Full human development should be the essence of social progress and must be the end-result of a social conflict or war. This is the greatest desire of all revolutionaries. In our revolutionary struggle towards socialism, we tread the precarious and hostile road, the only road, leading to a world without oppression, suppression and dehumanization of the working class. With this aim, we are drawn in conflict with the ruling oppressive class who possesses all the implements of counter-revolution. And yet we strive, we fight, we sacrifice until victory.
For more than three generations now, the Philippines has been the arena of bloody armed conflict between the Maoist CPP-NPA-NDF waging a protracted war and the government waging anti-insurgency war. After our split with the CPP, the RPM-P looked back on the long history of armed conflict and saw the sacrifices of human lives - foot soldiers and civilians - and the damage to properties were regretable, if not condemnable. These were the errors that needed to be corrected as we institute a new orientation of our revolutionary struggle.
In pursuing the revolutionary struggle towards socialism, the RPM-P/RPA-ABB believes that it is the surge of revolutionary movement for and according to the masses of the working class and all the oppressed peoples that will be decisive while armed struggle and other forms of struggle are complementary, supporting forms.
We believe, therefore, that the destruction of lives and properties, as a consequence of armed conflict, is an anti-thesis to our desire for a better world. We believe that while we are fighting to achieve full human development and social progress, we must respect the lives of the people and of nature - uphold and promote human rights, and protect the environment.
The use of anti-personnel mines, as a weapon for destruction, has been proven to have been extremely prejudicial to the lives and safety of civilians. This is a weapon commonly utilized in battlefields both by revolutionary or rebel forces and of reactionary forces to weaken, maim or destroy each other. It is a fact that anti-personnel mines have been killing civilians, destroying properties, destroying the environment and inflicting damage to innocent civilians more than it has served tis military purpose.
The Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa - Pilipinas and the Revolutionary Proletarian Army - Alex Boncayao Brigade declares its opposition and rejection of the use and production of anti-personnel mines. We give our full support to the worldwide campaign against its use and we call for the immediate stoppage of its production.
Our adherence to the humanization of conflict in practice means that we strive to avoid by all means the loss of lives and destruction of properties in the course of our armed struggle.
RPM-P/RPA-ABB believes in the necessity and correctness of humanizing the struggle between the revolutionary forces and reactionary forces. Fighting for genuine peace, social justice, political liberty, and a safe and clean environment are all in the service of the human race. Destroying the world and sacrificing innocent lives with the use of anti-personnel mines does not serve thsi purpose.
For the RPM-P Central Committee,
(signed)
Andres Nava
Chairperson
For the RPA-ABB National Operational Command,
(signed)
Carapali Lualhati
Commanding Officer
