Abu Sayyaf has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of 20 tourists from a resort island in the Philippines and will now be seeking a handsome ransom. Last year the group had kidnapped tourists, including many foreigners, from another island and released them after being paid a huge amount. The Arroyo government has however stated it will not negotiate with the kidnappers.

Abu Sayyaf, named after a mujahideen fighter who battled the Soviets in Afghanistan, is a breakaway faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) which demands a separate Muslim state in southern Philippines. But while MNLF is a political movement, Abu Sayyaf has acquired a criminal profile with a spate of kidnappings. Last year Manila had launched a massive offensive against the group, but obviously Abu Sayyaf is far from finished. The government needs to tackle the issue with an iron fist because negotiating with such groups and accepting their demands only emboldens them to further kidnappings. The armed forces should be given a free hand to crack down on the group and crush it once and for all. However the government also needs to seriously address genuine political grievances in the south that have given rise to strong anti-Philippine sentiments.