DATE AND TIME PUBLISHED : 21/4/2021, 1.11 AM
WRITTEN BY : KAM2284D
2. INTAN NAZIFA BINTI JONID (2020899312)
3. SITI NAJIHA BINTI SHAIFUL NIZAM (2020862062)
4. MUHAMMAD ILHAM BIN MOHD AZHARI (2020608314)
5. AZREEN SHAHIRA BINTI MD ASRI (2020483726)
TOPIC : ABU SAYYAF GUERILLAS IN DOS PALMAS KIDNAPPING
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Abu Sayyaf known as a terrorist group in East Asia Province is a Jihadist militant and pirate group that follows the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. More than four decades, this group based in and around Jolo and Basilan islands in the southwestern part of the Philippines. Where more than four decades, Moro groups have been involved in insurgencies seeking to make Moro Province independent. The group is considered violent and responsible for the worst terrorist attack in the Philippines, the Superferry 14 bombing in 2004, which killed 116 people. The name of Abu Sayyaf is derived from Arabic word. In 2000, the group had 1250 members but by 2021 the number of these groups is estimated to have dropped to almost 80 members. They use mostly explosives, mortars and automatic rifles. (Banlaoi, 2021)
The Abu Sayyaf group has been established since 1989, the group has committed bombings, kidnappings, murders and extortion. They have also been involved in criminal activities, including rape, sexual assault of children, forced marriage, induced shootings and drug trafficking. The goals of the group "appear to have alternated over time between criminal objectives and a more ideological intent". (Banlaoi, 2021)
The group has been designated as a terrorist group by Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. Since 15th January 2002 to 24th February 2015, the Abu Sayyaf battle became an American military’s Operation Enduring Freedom mission and part of the global war on terror. There are several hundreds of soldier United States were stationed in the district to train local troops in counter-terrorism and counter-terrorism operations. But, after the treaty status of the troops and under Philippine law, they were not allowed to engage in direct combat. (Banlaoi, 2021)
This group was led by Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani. After his death in 1998, this group has been led by his younger brother Khadaffy Janjalani until his death in 2006. One of the group's leaders, swore an oath of loyalty to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on 23rd July 2014. In September 2014, the group began kidnapping people for hostages, in the name of ISIL. (Banlaoi, 2021)
1.1 BACKGROUND AND HISTORY OF ABU SAYYAF GROUP
In the early 1970s, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was a major Muslim rebel group fighting in Basilan and Mindanao. Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani, is an older brother of Khadaffy Janjalani, once a teacher from Basilan, who studied theology and Arabic in Libya, Syria and Saudi Arabia in the 1980s. The ASG aims to establish an independent Salafist Sunni Islamic state in the Mindanao region for the Filipino minority known as the Moros. This goal is shaped by the historical narrative of the “Bangsamoro” struggle, in which Filipino Muslims that concentrated in the southern Philippines where Muslim merchants arrived in the 1300s or earlier, they have long clashed with the Spanish, American, and Filipino The Abu Sayyaf Group aims to expel the Christian settlers who migrated to Mindanao from other regions in the Philippines such as Luzon and the Visayas. (Banlaoi, 2021) (Organizations, 2015)
Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani went to Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union and the Afghan government during the Soviet-Afghan War. During that period, he allegedly met Osama Bin Laden and was given 6 million to set up a more Muslim group taken from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). While studying the Iranian Revolution in 1988, Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani reportedly met Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and may even have fought with him during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, after which Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani expanded his mission to turn the southern Philippines into an Islamic state. Abu Sayyaf group has been influenced by the concept of Al-Qaeda. They were developing a reputation as the most violent Islamic separatist group in the Philippines. The establishment of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in 1989 as a response. Both Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani and Khadaffy Janjalani are natives of Isabela City, one of the poorest cities in the Philippines. Located in the north-western part of Basilan, Isabela is the capital of the province. The city of Isabela is administered under the political territory of the Zamboanga Peninsula in the north of Basilan, while since 1996 the rest of the island region of Basilan has been ruled as part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in the east. (Banlaoi, 2021) (Organizations, 2015)
2.0 THE INCIDENT OF DOS PALMAS KIDNAPPING BY ABU SAYYAF (WHAT, WHY, WHERE WHO OR HOW)
The Dos Palmas kidnapping incident caused by Abu Sayyaf happened in 27th May 2001. According to the hostage whom survived in the Dos Palmas abduction, Gracia Burnham, despite the religion talking the extremist’s motivation was money which the extremist group received throughout this abduction, ransom money. The incident took place in Philippines at a resort called Dos Palmas Beach Resort in Palawan, Philippines. Abu Sayyaf had kidnapped hostages which included local and foreign tourists. The hostages included from America were Martin Burnham and his wife, Gracia Burnham (Figure 1) as well as Guillermo Sobero. After awhile, they were brought to another place in Philippines called Lamitan, Basilan. This incident of kidnapping had provoked a large attention of military to operate in order to launch rescue operation to safe the hostages.
