At the end of 2023, the Philippine government decided to restart peace talks with communist rebels after nearly six years to end the communist insurgency in the country. The parties, who came together under the mediation of Norway, announced that they decided to start peace talks with the military wing of the Communist Party known as the “New People’s Army (NPA)”.[1]
“The parties have agreed to a principled and peaceful resolution of the armed conflict,” the joint statement said, adding that peace talks would focus on “deep-rooted socioeconomic and political grievances.” Norway has mediated the peace process for more than 20 years, and if the negotiations were successful, the rebels would end the armed struggle and transform into a political movement.[2]
The Government in Manila has announced that it will not go for an immediate ceasefire and that operations against the armed groups will continue. The Philippines’ conflict with the NPA has been going on for over 50 years and reached its peak in the 1980s. These conflicts have resulted in the deaths of more than 40,000 people.[3]
Today the NPA has only a few thousand fighters. At its peak, this number was as high as 26,000 and many rebels surrendered in exchange for material aid and livelihood opportunities. NPA rebels still engage in deadly clashes in parts of the Philippines and carry out ambushes against perceived state collaborators.
Since 1986, Philippine governments have held talks with the communists and negotiated with their Dutch-based political arm, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF), to end the violence. Formal talks were finally ended in 2017 by then President Rodrigo Duterte.[4]
Duterte left office in mid-2022 and was replaced by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The resumption of peace talks came after Marcos Jr. declared amnesty for several rebel groups, including former members of the communist movement. Under the amnesty, former Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), NPA and NDF members would be exonerated of “crimes committed in the pursuit of political beliefs”.[5]
The Manila government’s decision to resume peace talks with communist rebels could be seen as a turning point in the country’s long conflict. The Philippines is still feeling the effects of a civil war that has lasted for more than 50 years and left more than 40,000 people dead.
Norway’s mediation role in this peace initiative can be analyzed from the perspective of international relations and peace processes. The successes and challenges of mediation are important for understanding the role of external actors in such processes. The focus of the talks on “deep-rooted socioeconomic and political grievances” broadens our understanding of the root causes of the insurgency. This suggests that peace is not only possible through a military solution, but also by addressing social and economic issues.
Building trust between the parties is critical for the talks to succeed. Lack of trust was a major factor in the breakdown of past talks. The resumption of these peace talks can be seen as an important step towards a potential solution to the protracted civil war in the Philippines. The Norwegian-brokered negotiations offer a critical opportunity to rebuild trust between the parties, focus on social problems and seek fundamental solutions. The failure of similar attempts in the past and the ongoing security challenges emphasize the complexity and difficulties of this process. At this point, the adoption of an approach based on mutual understanding, flexibility and compromise by the parties emerges as important factors for the success of the peace process.
In a joint statement signed after the first talks in six years, the parties agreed to “resolve the armed conflict in a principled and peaceful manner” and to address the “deep-rooted socio-economic and political grievances” that had long fueled the insurgency. While the talks were heralded as a breakthrough at the time, significant obstacles to peace remain. Less than a year later, violence continued and an atmosphere of mutual distrust persisted. Although the signing of the joint declaration had a short-term impact, by 2024 there were more than 100 clashes between the parties, in which 106 suspected NPA militants and 15 Filipino soldiers were killed.[6] The insurgency is recognized as Asia’s longest-running communist insurgency and one of the world’s most enduring armed conflicts. Following the recent clashes, peace talks appear to have failed. The Philippine Army claims that most of the rebels have been dispersed and that the remaining groups are no longer a threat. The Philippines appears to remain committed to ending the insurgency.
[1] “Philippine Government, Communist Rebels to Revive Peace Talks”, Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/28/philippine-government-communist-rebels-to-revive-peace-talks, (Date Accessed: 31.12.2024).
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] “Is An End to Asia’s Longest Running Communist Insurgency Finally in Sight?”, Diplomat, https://thediplomat.com/2024/10/is-an-end-to-asias-longest-running-communist-insurgency-finally-in-sight/, (Date Accessed: 31.12.2024).
