India Philippines - Financial Aid

What is the issue?

India’s financial aid to the Philippines to fight the Islamic State signals a reworking of its ASEAN outreach.

What is the issue going in Philippines?

• The siege of Marawi, about 800 km south of the capital Manila, began in May.
• The Philippine security forces launched an offensive to capture Isnilon Hapilon, leader of the IS-affiliated Abu Sayyaf group.
• Despite the military offensive, militants remain in control of Marawi which they view as key to their efforts to create an IS province.
• The civilian toll has been rising, with more than 500 people killed and nearly 4,00,000 civilians displaced.
• Philippine is vowing to “crush” the militants and declaring martial law over the entire southern Philippines.
• Yet, the end of the conflict is not in sight.

What is the status of IS?

• With the recent fall of Mosul and the fight for Raqqa intensifying by the day, there are suggestions that the days of the IS in its current shape are numbered.
• The IS of today may appear to be a pale shadow of its past menace when at its peak, since the end of 2014 through 2015.
• It controlled territory comprising roughly 1,10,000 sq. km, across both Syria and Iraq.
• But the underlying forces that gave rise to its emergence in West Asia remain as potent as ever and the ideological attraction of its ideology shows no sign of fading.

What are the significance of India’s Aid?

• India used this crisis to enhance its anti-terror and de-radicalisation partnership with the Philippines.
• India is conducting cyber security training for the Philippine security forces, focusing on de-radicalisation.
• India has decided to provide a financial assistance of Rs. 3.2 crore to the Philippines to aid its fight against the Islamic State (IS)-affiliated terror groups in the troubled Mindanao province.
• This is the first time India is sending aid to another nation to help it fight terrorism.
• With this financial aid, India has emerged as the largest donor in efforts to contain the crisis.
• This is seen as an attempts to burnish its credentials as an emerging security provider to the wider Asian region.
• India’s engagement with the Philippines is also key to underscoring its growing role in Southeast Asia.

Will this things impact china?

• The Philippines is trying to recalibrate its ties with China, under stress because of a suit brought by Manila to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague challenging Beijing’s claim to almost all of the South China Sea.
• Though Manila won the case last year, it has not been able to push Beijing to moderate its stance on the maritime dispute.
• China has provided 15 million pesos (approximately $3,00,000) in aid compared to India’s 25 million pesos ($5,00,000). 
• India cannot easily match China’s growing economic profile but it has other means to build partnership with a very important region in its foreign policy matrix.
• As India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) celebrate 25 years of their partnership this year, it is a politically opportune moment to upgrade India’s regional profile.
• The recent outreach to Manila is an important step in that direction.

Source: The Hindu