The starting of the Dos Palmas incident according to a police investigation, the extremists, Abu Sayyaf, had arrived at Dos Palmas as early as 5:30 am in the morning. These extremists walked into the resort and barged towards floating cottages and abducted the guests from the nine floating cottages. The extremists then urged the hostages which consist of tourists and resort workers into speedboats which were called ‘Kumpit’. Initially the extremists abducted 23 people but 3 of them were freed immediately. The freed ones were identified as Peter Largo, Isagani Fortunado and Manuelita Mondia.(Philstar Global, 2001)
In Basilan, the terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf decided to take control of a church and a hospital known as ‘St. Peter’s Church’ and ‘Jose Torres Memorial Hospital’. Here, Abu Sayyaf abducted patients, nurses as well as doctors. The forces of government had surrounded the area and tried to fight the extremists with weapons such as machines gun fire. When it was dark enough, Abu Sayyaf escaped the hospital area with hostages in their hands. During this time, Abu Sayyaf’s strategy was to use human shields of children and gun fires. During this hectic moment, some of the hostages managed to escape. (Frances Mangosing, 2012)
The foreign hostage, Guillermo Sobero was beheaded in June 2001. The beheaded activity was done in a ceremony of macabre according to sources where the incident took place. The leader of Abu Sayyaf, Khadafi Janjalani mentioned regarding macabre ceremony in a letter sent through one of the freed hostages. This activity of beheading hostages is also known as the ribbon cutting ceremony. (UAE, 2001)
Continuous operations by the military against the extremist had resulted in the freedom of the hostages. However, quite a number of hostages didn’t make it and died while being abducted. Other hostages were reported to be released with a ransom money. Some of the hostages that were released were Reina Malonzo, Angie Montealegre, Sheila Tabunyag and Maria Fe Rosadeno from Dos Palmas Resort. According to an article by Alex young, Reina Malonzo was reported to be 3 months pregnant after being abducted 5 months ago (UAE, November 2001). According to Armed Forces Spokesman Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan, Malonzo was forced to married Janjalani when she was kept as a hostage. Sources also mentioned Janjalani, the leader of the extremist took her as a wife to avoid being raped by Abu Sayyaf’s members.
The following year in 2002 which was after 1 year being abducted, an operation was taken in order to rescue the remaining hostages which were American tourist hostages, the Burnhams’ couple and a local hostage, Ediborah Yap which was a local nurse. The operation had been launched by Philippines’ Armed Forces or know as AFP. The armed forces received information which had indicated Abu Sayyaf moved the hostages to Zamboanga. However, during this operation only Gracia Burnham survived with a bullet wound. Neither Ediborah Yap or Martin Burnham survived, they were both killed. A while after, one of the Abu Sayyaf leader, Abu Sabaya or known as Tilam got killed by the military in the Philippines.
3.0 REVIEW
3.1 CHALLENGES
3.1.1 INVOLVEMENT OF THE PHILIPPINE MILITARY TO FREE THE HOSTAGES.
The Dos Palmas kidnapping is a hostage crisis in the southern Philippines that began with the seizure of twenty hostages from the prosperous Dos Palmas Resort has led to the involvement of the Philippine military in an effort to free all the hostages. This effort has to some extent made the kidnapping and captivity work on the island more difficult. As a result of the efforts brought by the Philippine government has resulted in their soldiers being killed as many as 22 people by the Abu Sayyaf group. That number included the captain of the Philippine soldier. The involvement of the soldiers has caused them to be killed in a horrible way. Witnesses in Lamitan had described helicopters and infantry units pouring rockets and machine gun fire into the hospital and church compound as troops came under fire from rooftop snipers that killing up to 12 soldiers, including that army captain. Reports indicated twenty-two soldiers had been killed since the initial hostages were seized.
On August 2, 2001, suspected Abu Sayyaf militants captured 32 to 35 villagers in a raid on Balobo town in Lamitan, Basilan. However, on August 5, the Philippine Army rescued 13 of the Filipino hostages, including several children, after a gun battle with the Abu Sayyaf captors.An army spokesman stated the hostages were freed before dawn, when the soldiers stormed the militants' hideout outside the town of Isabela and that the guerrillas had beheaded around 11 hostages, while several others were either released or had escaped.
