Ramos to offer a slot in the administration political party to ensure 
>that the MNLF will cooperate in the "peace" settlement.  It's really 
>quite complicated.  
>
>However, not all elements of the MNLF are happy with the reformist path 
>Nur Misuari has taken.  So, there is a rise of "militant" Moslems who 
>will continue the fight, but this time like the conservative 
>"integristes" of Algeria or Egypt who want to keep Islam "pure".  
>
>Some right-wing Christians are arming themselves and organizing 
>themselves against the peace process as they see Moslems as ignorant and 
>a threat and therefore they should have no place in governance.  The 
>situation in southern Philippines therefore is not in fact very 
>peaceful.  The conservatives in the church are intolerant of Moslems.  
>
>
>
>Reynaldo 
>Philippines
>
>
>
>On 
>Sun, 20 Oct 1996, Chris Burford wrote:
>
>> I am interested in the posts by Ty Renaldo.
>> 
>> Could he please give any details or comments
>> on the reports a few weeks ago of a peace agreement
>> concluding 25 years of civil war on the large island
>> of Mindanao?
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> Chris
>> 
>> 
>> 
>
>
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>
>




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