Vanguard - Communist Party of Australia Marxist Leninist

VANGUARD - Expressing the viewpoint of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
For National Independence and Socialism • www.cpaml.org

Condemn the so-called “Enhanced Defense Program”!

Recently, at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Bangkok, Thailand, which was held last week, Australian ‘Defense’ Minister Linda Reynolds met with her counterpart, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, and pledged to provide greater support for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), though the so-called “Enhanced Defense Cooperation Program” (EDCP).

In this so-called cooperation program, Australia will expand its training assistance to the AFP under the framework of “Operation Augury - Philippines” - Australia’s partnership with the AFP. (1)

This follows the inaugural Sub-Regional Defence Ministers’ Meeting on Counter-Terrorism in Perth, between 1 and 2 February 2018.

This so-called Operation not only involves the training of AFP personnel, but also involves the deployment of the Royal Australian Navy in the Sulu and Celebes Seas, and the deployment of at least 100 Australian ‘Defense’ Force personnel. (2)

It means Australia is actively involved in the campaign against the Filipino People, the AFP is infamous for its brutality against the people of the Philippines3, in its attempts to suppress the ever-growing mass rebellion lead by the Communist Party of the Philippines, it’s Armed Wing, the New People’s Army, and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

Of course, Australia’s involvement is under the cover of ‘counter-terrorism’, fighting ISIS and its affiliates in the country - except for the fact that we’ve been involved since before ISIS was even in the Philippines. The real terrorists in the Philippines are President Duterte and his regime, which has declared unofficial martial law across the country and subjected the people to horrors even his idol Marcos couldn’t hope to emulate.

Australian Involvement in the conflict comes about because US Imperialism cannot maintain its empire alone; it needs its clients in the region to assist it.

Australian People across the country should unite and demand an end to Operation Augury - end cooperation with the Fascist Army of the Philippines!