The New People’s Army is a paramilitary organization in the Philippines that aims to overthrow the government through guerrilla tactics. It has been classified as a terrorist organization by many governments due to its violent actions, including attacks on American service members. The NPA was founded in 1969 as the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines and received financial support from China in the 1970s. While the government has attempted peace talks, the NPA remains active and has committed human rights violations.
The New People’s Army (NPA) is a paramilitary organization based in the Philippines. Many governments around the world classify the NPA as a terrorist organization, as it supports a protracted period of “people’s war” that is intended to undermine the government of the Philippines. At its peak, over 25,000 people were members of the NPA, although the reforms of the 1980s drastically reduced the size and level of activity of the organization until the late 1990s, when NPA activities returned to occur in some regions of the Philippines.
This organization was founded in 1969 to act as the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Evidence suggests that the New People’s Army received substantial financial support from China in the 1970s, reflecting its status as a Maoist communist organization. The organization uses guerilla tactics to further its goal of overthrowing the government, relying on highly mobile agents to carry out various operations.
Like many paramilitary organizations attempting to overthrow national governments from within, the NPA focuses its efforts on foreign politicians, whistleblowers, socially important people, and advisers. The New People’s Army has launched several attacks against American service members in the Philippines, for example, with the aim of trying to destabilize the national government by driving Americans out of the region.
Members of the New People’s Army tend to be most active in rural areas of the Philippines, where controlling them is extremely difficult. Foreign visitors to the region are often advised to stay out of these regions to avoid entanglements with the NPA, which is known to have committed human rights violations and atrocities in the advancement of its objectives.
While armed struggle can be a valid form of resistance against a government, some people think that the New People’s Army may have confused its ideals and goals. For example, in addition to engaging in guerrilla warfare, the NPA was also involved in extortion cases, kidnappings, and riots that involved innocent individuals and had no clear purpose. This led to the decision to classify the NPA as a terrorist organization by the United States in 2002, with the European Union following suit several years later.
The government of the Philippines has also sent several invitations for peace talks to the NPA, and many of these talks have been held. Despite these talks, the NPA continues to be active, although many people hope that a resolution can be reached.
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