San Francisco--- On December 12, the Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (CHRP) hosted an event to show a new movie entitled "Ang Kaaway" (The Enemy). The movie did not provide any new information to MIM, but it is an excellent historical account with an internationalist perspective. The movie begins with the redeployment of U.$. troops in the Philippines with the announcement of the 'War on Terrorism.' A spokesperson from CHRP pointed out the ramifications of the troops' presence in both direct military involvement and the effects on the daily lives of communities. He cited a 600% increase in prostitution of wimmin and children since the troops returned. Meanwhile, the Filipino people face an average of two murders a day by the U.$.-puppet state.
A mass movement of Filipinos forced the United $tates to close its military bases in the Philippines at the beginning of the 1990s. The Filipino people prevented the return of U.$. troops throughout the decade, despite the wishes of the U.$.-puppet state. But current President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo approved the Visiting Forces Agreement (1), which gives U.$. troops and ships access to the country. This agreement violates the Filipino constitution and is clearly opposed by the Filipino people. She also invited U.$. troops to participate in military operations (another constitutional violation, but consistent with the toadying nature of the Manila government).
Both the movie and the CHRP speaker did an excellent job of putting the Filipino struggle in the context of the history of revolutionary struggles and the current state of national liberation movements occurring throughout the world. The film faltered some when discussing conditions in the imperialist countries, however.
The film claimed that "free trade" capitalism isn't even in the interest of people in the imperialist countries. While implying that Amerikans have it a little better this statement ignored the economic realities within imperialist countries, namely, that the majority there benefits from the exploitation of the Third World. Furthermore, in the context of imperialist countries, this statement plays the internationalist "free trade" wing of the bourgeoisie against the protectionist wing. As we note in the article on the colonization of Iraq (see MN 293), these two contradictory tendencies are inherent in imperialism. The alternative to "free trade" in the imperialist-country context is a chauvinist movement like that of Buchanan. (In the oppressed-nation context, trade protections can be progressive, because the national bourgeoisie still plays a progressive role.)
Following the movie MIM was invited to give a solidarity statement along
with comrades from the Korean, Asian Pacific Islander and Costa Rican
struggles. In our statement a comrade pointed out that while the system
isn't in anyone's interest in the long run, we have the choice in Amerika
to sit back and enjoy the superprofits stolen from Filipino slaves and
others like them all around the world. Or we have the choice to take our
reactions to atrocities like those in the movie and use them to fuel our
struggles to overthrow imperialism. We also expressed solidarity with all
national liberation struggles, giving special recognition to the Communist
Party of the Philippines, which has provided the ideological leadership for
a struggle that has been at the forefront in the fight against imperialism.
The Filipino people have proven that it is possible to stop U.$. militarism
and it is only a matter of time and struggle until they are able to rid
their country of it forever.
Notes:
1. MIM coverage of VFA:
www.prisoncensorship.info/archive/etext/cal/vfa.html;
www.prisoncensorship.info/archive/etext/mn/mn252/vfaphilippines.html;
www.prisoncensorship.info/archive/etext/fil/phil169.html.