Saturday, April 2, 2011
Communist Workers' Party of Tunisia opposes Libya intervention, calls for completion of revolution
The Communist Workers' Party of Tunisia on Libya: "The Tunisian revolution has spread to many Arab countries. Egypt's dictator fell, while authoritarian regimes in Yemen and Bahrain are fiercely repressing popular uprisings, in Bahrain, with the help of Saudi Arabia. Our neighbour, the Libyan people, rose up against their tormentors, but events took a bad turn with the intervention of the United States and its allies, under the pretext of protecting civilians. The US administration has hardly mentioned the killing of civilians in Yemen and Bahrain, as it has also never done regarding Gaza, Lebanon or Iraq and Afghanistan, countries it occupies. And didn’t Sarkozy support the Tunisian dictator until the last moment?"What drives Obama, Sarkozy and Cameron to intervene is the frantic race to grab a portion of Libyan oil, after the failure of its revolution. We support the Libyan people in their uprising, but we are against any foreign intervention, which not only hurts the revolution in Libya and Tunisia but also hurts all Arab countries. We oppose the use of our territory or our airspace in the aggression against Libya. The US, French and English colonialists have no interest in the triumph of the Arab revolution, given the danger it represents for them."
By the Communist Workers' Party of Tunisia/Parti communiste des ouvriers de Tunisie (PCOT) حزب العمّال الشّيوعي التونسي
Translated by John Catalinotto for Tlaxcala
March 23, 2011 -- This event [the legalisation of the the Communist Workers' Party of Tunisia] has important symbolic significance. It is the result, among other things, of the January 14 revolution that deposed Ben Ali, won the right to organise and inaugurated a new era for Tunisia and its people.
The PCOT was established January 3, 1986, the second anniversary of the glorious “bread uprising”, which was a way to show our determination to link our fate to that of the Tunisian people, to defend its interests and legitimate aspirations for a decent life, where freedom, democracy and social justice rule. The PCOT translated these commitments into its political program and its militant practices, under the slogan of "national and popular democratic revolution", which it continued to defend at the price of enormous sacrifices: Nabil Barakat died in martyrdom, among hundreds of our activists who have been tortured, imprisoned and denied their most basic rights, many of them forced into exile.
Our party stood shoulder to shoulder with our people during this quarter century, making the fall of the dictatorship a primary objective, considering that it constitutes a major obstacle to the emancipation of the people and the rebirth of the nation. The party had full confidence in our people; it fought against the reactionary thinking that underestimated them, accusing them of helplessness and resignation. It has continually worked to raise consciousness and organise clandestine action to the extent that the lack of freedom permitted. It participated in all the people’s struggles and helped unite the opposition to secure victory against the dictatorship.
The revolution of January 14 is the culmination of over 20 years of struggle and sacrifices of the Tunisian people, of its sons and daughters making up the different ideological and political opponents to the dictatorship, organised in parties, associations and trade union and human rights organisations or unorganised.
This revolution took on various dimensions: It is a political revolution against tyranny and subjugation, a social revolution against exploitation and corruption, a patriotic revolution for dignity. The revolution did not stop inside Tunisia; it has spread to other Arab countries, where people are rising up against corrupt and tyrannical regimes and making them fall one after another.
Revolution not yet complete
The revolution of January 14 is not yet complete because it has not achieved all its objectives, despite the progress it made. Reactionary forces are still lurking and trying to abort the revolution. They are supported in this by the United States and France, which want to reduce the revolution to a mere reform of the old regime, leaving its economic and social foundation intact. The fundamental issue in any revolution is power, and if the sectors of the population that made the revolution do not hold power, we must conclude that it neither complete nor victorious. This is the case in Tunisia where the people rose up but have not yet taken power.
In the first phase of the revolution, the people brought down the dictator. In the second phase for the victory against the dictatorship, the people, through its vigilance and determination, brought down the Ghannouchi government and imposed the demands for a constituent assembly, and dissolution of the RCD [ruling party] and the political police. It also significantly expanded the scope of freedom of expression and organisation.
