Manila massacre triggers outpouring of sorrow and shock
Thursday, 26 August 2010.
For working class unity to fight racism and poverty
chinaworker.info reporters in Hong Kong
The killing of eight Hong Kong tourists on a hi-jacked tour bus in downtown Manila on Monday 23 August has caused revulsion and sadness in Hong Kong, mainland China and the Philippines. Ronaldo Mendoza, a former senior policeman claiming he had been unfairly dismissed, shot and killed eight of his hostages during a botched police rescue attempt. Three of the dead were Canadian citizens and five were Chinese citizens. The 12-hour standoff and its bloody culmination were broadcast live on television, with footage relayed around the world.
The bungled operation by "elite" police S.W.A.T. teams has produced an outcry inside and outside the Philippines and thrown a spotlight on the deep crisis within the country's police forces, who are widely accused of corruption, torture and incompetence.
The incident has dominated news reports in the two countries. Philippines society has been shaken by the incident. Hong Kong has seen a massive public outpouring of shock and sorrow. The actions of governments, on all sides, has not eased the situation, with economic and political interests colouring the responses from Beijing, Manila and Hong Kong political elites.
We've seen an outpouring of genuine sadness in Hong Kong for communities and families that have lost loved ones. Unfortunately, from a minority, we have also witnessed an anti-Filipino backlash with repercussions for Hong Kong's large migrant workforce. Around 200,000 Filipinos make up the largest group of foreign nationals in the territory.
There is no shortage of politicians trying to manipulate the genuine feelings of shock in order to score some easy popularity points. It is a feature of international politics that governments and establishment politicians try to "unite" public opinion behind them at times of great tragedy or crisis. This was the case in many countries hit by the 2004 tsunami. The capitalist politicians can never be trusted to deal with the root causes of society's problems or look after the real interests of the victims. The politicians' primary concern in a crisis is to salvage their own position and prestige.
Governments clash
The Chinese state media has given massive coverage of the killings and its government's stern statements to the Aquino government in Manila. The Chinese regime, like other major powers, wants to be seen defending its citizens abroad. This is more the case than ever as China's economic footprint expands, alongside an influx of Chinese workers and businessmen to Asia and Africa. Given the iniquities of capitalism - cut-throat competition for jobs and markets, widening wealth gap, ecological destruction - this process unavoidably stokes racism, nationalism and the potential for conflict.
China was the largest foreign investor in the Philippines last year. Its companies have been active in scooping up privatised assets such as the electrical power grid - the single biggest privatisation in the Philippines. Other Chinese investments, such as ZTE Corporation's contract to build a national broadband network, have been the focus of corruption investigations. In ZTE's case, the husband of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was implicated in a bribery scandal, but recently all charges against him were dropped. In the Philippines' corrupt political and judicial system, the rich and powerful typically escape justice - causing anger and a sense of powerlessness on the streets.
For the country's new president, Beningno Aquino, who took office in June, this is a major crisis. Monday's was the deadliest attack on foreign tourists ever, and the country's battered economy now runs the risk of a slump in tourism.
Questions are being raised why the Hong Kong government immediately issued a "black alert" urging its travellers to avoid the Philippines. Tour groups have cancelled trips and hotel bookings had plummeted. But despite the horrific nature of this week's attack, there is no evidence of an increased threat level against Chinese or Hong Kong citizens visiting the Philippines. Around five percent of the population of the Philippines are Chinese-Filipinos. It is true that the Philippines has a high crime rate, but this has not previously been a barrier to Hong Kong tour groups plying their highly profitable trade, drawn by very low costs, which in turn are based on the low wages of Filipino workers. The hasty tourism ban of Tsang's administration, undoubtedly angered that Aquino did not answer his phone calls, is hardly an example of the 'cooler heads' that are needed in any crisis.
Aquino's public pronouncements have also not been helpful. His first press conference after the killings did not go down well in Hong Kong and China, as the president appeared to lack sensitivity. Filipino migrant organisations in Hong Kong have publicly criticised Aquino's handling of the crisis and are clearly worried, for very good reasons, that his clumsy performances have opened them up to retaliation as "easy targets" for a racist backlash. Aquino's government has since declared a day of mourning in the Philippines and announced a probe into the police handling of the hi-jacking.
