Protracted People's War in the Philippines: A Persistent Communist Insurgency
Abstract
The Philippine communist revolutionary movement is a historical relic, the exception rather than the rule. While much of Asia has opted for capitalism over communism, the idea of a workers' paradise persists within the Philippines' rural heartlands and on university campuses alike. Established over 38 years ago at the height of Mao's Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, the Communist Party of the Philippines continues its armed quest for state power. Regarded as the longest-running communist insurgency in Asia, the conflict between the Philippine government and the communist insurgents has claimed the lives of an estimated 40,000 plus. This thesis will examine aspects of the Philippine government, the Communist Party of the Philippines, and its armed wing, the New People's Army in an attempt to explain why the Philippine communist insurgency remains a serious threat to the government and has not significantly declined in light of a long history of democratic rule in the Philippines. Analysis of the Philippine communist insurgency will contribute to people's overall understanding of why this particular communist insurgency has survived where others failed, and may provide some insight to help the Philippine government identify and construct a counterinsurgency strategy to successfully eliminate the Maoist threat.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA467128
Entities
People
- Jason T. Osleson
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School