BAYAN
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Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Filipino: New Patriotic Alliance) or BAYAN is a leftist political coalition in the Philippines, started in May 1985 during the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship. It brought together more than a thousand grassroots and progressive organizations, representing over a million people.
BAYAN was a participant in the mainly non-violent revolution against the Marcos dictatorship, contributing to one of the first of the non-violent, popular revolutions of the 1980s. Since 1998, BAYAN Muna, the political party of the organization, has been the leading party-list member in the House of Representatives of the Philippines.
The nickname BAYAN was picked since it stands for nation or community in Filipino.
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Political structure
Different opinions exist as to whether the structure of BAYAN is progressive or communist, democratic or feudal, hierarchical or non-hierarchical, and whether it is nationalist or not. Some people claim that BAYAN is Maoist. Its own documentation [1] (http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/4677/) suggests that it is a centralized organization, including:
- chapters as the smallest units
- a general assembly as the theoretically highest policy-making body, but which meets only once every three years
- a national council which meets twice a year or more often if needed
- a national executive committee to implement the policies of the general assembly and national council
- five specialized commissions
- a general secretariat that runs day-to-day operations
- a national office in Quezon City in Metro Manila.
Member Organizations
BAYAN is a coalition of many different organizations such as labor groups like the Kilusang Mayo Uno, peasant organizations such as Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, youth organizations such as the League of Filipino Students, religious organizations such as the Student Christian Movement - Philippines, the Ecumenical Movement for Justice and Peace and Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR), feminist organizations such as GABRIELA, Kilusan ng Manggawang Kababaihan (Women Workers' Movement), SAMAKANA (Association of United and Free Women) and AMIHAN (National Federation of Peasant Women), Health Workers' organizations such as the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD), educational/scientific organizations such as the Alliance of Concerned Teachers and Scientists, Technologists, Engineers for the People (STEP), fisherfolk such as Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA - National Federation of Fisherfolk Organizations), cultural organizations such as BUGKOS, and indigenous people's organizations such as Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP - National Federation Of Indigenous Peoples' Organizations).
State repression
On August 7, 2002, the secretary-general of BAYAN, Teodoro A. Casino, claimed that under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo presidency, soldiers murdered at least 13 BAYAN and BAYAN Muna members [2] (http://www.codewan.com.ph/CyberDyaryo/press_release/pr2002_0807_01.htm) and suggested that U.S. soldiers would kill many members of left-wing organizations such as the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People's Army and the National Democratic Front.
Claims such as these are consistent with reports from Amnesty International. For example, on April 22 2003, Amnesty International claimed that as part of the government's anti-insurgency campaign against the New Peoples' Army (NPA), there were systematic human rights violations such as disappearances, torture, extrajudicial executions and arbitrary arrests carried out by national security forces and paramilitary groups known as militias. According to the reports, both civilians and members of legally recognised organizations considered to be related to the NPA are at risk, especially in provinces such as Oriental Mindoro [3] (http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA350112003).
External links
- BAYAN new web site (http://www.bayanorg.pilnet.com/)
- BAYAN old web site (http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/4677/)
- BAYAN Muna (political party) web site (http://www.bayanmuna.net/)
- human rights violations report (http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA350112003)