Asia Security
Monitor
No. 21, April 3, 2003 Philippines New People’s Army steps up terror operations;
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March 26: The world’s longest-running communist insurgency led by the Philippines New People’s Army (NPA) is coming back to life, reports the New York Times. Since 2000, the Philippines has seen a steep rise in attacks, ambushes and assassinations by the NPA insurgents. Active in a number of areas around the country, the insurgents generally operate in small units and have been known to ambush military patrols and raid armories. Benefiting from the country’s widespread poverty, the NPA poses a greater long-term threat than the Abu Sayyaf Group operating in limited areas of the Muslim south. Filipino columnist Teodoro Benigno observes, “As long as you have a society that is forty to fifty percent poor, forty to fifty percent hungry and forty to fifty percent oppressed… the grammar of the insurgency will be there.” March 31: The Jakarta Post reports Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), plans to send 4,000 of its members to Iraq. Some 1,500 NU members are currently undergoing military-style training in preparation for the war in Iraq. However, the chairman of the organization’s civilian guard denies the claims, which have come as a surprise as the organization is considered moderate. April 1: Up to thirty Muslim organizations will hold their next anti-war rally in Thailand on April 3, reports Thailand’s Bangkok Post. There will be a collection point for blood and cash donations, a prayer for peace, an exhibition depicting war atrocities, and a booth to register volunteers to help rebuild Iraq after the war. Atinant Hazani, spokesman of the Muslim Youth Association of Thailand, said some young people were signing up to help Iraq fight in the war, but this was done on a voluntary basis. The Washington Post reports that the recent series of attacks on Westerners and calls for “holy war” has many Afghans fearing the war in Iraq will destroy the fragile, relative stability they have enjoyed since the ousting of the Taliban. The wide distribution of literature calling on Afghans to launch more violent attacks against Americans underscores the volatility of the situation. During an interview, one young Afghan soldier grinned as he predicted increased violence against Americans in Afghanistan. While relieved over the defeat of the Taliban, Afghans are seeing their hopes for economic development dashed by the war in Iraq. They are also nervous that the war will embolden opponents of the U.S.-backed Afghan government, such as renegade militia leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who is now uniting with Taliban and al Qaeda forces to fight the U.S. in Afghanistan. April 2: The Bangladesh PenTeleData news source reports that thousands of Bangladeshis want to fight against the U.S. in Iraq. Ziaul Kabir Dulu, chairman of the PRMS – Palestine Repatriated Muktijoddah Sangshad (Freedom Fighters Council) – told Agence France-Presse, "We have at least 5,000 members and they are mostly eager to go to Iraq and fight the Anglo-American forces who are waging an unjust war." Members of PRMS have fought alongside Palestinians against Israel. |
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Copyright
© 2003, American Foreign Policy Council.
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