Primed and Purposeful
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South-South Network for Non-State Armed Group Engagement By Soliman M. Santos, Jr. and Paz Verdades M. Santos 18 Mariposa St., Cubao, 1109 Quezon City, Philippines with Octavio A. Dinampo, Herman Joseph S. Kraft, PURPOSEFUL PRIMED AND p +632 7252153 Artha Kira R. Paredes, and Raymund Jose G. Quilop e [email protected] Edited by Diana Rodriguez w www.southsouthnetwork.com Small Arms Survey Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies 47 Avenue Blanc, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland PRIMED AND PURPOSEFUL p +41 22 908 5777 f +41 22 732 2738 ARMED GROUPS AND HUMAN SECURITY EFFORTS e [email protected] IN THE PHILIPPINES w www.smallarmssurvey.org Soliman M. Santos, Jr. and Paz Verdades M. Santos and Paz Verdades Soliman M. Santos, Jr. Primed and Purposeful: Armed Groups and Human Security Efforts in the Philippines pro- vides the political and historical detail necessary to understand the motivations and probable outcomes of conflicts in the country. The volume explores related human security issues, including the willingness of several Filipino armed groups to negotiate political settlements to the conflicts, and to contemplate the demobilization and reintegration of combatants into civilian life. Light is also shed on the use of small arms—the weapons of choice for armed groups—whose availability is maintained through leakage from government arsenals, porous borders, a thriving domestic craft industry, and a lax regulatory regime. —David Petrasek, Author, Ends and Means: Human Rights Approaches to Armed Groups (International Council on Human Rights Policy, 2000) At the centre of this book are the ‘primed and purposeful’ protagonists of the Philippines’ two major internal armed conflicts: the nationwide Communist insurgency and the Moro insurgency in the Muslim part of Mindanao. Steeped in first-hand knowledge of the con- flicts and containing the most detailed, insider-informed group profiles available, this book offers a deeper understanding of the country’s many armed groups—from the ideologically driven and militarily strong to the opportunistic and criminal. This volume argues that while these non-state armed groups and their offshoots are undoubtedly part of the human secu- rity problem in the Philippines, they must also be part of the solution. —Introduction, Primed and Purposeful: Armed Groups and Human Security Efforts Front cover images (left to right): Members of the New People’s Army celebrate the 39th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines, Surigao del Sur, 26 December 2007. © Reuters; and Mujihideen of the Moro A joint publication of the South-South Network for Non-State Islamic Liberation Front at prayer in their base command camp in Maguindanao province. © Arthur C. Fuentes/SSN Armed Group Engagement and the Small Arms Survey South-South Network for Non-State Armed Group Engagement By Soliman M. Santos, Jr. and Paz Verdades M. Santos 18 Mariposa St., Cubao, 1109 Quezon City, Philippines with Octavio A. Dinampo, Herman Joseph S. Kraft, PURPOSEFUL PRIMED AND p +632 7252153 Artha Kira R. Paredes, and Raymund Jose G. Quilop e [email protected] Edited by Diana Rodriguez w www.southsouthnetwork.com Small Arms Survey Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies 47 Avenue Blanc, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland PRIMED AND PURPOSEFUL p +41 22 908 5777 f +41 22 732 2738 ARMED GROUPS AND HUMAN SECURITY EFFORTS e [email protected] IN THE PHILIPPINES w www.smallarmssurvey.org Soliman M. Santos, Jr. and Paz Verdades M. Santos and Paz Verdades Soliman M. Santos, Jr. Primed and Purposeful: Armed Groups and Human Security Efforts in the Philippines pro- vides the political and historical detail necessary to understand the motivations and probable outcomes of conflicts in the country. The volume explores related human security issues, including the willingness of several Filipino armed groups to negotiate political settlements to the conflicts, and to contemplate the demobilization and reintegration of combatants into civilian life. Light is also shed on the use of small arms—the weapons of choice for armed groups—whose availability is maintained through leakage from government arsenals, porous borders, a thriving domestic craft industry, and a lax regulatory regime. —David Petrasek, Author, Ends and Means: Human Rights Approaches to Armed Groups (International Council on Human Rights Policy, 2000) At the centre of this book are the ‘primed and purposeful’ protagonists of the Philippines’ two major internal armed conflicts: the nationwide Communist insurgency and the