This thesis examines the persistence of armed subversion as a security issue in the Philippines. Subversive wars have been fought in the colonial Philippines since the early 16th century, and successive Philippine governments have fought insurgent groups since the independence of the country in 1946. The foreign support received by the government and by the insurgents has not only allowed the armed conflict to continue but has also given what is essentially an internal conflict the appearance of an international security issue. The Philippine government has even attempted to show that its internal counter-insurgency programmes are consistent with the broader international discourse on the 'global war on terror' that emerged in the 'post-9/11 world'. This thesis will assess the link between the persistence of local armed conflict and the absence of strict demarcation between 'national' and 'international' security considerations. This assessment will initially utilise the 'sectors'-based approach of the `securitisation theory' developed by the 'Copenhagen School' of international security. A key argument of this thesis is that the threat-responses formulated by government primarily through 'military'-sector securitisation have not matched the primarily 'political'-sector threat posed by the insurgents. The application of a securitisation theory-based analysis in this case has led to the derivation of the 'securitisation paradox' concept. This refers to the possibility of constant internal conflict implied by the refusal or inability of government to alter its narrow security threat-perceptions and limited securitisation capabilities. The reduction of combat-related foreign aid to the government and the insurgents, and an increase in foreign support for a negotiated settlement of the conflict may reduce the intensity of the conflict. However, the final desecuritisation will ultimately depend on the willingness of the government and the insurgents to disassociate not only foreign aid but also armed violence from internal political rivalries.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:500824 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | Peleo, Amador Cuesta |
| Publisher | University of East Anglia |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Page generated in 0.0025 seconds