Police under fire
While many questions about this operation remain unanswered, the "keystone cops"-style antics of the elite police forces, as shown on live television, has plunged the Philippine National Police (PNP) into possibly its deepest crisis. PNP spokesmen have confessed to "defects" including poor handling of the negotiations, and that the assault team was inadequately trained, equipped and led. The partly US-trained special weapons and tactics (S.W.A.T.) team complained of the need for "more resources and equipment". Questions remain about why the police smashed (or tried to) bus windows with a sledgehammer - reportedly before any shots were fired within the bus. We are told the police team used tear gas but had no gas masks, or that their masks were not in working order. Bloggers and netizens in the Philippines have been scathing in their judgement - saying for example that "S.W.A.T." actually means "Sayang Wala Akong Training" (A pity I don't have any training).
The public outcry has forced politicians to act, with demands for the resignation of Manila's police commander and other senior officers. But it is unlikely the current government will be willing or capable of initiating anything other than a cosmetic reform of the PNP. Socialists condemn the culture of corruption in the police force which has been nurtured by successive capitalist governments. This was no doubt the major factor leading to the bloody outcome of 23 August. This is not unfortunately an isolated event. An operation to free hostages held by the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf in 2002 resulted in the death of two hostages and the escape of their captors. Dozens of police officers have been accused of involvement in the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao last year.
As The Philippine Star (24 August) wrote "Mendoza's caper gives added urgency to the need for a thorough housecleaning in the PNP and an upgrade in its capability. This should include a review of procedures involving dismissed or suspended cops. Why does a dismissed police officer, especially one sacked for extortion, have an M-16 assault rifle and a pistol?"
At the same time the complexion of the PNP as a corrupt an inept force cannot be seen in isolation. It also flows from the corrupt and impoverished character of the capitalist system, dominated by imperialism and institutions like the IMF, which has run government economic policies - disastrously - for 40 years or more. One in four people in the Philippines live on less than $1.25 a day, the official definition of extreme poverty. Unbearable economic hardship for the masses and a monstrous gulf between rich and poor is producing social disintegration and elements of barbarism as we see in Mendoza's attack and the horrific massacre last year in Maguindanao. But the same process - rooted in the same glaring inequality - is also apparent in China. This year has seen a spate of horrific frenzied attacks on kindergarten and schoolchildren in China in which over 80 have been injured and 17 killed. The perpetrators in these separate incidents were individuals driven insane by the nature of today's dog-eat-dog capitalistic society. Even in Hong Kong the last years have seen unspeakable chopper attacks carried out by mentally ill individuals who have fallen through the gaps in the city's poorly financed psychological care system.
The Manila shootings show the thoroughly reactionary nature of "individual terrorism" even if this was the lone act of a disgruntled cop, rather than a political grouping with any coherent aims. Such terrorist acts spread division and confusion and make united mass struggle - the only force that can change society - more difficult to achieve. It has always been possible for unpopular ruling elites to exploit such acts of violence for their own ends, to increase state repression and control, infringe democratic rights, and use these attacks as a convenient diversion to push ahead with unpopular policies.
Fight racism
This is now happening in Hong Kong. Spurred by insensitive and racist comments by some Hong Kong politicians, there have been some ugly incidents of an anti-Filipino backlash. Racist comments disparaging Filipinos have been posted on social networking sites. Migrant workers' unions have reported workers being sacked by their employers in 'retaliation'.
Scandalously, the government of Donald Tsang decided just days after the Manila tragedy to freeze the minimum allowable wage (MAW) for migrant workers at HK$3,580 per month. The excessively low MAW has not been raised in a decade. At the same time the government has increased the monthly food allowance by all of HK$10 (!!) per month. A HK Labour Department spokesperson said the the wage freeze had nothing to do with Monday's hostage drama. If not, then it has everything to do with a mean official spirit and disregard for the crucial contribution made by migrant domestic workers to Hong Kong's economy.
What is needed is working class and grassroots' unity and solidarity against any attempt by racists and unscrupulous politicians to divide working people of different ethnicities against each other. Socialist Action (cwi in Hong Kong) calls on the government and travel companies to give full and equal compensation for all the victims' families, regardless of their insurance exposure prior to the tragedy. Put people before business profits. Back up the words of compassion with real action!
Socialist Action also calls on the Hong Kong government to compensate any migrant worker who is dismissed as a result of these events, by fully supporting the efforts of migrant organisations to find alternative and safe employment.
Migrants and Hong Kong workers must fight shoulder to shoulder for a decent and all-inclusive minimum wage and not allow the government or bosses' groups to take advantage of the Manila tragedy to sideline this issue.
