One great hope of Corazon Aquino's ascension to power was that the Communist insurgents might heed her plea to disarm and join in the rebuilding of Philippine society. That hope got a lift when the Communist New People's Army agreed last December to a 60-day cease-fire, a first for the 18-year-old rebel insurgency. But the truce broke down last month amid bitter charges and countercharges. The Ministry of Defense estimates that at least 350 people have died since the fighting resumed. The violence often plays out in a lethal tit for tat. Last week, after government troops killed 13 guerrillas on...
The Philippines: Sharpening the Swords of War
Sharpening the Swords of War + Communist determination stiffens, and hope for peace dims
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