EU keeps CPP-NPA in list of terror groups worldwide

BRUSSELS – The New People’s Army and the Communist Party of the Philippines, and 45 other organizations worldwide, remain on the European Union’s list of terrorist groups after the removal of The People’s Mujahideen of Iran on Monday.

The United States’ list contains 45, including the Iranian group.

In Malacanang, presidential adviser on the peace process Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the EU is justified in retaining the NPA and CPP in its terrorist list because the communist rebels have not renounced violence and terrorism.

“They (communist rebels) have not stopped bombing facilities like cell sites, torching homes, buses, construction equipment, assissinating barangay captains,” he said.

“These are terrorist activities. So what the EU did was proper.” Esperon said the government should not be blamed for the NPA’s and CPP’s retention in the EU terrorist list.

“They should be the ones who should change and show the international community that they have renounced violence and terrorism, not just in words but in actions,” he said.

“The burden is on them.” The terrorist listing remains a stumbling block in efforts to resume peace talks with the Netherlands-based National Democractic Front, the umbrella organization of the mainstream communist rebel movement in the country, Esperon said.

In Camp Aguinaldo, Brig. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan, Armed Forces civil relations service chief, said the CPP’s and NPA’s “criminal acts” are more than enough to label them as terrorists.

“The EU’s new FTO list only supports the government’s stand that the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army are indeed terrorist groups bereft of any political ideology,” he said. “They remain a threat to national stability.”

Pangilinan said the goverment had opened avenues for the NPA and CPP to join the political mainstream, to no avail.

“We also have the integration program, as well as a political option, the partylist, but they refuse and continue with their terror and criminal activities,” he said in Filipino.

Pangilinan said the communist rebels have become “brigands and bandits” extorting money from the people. “They are not fighting for an ideology, they’re just bandits only fighting for money.”

Following are the main groups considered terrorist by the EU, and whose accounts and assets are frozen.

Palestinian organizations:
– Abu Nidal Organization
– Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade
– Hamas
– Islamic Jihad
– Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
– Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command

Israeli organizations:
– Kach

North Africa:
– Armed Islamic Group (GIA) (Algeria)

Turkey:
– Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)

Europe:
– Euskadi ta Askatasuna (ETA) (Spain)
– Batasuna (Spain)
– Real IRA (Northern Ireland)
– Red Brigades (Italy)
– Revolutionary Fight (Greece)

Latin America:
– Shining Path (Peru)
– Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
– United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia

Asia:
– The Tamil Tigers (Sri Lanka)
– New People’s Army (Philippines)
– Communist Party of the Philippines
– Aum Shinrikyo (Japan)

–AFP, Paolo Romero, Jaime Laude