However, power remains in the hands of reactionary forces, deployed in different units and institutions that continue to preserve their economic interests. These forces are committing crimes against people (assault, looting, riots ...). They try to break its unity through fueling regional, tribal and religious differences and sowing fear and terror in order to discourage the people from continuing the revolution and achieving its objectives.
The interim president and transitional government are bent on sabotaging the revolution’s legitimacy and reject any control over their decisions (appointment of delegates, security officials, the judiciary ...); this process serves the interests of the enemies of the revolution. They refused to deal with the "National Council to Defend the Revolution”, which they replaced by a “body” whose members they have appointed unilaterally. In the same way, the decision to dissolve the RCD can be rescinded by returning this party under a new form. This is also the case regarding the decision to dissolve the political police, which is surrounded by doubts and raises serious questions about its application.
Revolution stolen?
The masses, particularly in the country’s interior, are beginning to feel that nothing regarding their political and social conditions has changed, and that their revolution is about to be stolen. It is a legitimate feeling with understandable reasons. The old regime is still in place, with its apparatus and its administration. The interim government took no action, although an urgent action is needed to alleviate the burden of unemployment and the high cost of living, stop the deterioration of public services that hit the regions -- which have also suffered repression and looting before and during the outbreak of the revolution. This is the case of the mining region, of Skhira of Benguerdane and many other regions.
The Communist Workers' Party of Tunisia believes that the revolution is not over. The Tunisian people must remain vigilant to avert the dangers threatening it. The continued mobilisation, conservation and revitalisation of the "National Council to Defend the Revolution” and its committees are urgent tasks today.
Today, the people remain the only force capable of exercising control over the interim presidency and the provisional government, which it has the right to monitor and hold accountable.
The election of the "Constituent Assembly" is an important event in the coming period. Workers, toiling strata and all our people can, in conjunction with the PCOT and all democratic and revolutionary forces, make this moment a turning point to impose the will of the people and stop the enemies of the revolution in their tracks.
This cannot be accomplished without an immediate mobilisation to postpone the elections and put space between them and the dates of the examinations, to enable the people and political forces to be well prepared, given the importance of the issues that the Constituent Assembly will determine.
We must also prepare a suitable political arena, through the purging of the administration, the judiciary and the media, by the effective dissolution of the political police and the establishment of an electoral law that resolves the issue of financing the elections to ensure transparency and equality among all participants and ensure that these elections are not tainted by corruption.
The character of the transition period in no way precludes the need for urgent economic and social measures, particularly for the unemployed, or for the regions that are neglected despite their wealth and potential.
The transitional government continues to cling to the budget decided under Ben Ali, which provides a significant portion for the Department of the Interior and for the repayment of debt incurred by the dictatorship. Why should the government not cancel the debt or at least suspend it for a while, as did countries that have experienced the same conditions as Tunisia? Why not devote the full budget to improving the lives of the people? Why not revise this budget to reflect new priorities?
Libya
The Tunisian revolution has spread to many Arab countries. Egypt's dictator fell, while authoritarian regimes in Yemen and Bahrain are fiercely repressing popular uprisings, in Bahrain, with the help of Saudi Arabia. Our neighbour, the Libyan people, rose up against their tormentors, but events took a bad turn with the intervention of the United States and its allies, under the pretext of protecting civilians. The US administration has hardly mentioned the killing of civilians in Yemen and Bahrain, as it has also never done regarding Gaza, Lebanon or Iraq and Afghanistan, countries it occupies. And didn’t Sarkozy support the Tunisian dictator until the last moment?
What drives Obama, Sarkozy and Cameron to intervene is the frantic race to grab a portion of Libyan oil, after the failure of its revolution. We support the Libyan people in their uprising, but we are against any foreign intervention, which not only hurts the revolution in Libya and Tunisia but also hurts all Arab countries. We oppose the use of our territory or our airspace in the aggression against Libya. The US, French and English colonialists have no interest in the triumph of the Arab revolution, given the danger it represents for them.
- Long live the revolution of the Tunisian people.
- The revolution should go on until it achieves its objectives.
- Power to the people.