For a united grassroots' movement for workers' rights. For international solidarity and socialism.
chinaworker.info reporters in Hong Kong
The killing of eight Hong Kong tourists on a hi-jacked tour bus in downtown Manila on Monday 23 August has caused revulsion and sadness in Hong Kong, mainland China and the Philippines. Ronaldo Mendoza, a former senior policeman claiming he had been unfairly dismissed, shot and killed eight of his hostages during a botched police rescue attempt. Three of the dead were Canadian citizens and five were Chinese citizens. The 12-hour standoff and its bloody culmination were broadcast live on television, with footage relayed around the world.
The bungled operation by "elite" police S.W.A.T. teams has produced an outcry inside and outside the Philippines and thrown a spotlight on the deep crisis within the country's police forces, who are widely accused of corruption, torture and incompetence.
The incident has dominated news reports in the two countries. Philippines society has been shaken by the incident. Hong Kong has seen a massive public outpouring of shock and sorrow. The actions of governments, on all sides, has not eased the situation, with economic and political interests colouring the responses from Beijing, Manila and Hong Kong political elites.
We've seen an outpouring of genuine sadness in Hong Kong for communities and families that have lost loved ones. Unfortunately, from a minority, we have also witnessed an anti-Filipino backlash with repercussions for Hong Kong's large migrant workforce. Around 200,000 Filipinos make up the largest group of foreign nationals in the territory.
There is no shortage of politicians trying to manipulate the genuine feelings of shock in order to score some easy popularity points. It is a feature of international politics that governments and establishment politicians try to "unite" public opinion behind them at times of great tragedy or crisis. This was the case in many countries hit by the 2004 tsunami. The capitalist politicians can never be trusted to deal with the root causes of society's problems or look after the real interests of the victims. The politicians' primary concern in a crisis is to salvage their own position and prestige.
Governments clash
The Chinese state media has given massive coverage of the killings and its government's stern statements to the Aquino government in Manila. The Chinese regime, like other major powers, wants to be seen defending its citizens abroad. This is more the case than ever as China's economic footprint expands, alongside an influx of Chinese workers and businessmen to Asia and Africa. Given the iniquities of capitalism - cut-throat competition for jobs and markets, widening wealth gap, ecological destruction - this process unavoidably stokes racism, nationalism and the potential for conflict.
China was the largest foreign investor in the Philippines last year. Its companies have been active in scooping up privatised assets such as the electrical power grid - the single biggest privatisation in the Philippines. Other Chinese investments, such as ZTE Corporation's contract to build a national broadband network, have been the focus of corruption investigations. In ZTE's case, the husband of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was implicated in a bribery scandal, but recently all charges against him were dropped. In the Philippines' corrupt political and judicial system, the rich and powerful typically escape justice - causing anger and a sense of powerlessness on the streets.
For the country's new president, Beningno Aquino, who took office in June, this is a major crisis. Monday's was the deadliest attack on foreign tourists ever, and the country's battered economy now runs the risk of a slump in tourism.
Questions are being raised why the Hong Kong government immediately issued a "black alert" urging its travellers to avoid the Philippines. Tour groups have cancelled trips and hotel bookings had plummeted. But despite the horrific nature of this week's attack, there is no evidence of an increased threat level against Chinese or Hong Kong citizens visiting the Philippines. Around five percent of the population of the Philippines are Chinese-Filipinos. It is true that the Philippines has a high crime rate, but this has not previously been a barrier to Hong Kong tour groups plying their highly profitable trade, drawn by very low costs, which in turn are based on the low wages of Filipino workers. The hasty tourism ban of Tsang's administration, undoubtedly angered that Aquino did not answer his phone calls, is hardly an example of the 'cooler heads' that are needed in any crisis.
Aquino's public pronouncements have also not been helpful. His first press conference after the killings did not go down well in Hong Kong and China, as the president appeared to lack sensitivity. Filipino migrant organisations in Hong Kong have publicly criticised Aquino's handling of the crisis and are clearly worried, for very good reasons, that his clumsy performances have opened them up to retaliation as "easy targets" for a racist backlash. Aquino's government has since declared a day of mourning in the Philippines and announced a probe into the police handling of the hi-jacking.
