Maoist Internationalist Movement (MIM) celebrates the 28th anniversary of the New People's Army

Maoist Internationalist Movement, 29 March 1997

The Maoist Internationalist Movement (MIM), a revolutionary communist party based in North America, enthusiastically salutes the anniversary of the New People's Army (NPA). Soon after its own re-establishment on Dec. 26, 1968, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) organized the NPA on March 29, 1969. The NPA started with 60 Red fighters armed with only nine automatic rifles and 26 single-shot rifles and handguns. The NPA has grown significantly since then.

The CPP established the NPA under the guidance of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought and along the general line of the new-democratic revolution. Under the absolute leadership of the Party and its Marxist-Leninist-Maoist line, the NPA wages a protracted people's war, made possible and dictated by the chronically crisis-ridden semicolonial and semifeudal conditions of the Philippines.

By waging the Protracted People's War, the NPA correctly follows the guidance of Comrade Mao Zedong, who said, We are advocates of the abolition of war, we do not want war; but war can only be abolished through war, and in order to get rid of the gun it is necessary to take up the gun. Imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism ruthlessly oppress the Filipino people. The oppressors repeatedly demonstrate that they will not give up their power without a fight. The masses can only liberate themselves from oppression by organizing themselves under the leadership of a communist party to seize power through armed struggle. Only by fighting until total victory can there be a just and lasting peace.

Under the leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the Commanders and fighters of the New People's Army have expanded and consolidated their mass base for carrying out the national-democratic revolution through protracted people's war. With the support of the broad masses of the Filipino people, the CPP and NPA can expect to lead the intensification of guerrilla warfare and the mass movement in due time.

Comrade Mao Zedong said, The correctness or otherwise of the ideological and political line decides everything. When the Party's line is correct, then everything will come its way. If it has no followers, then it can have followers; if it has no guns, then it can have guns; if it has no political power, then it can have political power. The NPA's history has shown this to be true. From 1987 to 1992, an incorrect political-military line dominated the NPA's work. This adventurist line called for a strategic counteroffensive. It dichotomized military work from political work. The NPA's incorrect abandonment of mass political work led to a diminishment of the NPA's mass social base. The NPA's incorrect abandonment of political study consolidated these errors. Under the influence of the adventurist line, the NPA failed to educate, mobilize, and arouse the masses. The NPA became isolated from the masses. Many heroic fighters were martyred as a result of these errors.

Since 1992, under the leadership of the CPP, the NPA has been undergoing a rectification campaign. The goal of this campaign is to reaffirm the Party's Marxist-Leninist-Maoist principles, rectify errors, and rebuild strength which was diminished as a result of the erroneous line. Today, the NPA studies the classics of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin and Mao, and opposes the adventurist line. This movement has been an overwhelming success, and it demonstrates the universal significance and importance of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.

The NPA's continued and growing success demonstrates the continued relevance of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism as a tool for liberating the oppressed. MIM wishes continued success to the NPA and the national democratic revolution it advances. MIM contributes to this success in the best way it can-by preparing the masses of North America to make anti-imperialist revolution.

Long live the New People's Army!
Long live the Communist Party of the Philippines!
Victory to the Filipino people's war!
Long live Marxism-Leninism-Maoism!