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| Southeast Asia |
| Order amid chaos: tracing the roots of Basilan’s recent outbreak of peace |
| 2018-06-21 |
| [The Strategist - OZ) With Abu Sayyaf already on the back foot, and many of its leaders moving to mainland Mindanao, Hataman capitalised by mobilising Basilan’s society. Muslim religious leaders, who had been scared of violent reprisals, now felt safe enough to publicly denounce Abu Sayyaf. The business sector, long crippled by pervasive extortion, threw its support behind the Hataman plan. With violence decreasing, the provincial government was able to expand public services into the remote regions that had once been Abu Sayyaf’s stronghold. The government’s action also signalled that it was committed to and capable of providing services to the population, which bolstered its legitimacy. Nothing guarantees that the drop in violence in Basilan will continue. On the contrary: the concentration of power will dissipate and martial law will hopefully end. But Basilan’s stabilisation gives insights into how to reduce the levels of violence in other parts of Mindanao. Extremist groups grow strong when they infiltrate and co-opt local governments and leaders. Convincing those leaders to side with the forces of peace rather than violence is essential. In Basilan, this didn’t involve changing their ideology because few supported the extremist ideas of Abu Sayyaf. Some felt it was in their political interests to maintain cordial relations with the group, and many gave it sanctuary simply because they were too scared to refuse. In short, ridding Basilan of Abu Sayyaf wasn’t about changing the ideology of local leaders as much as changing their incentives. Basilan still suffers from far too much violence, and creating a more permanent peace is a generational challenge. Reconstructing the infrastructure and social fabric of Marawi is a similar challenge. But Basilan’s recent stabilisation demonstrates that provincial governments endowed with sufficient political power and sustained political commitment can, at least temporarily, reduce violence. |
| Posted by:3dc |