The US war-mongers
have now turned their war against the people of the Philippines by declaring the
Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New people’s Army (NPA) as
"foreign terrorist organisations". Having sent the US army into the Philippines
under the pretext of the fighting the Islamic Fundamentalist Abu Sayyaf group,
they have now turned their guns against the Maoists of the Philippines.
On August 9, 2002,
the Chief Political Consultant of the NDFP at the peace negotiations being held
at the Netherlands, Prof. Jose Maria Sison, issued a statement threatening to
terminate the negotiations due to the belligerent attitude of the GRP
(Government of the Republic of the Philippines). In this statement he stated:
The Macapagal regime has long "suspended" the peace negotiations and has made
clear repeatedly that it is no longer interested in negotiations, except in the
"back channel talks" solely intended to seek the capitulation and dismantling of
the New People’s Army. The arrogant position of the regime is clearly in
violation of the integrity of the revolutionary forces and the people and all
the solemn agreements between the GRP and the NDFP."
On the very same date
of the appearance of this statement, the US government declared the CPP and the
NPA as "foreign terrorist organi-sations". On the very next date, Aug.10, 2002,
Jose Maria Sison, issued a statement condemning this action of the US
government. This statement said:
The latest count done
by a group of scholars and researchers in the History Department of the
University of the Philippines shows that the aggressor troops of US imperialism
killed more than 1,400,000 Filipinos from 1899 to 1914. Consequent to its bloody
conquest of the Philippines, the US has subjected the Filipino nation to the
daily violence of exploitation in connivance with the local reactionaries. ……
Under the guise of combating terrorism, the Bush administration is generating
fascism in the US and the entire world. It is trying to push Europe and Japan as
well as neocolonial states to adopt more and more repressive measures against
the people, especially the migrants. The US is promoting wholesale state
terrorism to suppress the growing social discontent and the resurgent
resistance, amidst the rapidly worsening crisis of the US and the world
capitalist system………. It is highly probable that the US and Manila governments
are on cahoots with each other in the designation of the CPP and NPA as
terrorists in a futile psywar attempt to intimidate and push them towards
capitulation. The CPP, NPA and NDFP cannot be intimidated……….. Those who are
resolutely fighting US imperialism and its puppets know very well that the US
itself is now in a serious prolonged economic crisis and is already
over-extended financially and militarily. They are taking advantage of
increasingly favourable conditions to advance their revolutionary struggles.
They are steadily gaining strength and preparing for great upswings in the near
future."
Immediately after
this statement, on Aug.12, 2002, the US Treasury Department has listed Jose
Maria Sison as a ‘terrorist’ whose assets must be frozen. Subsequently the Dutch
government followed the bidding of the US by issuing the ‘Sanctions ruling on
terrorism 2002 III’ on Aug 13, freezing his bank account and removing all
state subsidies for food, housing, health insurance and other basic necessities
from the social welfare agency.
Immediately, the big
business owned media in the Netherlands, Philippines, US, etc. has been on a
high profile disinformation campaign vilifying the CPP and Sison. Though he has
no cases on him even in the Philippines they are attempting to foist a false
case on Sison in the Philippines linked to the killing of a CIA operator in
Manila, as far back as 1989.
It is clear that the
US imperialists are actively intervening against all people’s movements
throughout the world, and particularly against the genuine revolutionary forces.
This can be seen not only in the Philippines but also in Nepal, where they have
given $20 million for the suppression of the Maoists and also in India,
particularly in Andhra Pradesh. It is they who are backing the Israeli Zionists
to the hilt against the Palestinian people and are threatening various countries
with wars of aggression. It is imperative that all anti-imperialist forces
demand the immediate restoration of all the rights for a citizen like comrade
Sison, but also unite to intensify the anti-imperialist movement against the
anti-people policies of the US imperialists and their war-designs.
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