3.1.2 THE NUMBER OF THOSE TAKEN CAPTIVE VARIED GREATLY AS MORE HOSTAGES WERE SEIZED
The increase in the number of hostages taken by Abu Sayyaf while on the island of basilan has made it difficult for them to determine the number of hostages as well as keep the hostages from escaping when the island of basilan is seized. This case that take 1 year long time has cause Abu Sayyaf to be more careful to control the hostages and avoid the unwanted things to be happened. Therefore there may be hostages who may manage to escape and report what happened at the scene as well as give space to the Philippine government to do something.
3.1.3 THE CAPTIVES OF ABU SAYYAF ESCAPED.
When the fighting that took place in lamitan in which the Abu Sayyaf was involved had caused hardship to befall them. it happened because 5 hostages escaped during the crisis. Abu Sayyaf probably expected such a thing to happen so he had acted murderous by beheading them before the fight took place. So this action have gave difficulty to Abu Sayyaf. Furthermore the President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has warned the Abu Sayyaf group to give themselves up or be killed, stating in a television broadcast, "We will finish off all the bandits if they don't surrender at the earliest possible time.
3.2 SIGNIFICANCE
Abu Sayyaf Group's actions such as kidnapping foreigners from two resorts in 2000 with the aim of Abu Sayyaf Group want to expand its operations to Malaysia. The actions taken by the Abu Sayyaf Group have been criticized by most Muslim leaders. It was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of more than 30 foreigners, Christian clerics and workers, including Martin and Gracia Burnham. (Banlaoi, 2021)
The Abu Sayyaf Group aims to establish an independent Salafist Sunni Islamic state in the Mindanao region for the Filipino minority known as the Moros. This goal is shaped by the historical narrative of the “Bangsamoro” struggle, in which Filipino Muslims concentrated in the southern Philippines, where Muslim traders arrived in the 1300s or earlier, they have long clashed with the Spanish, American, and Philippine rulers they believed has tried to suppress them. The Abu Sayyaf Group also aims to expel Christian settlers who migrated to Mindanao from other provinces in the Philippines such as Luzon and the Visayas. In the 1910s, these Christian settlers began migrating to the southern Philippines at the urging of the government, they now cover 75% of the territory. Abu Sayyaf Group goals are stated, organizations show signs of becoming more motivated by material gain than ideological struggle. (Organizations, 2015)
3.3 FACTORS OF THE KIDNAPPING ACTIVITIES
When Abdurajak Janjalani founded the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), his aim was to create a "highly structured, systematised, and disciplined organisation." The Islamic Executive Council (IEC) acts as the ASG's key planning and execution body, according to Janjalani's vision of a fully unified Islamic resistance movement.
The factor of the kidnapping activities by ASG is as a source of financing. As a source of revenue, ransoming hostages is extremely important to the ASG. The proceeds from the ASG's illegal activities were used to purchase powerful firearms and other critical equipment, enhancing the group's operational capabilities. It is also worth noting that this organisation stepped up its kidnapping game by expanding its operations beyond its usual territory and staging daring and profitable cross-border kidnappings.
To emphasise the group's original vision of establishing a "highly structured, systematic, and disciplined" organisation of Islamic fighters, Janjalani temporarily renamed the group Al-Harakatul Al-Islamiyah (AHAI) in 1994 to emphasise the group's original vision of establishing a "highly organised, systematic, and disciplined" organisation of Islamic fighters in order to obtain financial support from other terrorist groups in the Middle East. The AHA is also thought to have received financial assistance from the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO). In the 1990s, when Janjalani met Bin Laden in Peshawar, Pakistan, the ASG established relations with Al Qaeda. Janjalani also established relations with Al Qaeda's Ramzi Yousef and became close to him.
These terrorist attacks proved that the ASG is a legitimate terrorist organisation with a political and religious agenda that is capable of carrying out terrorist attacks outside of its usual operating area. (Allan Jones A. Salem, 2016)
3.4 IMPACTS
The kidnapping sparked a massive military operation that culminated in the deaths of many terrorists and hostages, as well as more kidnappings. The war on terrorism has changed the lives of Filipinos and put a strain on the government's resources. The Philippine government was faced with a number of obstacles and responses in the fight against terrorism. The Philippines has fought terrorism in a variety of ways over the years. It has retaliated militarily, convicted terrorists, prevented terrorist attacks, put in place protective measures, and discussed some of terrorism's causes.
