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Contemporary Southest Asia, Voume 17, Number 1, June 1995 Terrorism and Secession in the Southern Philippines: The Rise of the Abu Sayaff MARK TURNER This article traces the rise of the Abu Sayaff from being an indi-vidual letter-writing Islamic preacher to becoming a much feared group of terrorists. Since 1992, the Abu Sayaff has been involved in a sequence of violent incidents, mostly in Western Mindanao but extending as far as Manila. The group's aim is to establish an independent Islamic state in Mindanao. The Abu Sayaff is the latest manifestation of a 300-year-old tradition of armed Muslim opposition to the Philippine state. It has emerged in the context of a deepening of Islam in Mindanao and in areas characterized by poverty, government neglect and state weakness. Precise details of the Abu Sayaff's size, structure and operations are difficult to determine but it has established links with …