The perilous frontier: nomadic empires and China. By Thomas J. Barfield. (Studies in Social Discontinuity.) pp. xvi, 325, map. Oxford, Basil Blackwell, 1989. £29.50.

Abstract

period of authoritarian rule. In the case of the Philippines, these have all been taking place simultaneously. The Philippines is not unique in this respect, but what adds to the flow of volumes trying to explain the causes and possible solutions to these multiple crises is the importance of the country to the United States, where most of the recent books have been produced. The Philippines, as America's only Asian colony, perceived as a flag ship for American values and ideals in the third world after independence, has remained intimately tied to the United States throughout the twentieth century. Many of the current crises in fact grow out of attempts to resolve the nature of the American-Philippine relationship. When Filipinos, of whatever political persuasion, attempt to find solutions to domestic issues, they often see the influence of the United States at the heart of the problem. The volume under review is representative of the current outpouring of literature. The author, Richard J. Kessler, works in the midst of the Washington, D.C. policy mill where the question of "what to do about the Philippines" is high on the agenda of "Third World problems". Of its type, it is an interesting and well documented book, though the author seems to be a bit hesitant in judging the relative weight to give to his sources. He also tends to report rumours and allegations as facts, such as the landing of Chinese weapons on the coast for the use of the Communist New People's Army (NPA) in the 1970s when it was subsequently revealed that this was a report started by then President Marcos to justify his declaration of Martial Law at about the same time. Kessler's five chapters provide an introduction to the social context of what he calls Philippine insurgencies. He then turns to document the origins of the Philippine Communist Party and its strategy and tactics. This is all fairly straightforward and informative. The fourth chapter, on the role of the Philippine army in politics is suggestive of the politicisation of the military since the 1960s but does not have the documentary depth of his discussion of the NPA. The final chapter assesses in pessimistic terms, from the point of view of the anti-communist forces, the nature of the military's attempts to defeat the NPA. But, like most analysts, he also believes that while the NPA cannot successfully take state power, they cannot be defeated without significant political and economic reforms. These, he feels, are unlikely to occur. Despite his clear acknowledgement of the inability of the United States to shape the outcome of the conflict in the Philippines, he cannot resist the Washington imperative to propose a range of actions for the United States to take to help change the structure of Philippine society and politics, including the nature of the military and its response to Communist insurgencies. It is doubtful his proposals would, if implemented, be any more successfully heeded by the Philippine government and army than have any of his many predecessors' recommendations.