- Long live the uprisings of the Arab peoples for freedom and dignity.
Source: http://links.org.au/node/2243
2nd - 9th April 2011: Week of Solidarity with Peoples War in India : What is the Red Corridor in India and why do Maoists have many sympathisers in that region or area ?
The area of central and northeast India from Bihar which borders Nepal to Andhra Pradesh constitutes the Red Corridor of India some forty percent of rural India.
This area is also the forested and jungle area of India and it also happens to be the area where the poorest and most hunger stricken area of India which according to Binyak Sen and Arundhati Roy should be declared famine zones by the Indian Government.
However the Indian Government has chosen food has a weapon of war to fight the Maoist and Adivasi rebellion.
This area of the Red Corridor also happens to have rich mineral resources like coal and iron ore, bauxite, gold and diamonds. The Indian Government and State Governments has signed hundreds of Memorandums of Understanding ( MOU’S) with Multi National Corporations and Indian compradors selling both land and resources under the feet of the people who live there.
The Maoists have also operated in this area for 30 years originally as separate groups like Peoples War and Party Unity and Maoist Communist Centre. They have long campaigned for the defence of the Adivasis and the unified party in 2004 launched a campaign against the Multi National Companies and the Indian Compradors.
Hence this is the area of the greatest sympathy for the Maoists who are defending the Adivasis people against the Genocidal onslaught of the Indian Government with Operation Green Hunt. This is an Indian Government that would happily starve its Adivasis population to death so it can steal the minerals and resources for the MNC’s and the compradors.
Source: http://democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.com/2010/08/seven-questions-on-struggle-in-india.html
LET’S SUSTAIN THE PEOPLE’S WAR IN INDIA- April 2-9, 2011 – INTERNATIONAL WEEK OF SUPPORT
In India the People's War is intensifying day by day led by Communist Party of India it involves and has the support of millions of poor farmers, women, masses of untouchables, and now controls about ten States of the Confederation of India.
That’s a people’s war against poverty, feudal capitalistic exploitation, in the regions where most acute are the contradictions produced by the turbulent development of plundering resources, caste oppression and exploitation, by the Indian capital linked to imperialism.
With the help and support of the imperialists and especially the American imperialists, the Indian reactionary ruling classes are trying to suffocate the revolutionary movement, carrying out huge atrocities, whose barbarism there is no precedent.
The Indian government on behalf of imperialism describes the People’s War as the greatest threat to internal security, and launched against it across the country an unprecedented offensive, under the name of “Operation Green Hunt” with a large deployment of ultra-armed troops, Police and paramilitary forces trying to sow terror and genocide in the peoples of India, through raids, indiscriminate destruction, rapes and mass murders, arrests and disappearances, trying to assassinate the leaders, as occurred with Comrade Azad, a top Maoist leaders of the CPI(M). All this with the illusion of drowning in blood the struggle of a people for liberation.
But the Indian popular masses unite in the People’s War, giving rise to large protests and strikes against rising prices, corruption and state terrorism.
The imperialist governments, the United States, Europe, Russia, and their mass media support the criminal action of the Indian government; but in these countries also grows complaint and solidarity.
The Indian masses, led by the Maoist Communist Party of India, are writing an historical page in the class struggle in the current world.
The development of people’s war in India confirms that the revolution today is the main trend in the world and that Maoism assumes the role of command and leadership in the new wave of world revolution against the imperialism in crisis.
The proletariat of the whole world realizes that the advancement of people’s war in India calls into question not only the balance of power in the south Asian region but also in the disposition of the imperialist world system.
The International Committee in support of the people’s war launches a great international campaign, to be conducted in all forms, in most number of countries as possible, through a week of action, from 2nd to 9th April 2011.
This campaign is and must be the expression of proletarian internationalism and advancement of the unity of the international proletariat, of revolutionaries, democratic forces and the oppressed nations and peoples around the world.
INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE to SUPPORT the PEOPLE’S WAR in INDIA
Friday, April 1, 2011
A Warning for Egyptian Revolutionaries: Courtesy of People Power in the Philippines
by Michael Barker
Much like Mubarak, the former democratic reformer turned long-serving US dictator for the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, demonstrates what can happen to even stalwart defenders of capitalism when they are opposed by their citizens en masse. Like Mubarak, Marcos previously provided a ray of hope for Western elites intent on quelling popular resistance within their own countries; after President Ronald Reagan launched his "worldwide campaign for democracy" before the British Parliament at Westminster in June 1982, he then decided to visit Marcos in the Philippines "where he announced in a public homage to the dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, that 'the Philippines has been moulded in the image of American democracy.'" This commitment to 'democracy' in the Philippines was not new; the previous year vice president George Bush "raised a toast to Marcos during his visit to Manila, declaring 'We love your adherence to democratic principle and to the democratic process.'"1
Little wonder that when the US government institutionalized their commitment to democracy, it took the form an Orwellian organization called the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) -- an organization that was set up by the US government to overtly carry out the 'democracy promoting' interventions that had formerly been undertaken covertly by the Central Intelligence Agency. Since then, the NED has assumed a pivotal position in defusing revolutionary movements all over the world, but their central role in the eventual ouster of Marcos is worth retelling, especially bearing in mind the similarity of his regime of oppression to Mubarak's. Thankfully the history of the US government's 'democratic' invention in the Philippines has already been analysed in William I. Robinson's ground breaking book Promoting Polyarchy: Globalization, US Intervention, and Hegemony (Cambridge University Press, 1996); consequently this article merely aims to encapsulate some of his key points.
To begin with, there should be no doubt that the ouster of President Marcos in 1986 was not due to any long-range conspiracy hatched in the White House: his removal from power was entirely due to a popular uprising. On the other hand, the US government did belatedly succeed in undermining and co-opting the revolutionary ferment that was in the air. What is clear is that throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the poor and oppressed citizens of the Philippines had been gathering political strength. This emerging power was significantly bolstered by the August 1983 assassination of the most visible leader of the elite opposition, Benigno Aquino Jr. -- a murder which had the effect of ensuring that the non-Marcos elite was finally "galvanized . . . into active opposition." This galvanization had the effect of drawing the middle classes into the already popular and vocal opposition movement; and with the potential for a broad-based increasingly radicalized opposition movement developing in the Philippines, the US government became more than a little interested in intervening in the region. Elite concern in the United States was further aggravated when in late 1984, the wife of the assassinated Benigno, Cory Aquino -- who was now a serious contender for power -- worked with other opposition leaders to draw up plans that "spelled out a nationalist-orientated program of social reform and development and also called for the removal of US military bases from the Philippines."2
Fresh massacre against Indian natives by state-sponsored militia
Press release on the fact finding report of the Chintalnar massacre, 11 to 16 March 2011, Chhattisgarh
Fact finding team
A 13 member fact finding team visited the Chintalnar Area of Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh to probe into the incidents of atrocities perpetrated by the Salwa Judum and the state forces on the adivasis living in this area between 11th and 16th of March 2011.
The incidents was propagated by the police as an ‘encounter’ between the CRPF and Maoists in which according to the police 36 Maoists have been killed while 3 SPOs [Special Police Officer, member of paramilitary] got killed and 9 other SPOs were injured. The police had celebrated this incident in the media to prove their dominance over the Maoists in this region. However, media persons and fact finding teams were restricted to go inside on the pretext that it is ‘war zone’ and the so-called war between the state and the Maoists are still going on hence it is risky for any outsider to go inside.
The fact finding team which comprised of various civil and democratic rights activists and other individuals, went inside this area on the 26th and 27th of March 2011. We spoke extensively to the villagers and the victims of the incident. We were shocked to find that once again the police version propagated by the state is completely hoax and far from reality.
What exactly happened?
On 11 March a huge contingent of 300 paramilitary and Salwa Judum forces attacked Morupally Village in the Chintalnar area after they got a prior information that a big meeting of adivasis will be held there. In Morupally village they burnt 33 houses, raped two women: Ilme Mude and Marvi Bimey. They also brutally assaulted another woman Lakke along with her father Marvi Bhima. Marvi Sula, an old adivasi was also killed.
