The Huks Of The Philippines

How Red Penetration In These Archipelagoes Can Endanger Security In The South Pacific

PHE Hukbalahap Movement of the Philippines has become definitely Communist in the last two or three ears. It is strongly entrenched in Central Luzon; it has 10 000 men, pur ling guerilla tactics, under arms; and, [though it is constantly pursued by rovernment troops, which are more umerous and much better equipped, it oes not seem to be deteriorating in irength. It openly plans to secure con ■ol of the Government and establish the ommunist State of the Philippines.

The Philippines, in which there now are ),000,000 people, were in process of re viving their independence and political eedom from the United States when the ipanese invasion occurred, in 1941. A w months later, in 1942, the "People’s nti-Japanese Army” was formed: and ukbalahap is an abbreviation of that ime, as expressed in the Tagalog nguage. Adherents are usually called uks.

During the war, the Huks carried on i effective guerilla war against the Jap :cupation forces, and advocated social id economic reforms.

Such reforms are needed. Although lere are very large areas of virgin land, id great undeveloped resources in the chipelago, there is serious overcrowding places, with extreme poverty and cruel ndlordism.

The country’s social and economic Dubles could easily be wiped out by icient and far-sighted government: but at is what the Filipinos definitely lack, ley were given complete independence ter the war, by the Americans; but the ministration seems to have become the ippy hunting ground of professional liticians and greedy bureaucrats. This turn has encouraged the formation of isident movements.

IHE Huks, in .the beginning, were not Communists. After the war they became a distinctive, separate rty, urging radical reforms. Between 15 and 1949 they seem to have settled finitely in Central Luzon, and been ire or less in negotiation with the Gov iment, which sought their support. But jy would not give up their arms, and sorts of lawless elements fastened on their organisation, and they were iwly penetrated by Communist ele cts. fhey demanded immediate refoims so [•-reaching that the breaca between Jm and constitutional authority grew adily.

Quirino had a big political tory at the end of 1949; whereupon - Huk leader, Luis Taruc, seemed to give nocracy away, and joined openly with • Communist leaders, Mariano Balgos ained in Moscow) and Guillermo Capa ;ia—both of them vice-presidents of the Dngress of Labour Organisations”—who d fled to the hills witth Communist forces, e Huks thenceforth called themselves ■ “People’s Liberation Army” (HMB); i they now were very clearly linked with the Communists in China, Viet- Malaya, etc., under the direction of

'Scow.

Hie Philippines Communist Party was med in 1930; outlawed and under iund in 1932; recognised again in 1938; aerground during the Jap occupation; 1 recognised again in 1945. With the session of the Huks, it became strong l aggressive: and the whole organisa n—still called the Huks—has been re or less fighting the Government

forces in Central Luzon and in the Iloilo section of Panay for the past two years.

A N analysis by a writer recently in "Far Eastern Survey” says that a strong government and an active re forming spirit could stop the Communist movement in the Philippines. Without reform, there is a constant and growing danger that the Huks will get accessions of strength from organised labour, from

certain student groups, and from the Chinese. There are 135,000 registered Chinese aliens in the group, and many more Chinese who are settled there.

The Filipino people are more or less apathetic: the majority are so poor that they are concerned primarily with the problem of living. Clearly, this is suitable ground for the Red propaganda of the Huks.

The situation is not dissimilar in the adjoining archipelagoes of the East Indies, where there is another swarming, hungry population under another native Government—the Indonesians. (Continued next page)

The Philippines, under the Americans, and the East indies, under the Dutch, were peaceful, reasonablv well governed, adequately fed—and were in no sense a danger to the European communities of the South and South-west Pacific. With tVipir own ffnvprnmpnts thGSG dgodlg qtg

likely to be tooSht undlf CoXunTst

nkeiy to be orougm unoer_ uommumst influence, and a Red set-up m the Indies and the Philippines would be a menace to the nations and Territories south of the equator.