Tag Archive for: Philippines

Cyber wrap

The Russian military occupation of Crimea headlines this week, with Moscow showing considerable restraint so far in the use of cyberattacks against Ukraine. Considering that crippling DDoS attacks have become a staple of conflicts involving Russia and its smaller neighbours such as Estonia and Georgia, one commentator has rightly asked: where are the cyberattacks?

Ukrainian hackers are highly proficient (and patriotic) operators, so the fear of retaliation could have dissuaded Russia from the use of cyberattacks. If so, this highlights the value of offensive information warfare capabilities as an effective deterrent, a point that cyber operations centres around the world should note.

For a look at Russia and Ukraine’s cyber capabilities, as well as what has been deployed so far, check out this post on the Lawfare blog, and this piece in Foreign Policy. The key challenge in this crisis is to avoid mis-attribution and escalation, as the ability of both sides to inflict harm in the cyberdomain is tried and tested. Read more

Philippines city besieged

Just off Zamboanga Peninsula, in happier times.The origins and purposes of the violence in the city of Zamboanga, on the Philippines southern province of Mindanao, are somewhat obscure—but the immediate effects are brutal and apparent.

The violence started on September 9 in the city of more than 800,000 people. By last Saturday there were 114 deaths, more than 300 wounded, more than 110,000 made homeless, a number of villages reduced to rubble and about a score of hostages still in the hands of a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). A number of schools won’t be able to be used for three months. Philippines President Benigno Aquino III, estimated that it would cost almost A$100 million to rebuild and otherwise to care for those affected by the fighting.

Of those killed, 92 were reported to be associated with the MNLF, 12 were soldiers, three were police and seven were civilians. There had been many more hostages, some of whom were used as human shields, but many were freed by government troops and police, while others were released or escaped. The police chief of Zamboanga was reported to be among the hostages but later turned up with a bus load of MNLF members who, he said, had surrendered and hadn’t wanted to take part in the fighting. The brutality wasn’t all on the side the MNLF: Human Rights Watch reported instances of torture by the military. Human Rights Watch also reported that some of those used as human shields by MNLF forces were Christians. Read more

Philippines: Aquino wants peace in Mindanao

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III

There are plenty of reasons for scepticism over the talks planned for early next month to bring about some form of settlement in the Philippines’ southern island of Mindanao, which has been torn by Muslim separatist conflicts since the 1960s. But there are reasons for hope as well.

The most substantial of those is that Benigno Aquino III, President of the Philippines, wants a settlement before his six-year term is up in 2016. Some of his predecessors have sought settlements, but one or another aspect of those proposals to bring peace has fallen through. It’ll be hard for the new talks not to be dragged down by the memories of past failures and the suspicions they’ve engendered.

It won’t be up to the negotiators alone: the main Philippines Government representative and the representative of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Nor will it be up to the Malaysian facilitator. Malaysia will probably host these talks, as it has hosted talks in the past. But the facilitator makes a point of not having the role of being a negotiator as well. Read more

Philippines takes China’s dashes to UN

“What belongs to us belongs to us,” Benigno S. Aquino III, President of the Philippines, said in a speech marking the 115th anniversary of the country’s navy. In January of this year the Philippines, rather boldly, and all alone, took China to an international tribunal over its nine-dash line on a map marking vast areas of the South China Sea over which China claims sovereignty. The broken line blithely includes islands that lie within 270 kilometres of the Philippines coast and which the Philippines claims is theirs under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

All five judges to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) have now been appointed. The case doesn’t need China’s agreement to proceed. China was offered the right to appoint an arbitrator but waived it.

The Chinese nine-dash map includes areas that have been claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, and Vietnam. Taiwan’s claims echo those of China. No other country has joined the Philippines and Japan, which has a different territorial dispute with China, has also stayed to one side.

Map showing nine-dash line

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