The Philippines, under the Macapagal-Arroyo government, established a national strategy to fight terrorism in response to the need to ensure the safety of its people. It reaffirms its pledge to prevent, suppress, and fight all forms of terrorism in compliance with the UN charter, resolutions or declarations, and other related international laws as an active member of the UN. It will make every effort to work closely with the regional and international community, especially ASEAN, the US, and other allies, to enhance global cooperation in the fight against international terrorism.
The successful and efficient integration of actions and responses of the entire government machinery is critical to the implementation of the National Plan to Combat Terrorism. There is a need for inter-agency cooperation among the various departments and agencies, which necessitates defining areas of exclusivity, coordination, and alignment in order to ensure that efforts are coordinated. To mount an effective joint effort against terrorism, the Departments of National Defense (DND) and Interior and Local Government (DILG), as well as the Departments of Energy, Transportation and Communication, and Justice, should forge a critical connection with the National Security Adviser (NSA) Office. (Eusaquito P. Manalo, 2004)
According to the news reported by Manny Mogato in Reuters, for the abduction of 20 people from a luxury beach resort in 2001 and the decapitation of three of them, including an American, Manila court sentenced 14 members of a Muslim militant group to life in prison. (Manny Mogato (Reuters), 2007)
3.5 RECOMMENDATIONS
3.5.1 ADDRESS THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND IDEOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF TERRORISM
The Philippine government must study of the root causes of terrorism and determine appropriate responses to resolve, eliminate, or prevent the Abu Sayyaf militant uphold and manage to do the kidnapping of hostage and to prevent this cases happened again and again. The Philippine government should address the marginalization, injustices, political oppression, and other grievances of Filipino Muslims because these issues provide inspiration for others to commit violence. The strength and resilience of the Abu Sayyaf lies in the weakness of the government to adequately address these socioeconomic and political issues. Thus, it is important that the Philippine government take the issues into consideration and act accordingly to address the “fundamental political, economic, and social grievances” of Muslim Mindanao. To address the socioeconomic and political roots of terrorism is crucial for an effective counter-terrorism strategy because terrorism proves to be politically and ideologically motivated.
3.5.2 ENHANCE AND UPGRADE THE CAPABILITIES OF THE MILITARY AND POLICE
Enhance and upgrade the current capabilities of the military and police to meet the current demand and challenges of the overall anti-terrorism effort of the government. Technological advances could help a lot in this effort. The Philippine government must pursue and continue the Armed Forces Of The Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program. Although these upgrades are primarily intended for territorial defense, the acquisition of the latest military hardware and equipment can also be crucial in counter-terrorism operations. Delfin Lorenzana, the secretary of the Department of National Defense, points out that he will continue modernizing the AFP through acquisition of aircraft, sea craft, and other essential equipment to enhance the capabilities of the military. If these AFP program had be done before the crisis kidnapping in Dol Palmas maybe the numbers death of soldier can be reduce. That crisis is showing that the capabilities of Philippine Military not hit the expectation because their captain on that time has been a victim of Abu Sayyaf.
3.5.3 Enhancement of Border Cooperation
The Philippines must strengthen its border crossing and border patrol arrangements with its neighbour countries in the south, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia. To control movement of terrorists and criminals along the borders in the south, it requires responsive and appropriate border procedures and countermeasures. Joint and coordinated border security patrols with regional partners along with sharing of information are crucial to prevent movement of both individuals and funds that have links with terrorist and criminal activities. There should be more responsive and regular exchanges at the operational level, and those more extensive linkages should be developed among multilateral agencies of each country operating in the border areas. So, Abu Sayyaf will probably find it more difficult to enter the territory of the Philippines and commit such kidnappings.
CONCLUSION
Among the conclusions that can be drawn from this incident is that, Abu Sayyaf is nothing more than a criminal who use extreme violence in order to achieve their goals. Their actions is totally contradict with their claim whereas to promote independent of Islamic State in Western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago as Abu Sayyaf group allowing ridiculous actions such as kidnapping for ransom, bombing, assassination and so on in the name of jihad. As for the Dos Palmas incident, The Philippines must act much more aggressive with this group so that, the government will not be looked down by them and won’t have to deal with the same incident again in the future. In dealing with the terrorism, Philippines must determine appropriate responses to resolve, eliminate, or prevent the Abu Sayyaf militant from causes threats to others ever again. The terrorist threat posed by Abu Sayyaf can effectively be fought back as long as there is cooperation from others sectors
APPENDIX
Figure 1 : Martin Burnham and Gracia Burnham
Figure 2 : The Burnhams with the extremist
REFERENCES
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