From Morapally, the forces advanced towards Timmapuram, on 13 March, after ravaging Morapally village. On the way, the next day Maoists came and tried to stop them. In the armed clash, that lasted for two hours, one villager Bhima alias Sudarshan was killed while two other got injured. 3 SPOs were killed while 9 others got injuries, of which one died later.
The CRPF and Salwa Judum SPOs were forced to retreat after the prolonged encounter. They came to Timmapuram village and took shelter there. They made bunkers inside the village to quell probable Maoist attack. Before leaving the village they set fire on 55 houses. Bursey Bhima was picked up by these forces from Pulampad village on their way to Timmapuram. After setting the villages on fire, they hacked Bursey Bhima to death with an axe. This is probably due to the fact that Bhima was an eye-witness of their entire carnage. From Timmapuram on their way back, they entered Tadmetla village and it became their next target. In Tadmetla, they burnt a total of 207 houses. These houses were simply gutted to ashes. They raped Marvi Jogi and beat her till she lost consciousness. When she came back to senses, she found her cash and jewellery worth Rs. 12,000 missing. Around 20-25 other people in Tadmetla were beaten up including children as young as 12 years old. Marvi Anda and Marvi Ayita of this village were picked up by police and are still missing. They have not been produced even in police station.
People of Timmapuram have identified several Salwa Judum members who led this carnage. They saw, Mantam Bhima alias Ramesh (from Jannaguda Village), Telem Anda (of Lekapor Village), Wanjan Peva ( of Charpan Village), Dasaru (from Villampally Village), Mara (of Monipally Village), Ramlal (of Bodikal Village), Keche Nanda (of Korapad), Kartam Dula alias Surya (of Misman Village), an SPO and one woman SPO Payake from Timmapuram itself. This clearly shows that the Salwa Judum is active and functioning like always. The state’s branding of them as ‘Koya Commandos’ is bogus. Despite the Supreme Court directive to disband Salwa Judum it is fully functional and actively promoted and sponsored by the state.
This one-sided ruthless attack by the state forces and Salwa Judum on innocent unarmed adivasis were propagated in the media by the police as ‘ongoing encounter with the Maoists’. The rampage of the salwa judum and state forces continued for almost five days. Two people were murdered cruelly, while 3 women were raped. Almost three hundred homes were set on fire and completely gutted down. They looted everything the adivasi people had including domestic animals like goats, cows, chicken and pigs along with their money, jewelleries and other belongings. More than fifty people have been grievously injured that includes children as young as 12 years old and women.
We spoke to the affected villagers like the rape victim from Tarmetla village Marvi Joga. No case has still been registered against anyone and not even a medical test has been done. Two people from Tarmetla Muchaki Anda and Muchaki Ayita have gone missing and villagers claimed they have been taken by the forces but are yet to be produced. These rampages were done with full consent and active support of the state. In the middle of these unilateral atrocities, the state air-dropped rations and other food supply to the forces while taking away the dead and the injured.
On 24th March, the SDM had visited these villages with some relief material. But even after he directly spoke to the villagers and saw the evidences of the atrocities, no case has been registered against anybody. Even now instead of taking action against the perpetrators of these atrocities, the state is still stopping civil rights activists and individuals to visit the area. People in Morupally and Timmapuram are living in utter dire condition. People in these two villages have received no relief from the state. They said that they have got some interim relief from the Maoists. Many of them are staying under trees. After the fact finding team left, one local newspaper reported of six starvation deaths in Morupally village which needs to be confirmed. We have been inside these areas for two days, only to see that there was no ‘encounter’ with the Maoists as claimed by the police, which is nothing but a myth propagated by the state to justify these atrocities.
The attack by the state forces and the Salwa Judum was heinous and the attack on the innocent adivasis has been done persistently by the state and its mercenaries in the name of ‘Operation Green Hunt’. These villages were particularly targeted as they have done alternative development works like digging ponds, distributing lands among the landless, making irrigation facilities which the state has failed to provide in all these decades. As we saw these areas are still the most underdeveloped regions of the country and all that the state has done is to violate the rights of autonomy of the adivasis, denied them of their basic means of livelihood and life and now they are perpetrating such monstrous atrocities by Salwa Judum and paramilitary forces.