Police under fire
While many questions about this operation remain unanswered, the "keystone cops"-style antics of the elite police forces, as shown on live television, has plunged the Philippine National Police (PNP) into possibly its deepest crisis. PNP spokesmen have confessed to "defects" including poor handling of the negotiations, and that the assault team was inadequately trained, equipped and led. The partly US-trained special weapons and tactics (S.W.A.T.) team complained of the need for "more resources and equipment". Questions remain about why the police smashed (or tried to) bus windows with a sledgehammer - reportedly before any shots were fired within the bus. We are told the police team used tear gas but had no gas masks, or that their masks were not in working order. Bloggers and netizens in the Philippines have been scathing in their judgement - saying for example that "S.W.A.T." actually means "Sayang Wala Akong Training" (A pity I don't have any training).
The public outcry has forced politicians to act, with demands for the resignation of Manila's police commander and other senior officers. But it is unlikely the current government will be willing or capable of initiating anything other than a cosmetic reform of the PNP. Socialists condemn the culture of corruption in the police force which has been nurtured by successive capitalist governments. This was no doubt the major factor leading to the bloody outcome of 23 August. This is not unfortunately an isolated event. An operation to free hostages held by the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf in 2002 resulted in the death of two hostages and the escape of their captors. Dozens of police officers have been accused of involvement in the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao last year.
As The Philippine Star (24 August) wrote "Mendoza's caper gives added urgency to the need for a thorough housecleaning in the PNP and an upgrade in its capability. This should include a review of procedures involving dismissed or suspended cops. Why does a dismissed police officer, especially one sacked for extortion, have an M-16 assault rifle and a pistol?"
At the same time the complexion of the PNP as a corrupt an inept force cannot be seen in isolation. It also flows from the corrupt and impoverished character of the capitalist system, dominated by imperialism and institutions like the IMF, which has run government economic policies - disastrously - for 40 years or more. One in four people in the Philippines live on less than $1.25 a day, the official definition of extreme poverty. Unbearable economic hardship for the masses and a monstrous gulf between rich and poor is producing social disintegration and elements of barbarism as we see in Mendoza's attack and the horrific massacre last year in Maguindanao. But the same process - rooted in the same glaring inequality - is also apparent in China. This year has seen a spate of horrific frenzied attacks on kindergarten and schoolchildren in China in which over 80 have been injured and 17 killed. The perpetrators in these separate incidents were individuals driven insane by the nature of today's dog-eat-dog capitalistic society. Even in Hong Kong the last years have seen unspeakable chopper attacks carried out by mentally ill individuals who have fallen through the gaps in the city's poorly financed psychological care system.
The Manila shootings show the thoroughly reactionary nature of "individual terrorism" even if this was the lone act of a disgruntled cop, rather than a political grouping with any coherent aims. Such terrorist acts spread division and confusion and make united mass struggle - the only force that can change society - more difficult to achieve. It has always been possible for unpopular ruling elites to exploit such acts of violence for their own ends, to increase state repression and control, infringe democratic rights, and use these attacks as a convenient diversion to push ahead with unpopular policies.
Fight racism
This is now happening in Hong Kong. Spurred by insensitive and racist comments by some Hong Kong politicians, there have been some ugly incidents of an anti-Filipino backlash. Racist comments disparaging Filipinos have been posted on social networking sites. Migrant workers' unions have reported workers being sacked by their employers in 'retaliation'.
Scandalously, the government of Donald Tsang decided just days after the Manila tragedy to freeze the minimum allowable wage (MAW) for migrant workers at HK$3,580 per month. The excessively low MAW has not been raised in a decade. At the same time the government has increased the monthly food allowance by all of HK$10 (!!) per month. A HK Labour Department spokesperson said the the wage freeze had nothing to do with Monday's hostage drama. If not, then it has everything to do with a mean official spirit and disregard for the crucial contribution made by migrant domestic workers to Hong Kong's economy.
What is needed is working class and grassroots' unity and solidarity against any attempt by racists and unscrupulous politicians to divide working people of different ethnicities against each other. Socialist Action (cwi in Hong Kong) calls on the government and travel companies to give full and equal compensation for all the victims' families, regardless of their insurance exposure prior to the tragedy. Put people before business profits. Back up the words of compassion with real action!
Socialist Action also calls on the Hong Kong government to compensate any migrant worker who is dismissed as a result of these events, by fully supporting the efforts of migrant organisations to find alternative and safe employment.
Migrants and Hong Kong workers must fight shoulder to shoulder for a decent and all-inclusive minimum wage and not allow the government or bosses' groups to take advantage of the Manila tragedy to sideline this issue.
For a united grassroots' movement for workers' rights. For international solidarity and socialism.
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