The Filipino people must expose, denounce and demand a stop to Australian military intervention. According to reports, the military forces of Australia, provided trainings to a special forces battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in “air to ground operations”, in other words, aerial bombing.

Being a subordinate of the US, Australia’s intervention in counterinsurgency in the Philippines forms an extension of US military intervention. The training provided by Australia will exacerbate state-perpetrated violence in the Philippines, particularly, the bombing of communities, farms and forests that have terrorized the people, and damage to the environment.

In line with US interventionist foreign policy, Australia is active in “counter-terrorism” operations, but in fact, is bringing terror to the Philippines.

The battalion trained in Australia, the 4th Special Forces Battalion, is now deployed in Samar. People in the Samar provinces fear they will be subjected to heightened aerial bombing campaigns with the deployment of the said Australian-trained battalion.

We will hold the Australian and US militaries responsible for any crime that will perpetrated by the 4th SFB in the course of its state terror operations in Samar. The blood of Filipinos will be in their hands.

We urge the Filipino community, and progressive organizations in Australia to press the Australian government to stop military intervention and providing support for the brutal counterinsurgency campaign of the AFP that has resulted in widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.