We condemn these outrageous acts of state violence and demand:
• Registering the cases of rape, murder, atrocities and kidnap against the CRPF and Salwa Judum
• Exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of the crime.
• Immediate providing of medical facilities to the injured and medical tests of the rape victims
• Compensation of the people according to their specific losses
• Allowing more civil rights organisation and media persons to go inside the area.
• As per direction of the Supreme Court the salwa judum must be disbanded immediately and functioning of the Salwa Judum in the name of ‘Koya Commandos’ must be stopped.
• Operation Green Hunt must be stopped immediately
Members of the fact finding team:
C.H. Chandrashekhar,
V. Chitti Babu
R. Rajanandam
V. Raghunath
G. Ravi
K. Viplav Kumar
K. Sireesha
(Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee - APCLC)
R. Murugesan
CPCL (Centre for Protection of Civil Liberties)
Ashish Gupta
CDRO Convenor (PUDR Delhi)
U. Sambasivarao
Dalit Bahujan Social Activist
Banojyotsna Lahiri
Democratic Students Union, JNU
Chandrika,
Research scholar and activist, Wardha University
Source:
http://www.antiimperialista.org/en/node/6906
Save the Egyptian Revolution on Friday at Tahrir Square !
The Egyptian authorities should scrap a draft law aimed at criminalising strikes and protests, Amnesty International has said ahead of demonstrations against the law set for Friday 1 April 2011.
“Any move to curb freedom of assembly and the right to strike in Egypt would be an alarming step backwards and an insult to those who risked - and lost - their lives calling for change over the past two months," declared the global human rights organisation.
"It is vital in this transitional period that the Egyptian authorities guarantee basic human rights such as the right to carry out peaceful protests and strikes," the NGO added.
The Revolution’s Youth Coalition confirmed that it is proceeding with the “Save the Revolution Friday” millioneya. It has stressed that they plan to conduct it between 11am till 5pm and have no intention of extending it, and request all participants to adhere to that. It’s theme will be, “We want our rights; our money and our blood” – in reference to expediting prosecuting those responsible for killing the revolution’s martyrs and to expedite prosecuting those who looted Egypt’s fortunes and to work on retrieving those billions from abroad.
There are certainly many unanswered questions: Why is it taking so long to bring to justice the bulwarks of the old regime? Just today they limited Azmy, Sorour and Safwat from traveling? On the other hand the detained protestors are subjected to military trials! Why are the icons of the regime’s propaganda machine still in their positions, in the state run newspapers and the Radio and Television Union? Why are the martyr’s killers still not behind bars? Who is behind attempts to ignite religious friction. Why did the State Security only get a name change? That’s plenty enough to get suspicious about and enough for some to be sure that the regime is still very much in control.
All of yesterday’s developments, perhaps done to take the steam out of Friday’s protest, have been placed in context by a press conference by the Revolution’s Youth Coalition conducted today at 11 am. The constitutional announcement retained obvious deficiencies in the original constitution, like the absolute powers of the president. And it criticized yesterday’s ‘National Reform’ due to the short notice, the ambiguity surrounding the selection of its members, the unclear agenda and the presence of members of the National Democratic Party within the members.
They further criticized the Sharaf government for stalling necessary reforms, for condoning abuses by the Military Police, for issuing the anti-protest law and for indulging the ‘blackmail’ practiced by members of the police forces- in reference to threatening resignations when any of them are arrested for abuses.
The Revolution’s Youth Coalition finally stressed that the revolution started from the street and can only be completed from the street. Without constant pressure, the revolution risks losing ground to the old regime. They also called for an Egyptian role in supporting the neighboring Arab revolutions and for protecting the Libyan and Syrian people. Amen to that!
Go to Tahrir on Friday! Let’s wrap up this revolution!
Source: http://egyptiansdefiant.blogspot.com/2011/03/save-revolution-on-friday.html
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