This article is the fourth in a series on the important work of KMP. The other three articles are available to read here on the ICHRP website: ICHRP celebrates KMP’s 40 years, KMP and the struggle for land, KMP and the struggle against fascism.
Since its founding under the U.S.-backed Marcos Sr. dictatorship, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) has united farmworkers and the peasant masses against not only the local tyranny of the Philippine state’s fascist attacks against the people, but the foreign interests of U.S. neocolonial rule, forging itself over decades into an unshakeable force in both the Philippine and global struggles against imperialism.
Over four decades of struggle, KMP has been among those in the Philippines leading the charge against neoliberal policies such as Marcos Sr.’s version of the “green revolution” of foreign institutions such as the IMF-World Bank, USAID, and other transnational corporations, which bankrupted farmers, destroying traditional farming and locking the peasant masses into a foreign-dependent system.
In recent years, KMP has also fought against Charter Change (ChaCha) to allow foreign land ownership, the Rice Liberalization Law (RLL), and 99-year foreign land leases.
KMP has waged intense struggle against militarization, and was among those who led the call in 1991 to expel U.S. military bases from the Philippines.
U.S. military intervention in the Philippines has not ceased, however, and KMP has continued to oppose military programs like the Balikatin Exercises, large scale military exercises which have resulted in environmental destruction and disrupted the lives and livelihoods of citizens. KMP has also opposed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which gives U.S. troops even greater access to Philippine land.
KMP is also an active participant in global anti-imperialist efforts, carrying the voice of Filipino peasants across the world. KMP has engaged with international alliances like the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS), Asian Peasant Coalition (APC), and People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS), to expose and resist imperialist domination.
With another Marcos back in power, KMP’s role in uniting farmers for the anti-imperialist struggle is more vital than ever. ICHRP looks to the example of KMP’s militant history of struggle – that true national freedom and social justice are never given, but must be fought for – and joins the peasant masses in building, strengthening, and advancing the anti-imperialist movement worldwide!
