Insurgency in the Philippines

Background

The struggle is rooted to the conflicts caused by Spanish colonization, beginning in 1521 as well as the Moro Rebellion phase during the Philippine-American War. However, religion is but one difference, albeit a large one, as Islamic Sabah, Malaysia and the Bangsamoro (Moro) themselves have considerable differences. Culture, language, and tradition are also divisive.

On a larger scale, the Philippine insurgency is an outgrowth of the division of the Malay Archipelago by European and American colonial powers, much as ethnic conflict in Africa is today. The colonies that became the nations of Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia lumped together and split indigenous peoples of hundreds of languages and cultures (see Malayo-Polynesian languages) into modern nations, trying to assimilate them into "nationalities." The Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia are all signatories to International Treaties on self-determination of indigenous peoples.

See also

• OEF-P
• 2007 Basilan beheading incident

References