http://www.opendemocracy.net/terrorism/article/philippines_islam_insurgency Comments for "The quest for peace, Ron May " en http://www.opendemocracy.net/terrorism/article/philippines_islam_insurgency <p>The ongoing conflict in the southern Philippines, between the government of the Philippines and groups of Muslim insurgents, has become one of the longest-running, and perhaps most intractable internal conflicts in the Asia pacific region.<span class="pullquote_new"><a href="http://rspas.anu.edu.au/people/personal/mayxr_psc.php" target="_blank">Dr Ronald May</a> is an Emeritus Professorial Fellow in the State, Society and Governance Project at the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the Australian National University.</span> </p> <p>The origins of the conflict may be traced back to the sixteenth century, when Spain colonised the Philippine islands and, encountering Islamic communities whom they identified as &quot;Moors&quot; (Moro), effectively resumed the crusades in southeast Asia. Subsequently, under the American colonial regime and successive independent Philippine governments, large-scale immigration into traditional Muslim and tribal homelands and attempts to integrate Philippine Muslims into mainstream Christian Philippine society created growing resentment in the south.</p>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.opendemocracy.net/terrorism/article/philippines_islam_insurgency" class="read-more" title="Read the rest of this posting.">Read the rest of this post...</a><p><a href="http://www.opendemocracy.net/terrorism/article/philippines_islam_insurgency">read more</a></p> http://www.opendemocracy.net/terrorism/article/philippines_islam_insurgency#comment democratic society insurgency Original Copyright Ron May terrorism Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:34:44 +0100 Ron May 34419 at http://www.opendemocracy.net