SOUNDING BOARD is an outlet for opinions on good and crazy things going on at home (wherever I may be). All are welcome. You are not expected to bring anything except your common sense & sense of humor.
'If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get one million miles to the gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside.'
-Robert X. Cringely (from geek wisdom)
SOUNDING BOARD
Friday, November 01, 2002
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On EU's terrorist tag at NPA and Malacañang diplomacy
NPA/Sison tagged as terrorists by EU. Mr. Ople went to Europe recently to convince allies to declare CPP/NPA as terrorists. So they did. Apparently, Malacañang's purpose is to give the Sison's group no choice but to go back to the negotiating table. Convincing EU to lable them as terrorists is a strategic move, I would say, in terms of giving Sison and his group a bad name in EU. But is it a *good* move insofar as negotiations with the rebels are concerned? So has Malacañang thrown the diplomatic towel on this issue? Or is coercion still part of Malacañang's diplomatic strategy on CPP/NPA?
Presidential spokesperson Tiglao hinted that Malacañang's will have to evaluate if the negotiations with the rebels can still lead anywhere "given this new factor that the EU and the US have declared them as terrorist organizations" (INQ7.net, 1 November 2002). So what if NPA is on their lists? Aside from coercing Sison and his group to the negotiating table (if that move will not generate more antagonism), EU and US lists should have nothing to do with Malacañang's *internal* problem on NPA. Mr. Tiglao seems to believe that since Manila has a policy of not negotiating with terrorists, NPA's inclusion in terrorist watchlists raises a complication. Of course, on paper, EU and US lists only apply to their strategies as the listed organizations enter their respective territories. However, EU and US *may* put diplomatic pressure on Malacañang to pass an anti-terrorism law, for example, that can categorize NPA further as terrorists. If that materializes, Malacañang couldn't negotiate a peace deal with NPA. And the Malacañang hawks will be very happy.