Moro insurgency in the Muslim part of Mindanao. Steeped in first-hand knowledge of the con- flicts and containing the most detailed, insider-informed group profiles available, this book offers a deeper understanding of the country’s many armed groups—from the ideologically driven and militarily strong to the opportunistic and criminal. This volume argues that while these non-state armed groups and their offshoots are undoubtedly part of the human secu- rity problem in the Philippines, they must also be part of the solution. —Introduction, Primed and Purposeful: Armed Groups and Human Security Efforts Front cover images (left to right): Members of the New People’s Army celebrate the 39th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines, Surigao del Sur, 26 December 2007. © Reuters; and Mujihideen of the Moro A joint publication of the South-South Network for Non-State Islamic Liberation Front at prayer in their base command camp in Maguindanao province. © Arthur C. Fuentes/SSN Armed Group Engagement and the Small Arms Survey By Soliman M. Santos, Jr. and Paz Verdades M. Santos with Octavio A. Dinampo, Herman Joseph S. Kraft, Artha Kira R. Paredes, and Raymund Jose G. Quilop Edited by Diana Rodriguez PRIMED AND PURPOSEFUL ARMED GROUPS AND HUMAN SECURITY EFFORTS IN THE PHILIPPINES A joint publication of the South–South Network for Non-State Armed Group Engagement and the Small Arms Survey Copyright Published in Switzerland by the Small Arms Survey © Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva 2010 First published in April 2010 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the Small Arms Survey, or as expressly permit- ted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Publications Manager, Small Arms Survey, at the address below. Small Arms Survey Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies 47 Avenue Blanc, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Copyedited by Michael James Proofread by Donald Strachan Cartography by MAPgrafix Typeset in Optima and Palatino by Richard Jones ([email protected]) Printed by natura print, France ISBN 978-2-940415-29-8 ii Primed and Purposeful About the South–South Network for Non-State Armed Group Engagement (SSN) SSN is a young and fledgling region-anchored initiative from the global South that seeks to gather, share, study, develop, and promote more effective approaches, instruments, and intellectual resources for the constructive engagement of non- state armed groups (NSAGs). It adopts a Southern perspective in its contex- tual approach to NSAG engagement and in its organizational configuration and culture. At present a small and loose but dynamic inter- and intra-regional network of NGO field practitioners and academics, it is developing as a spe- cialist vehicle to undertake and assist Southern and international efforts to constructively engage NSAGs in a wide range of areas. Its areas of expertise and intervention include human rights and humanitarian law, conflict resolu- tion and peace building, human security and development, democratization and good governance, and the issue of terrorism. South–South Network for Non-State Armed Group Engagement 18 Mariposa St., Cubao, 1109 Quezon City, Philippines p +632 7252153 e [email protected] w www.southsouthnetwork.com About the SSN iii About the Small Arms Survey The Small Arms Survey is an independent research project located at the Grad- uate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. Established in 1999, the project is supported by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and by sustained contributions from the Governments of Belgium, Canada, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The Survey is also grateful for past and current project support received from the Governments of Australia, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Spain, and the United States, as well as from different United Nations agencies, programmes, and institutes. The objectives of the Small Arms Survey are: to be the principal source of public information on all aspects of small arms and armed violence; to serve as a resource centre for governments, policy-makers, researchers, and activ- ists; to monitor national and international initiatives (governmental and non- governmental) on small arms; to support efforts to address the effects of small arms proliferation and misuse; and to act as a clearinghouse for the sharing of information and the dissemination of best practices. The Survey also sponsors field research and information-gathering efforts, especially in affected states and regions. The project has an international staff with expertise in security studies, political