Octubre: The 1943 Famine in India and the Role of Winston Churchill

Below is a translation followed by the original article from the January 2019 issue of Octubre, newspaper of the Communist Party of Spain (Marxist-Leninist) (PCE m-l, pceml.info/actual/index.php/2014-09-05-18-40-32/octubre ):

The 1943 Famine in India and the Role of Winston Churchill

Marcial Tardón

If we do not investigate history strictly, we could speculate that Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain in two periods (1940-45 and 1951-55), was a jovial man, a great leader and a man of much charisma.  However, history tells us that behind this bright facade lies an obscure truth: Churchill carried out an economic and military strategy in Bengal, India, during the Second World War, which caused a famine that ended up killing millions of people. This theme is not taken up in the history books, nor is it remembered as a controversial fact. However, it is worth examining it to make known one of the cruelest and most deplorable events in world history.

Very few people today know about the genocide in Bengal, let alone how Churchill planned it. Churchill's hatred of the Indian people led several million people to die during the Bengal "famine" of 1943. "I hate Indians. They are a bestial people with a bestial religion," he said.

The 1943 famine in Bengal was one of several famines in Bengal, an administrative division of British India that was under the British Crown. It is estimated that around 2 million people died of malnutrition in that period. Much of the consequences were due to the decisions of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, as he feared that the Japanese would advance through Burma and attack the eastern border of Bengal. As a preventive measure, a scorched earth initiative was launched in two parts, eastern and coastal Bengal. The impact of the policies on the development of the famine was decisive. At the end of March 1942, Governor Herbert, acting under the direct orders of Winston Churchill, issued a directive requiring that surplus stocks of rice and other food be removed or destroyed throughout Bengal.

That year Bengal had a better than normal harvest, despite the state of war that extended to the Asian colony. The British army took millions of tons of rice from the hungry people to send to the Middle East, where it was not even needed. When the hungry people of Bengal asked for food, Churchill said that the "famine" was caused by the Bengalis “multiplying like rabbits." The viceroy of India declared that "Churchill's attitude toward India and the famine as negligent, hostile and contemptuous." Even the right-wing imperialist Leo Amery, who was the British Secretary of State in India, said he "did not see much difference between his [Churchill's] and Hitler's outlook." Churchill rejected all offers of aid to send rice to Bengal; Canada offered 10,000 tons. Meanwhile, several million men, women and children died of hunger in Bengal.

The British tried to limit the dramatic situation by attributing it to the bad times that India had had in that period. However, as noted by economist and Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen, there was no overall shortage of rice in Bengal in 1943: its availability was somewhat greater than in 1941, when there was no hunger. In part, this was what led to the slow official response to the disaster, as there had been no crop loss and, therefore, hunger was unexpected. One of its root causes, says Sen, was the rumors of the shortage that caused hoarding and price inflation. This was caused by the rapid demand in wartime that made rice consignments an excellent investment (prices had already doubled over the previous year). In Sen’s interpretation, while the peasants owners of the land where the rice grew and the workers in industries in urban areas and on the docks saw their salaries rise, it led to a disastrous change in the situation of groups such as landless peasants, fisherfolk, barbers, hullers of rice and other groups who found that the real value of their salaries had been cut by two-thirds since 1940. Churchill prevented the alleviation of the burden on India, and on the contrary increased it. The Indian industries were converted to help in the manufacture of weapons and uniforms for the troops in Africa and those near Japan. This left the large Indian cities without industries for basic necessities that, together with an increase in grain shipments, caused the collapse. When the factories were occupied with arms manufacture, goods such as agricultural and livestock tools were in short supply. This led to a decrease in agricultural production and an inability to deliver the amount of grain that the British required to be produced; Indian landowners delivered the grain to local food warehouses. Having less grain available for trade, the price doubled while with the war effort salaries were frozen for 5 years. This led to 2 million people dying in 1943 in the worst famine in India in the 20th century. In short, although there was enough rice and other grain in Bengal to feed people, they did not have enough money to buy it.

As stated above, more than 2 million people died in Bengal due to this terrible situation. It is one of the most terrible and dishonest crimes against humanity that is known."

La hambruna de la India (1943) y el papel de Winston Churchill

Marcial Tardón

Si no indagamos de forma estricta en la historia, podríamos llegar a especular que el primer ministro de Gran Bretaña Winston Churchill en dos periodos (1940-45 y 1951- 55), era un hombre jovial, un gran líder y un hombre de mucho carisma. Sin embargo, la historia nos dice que detrás de esta fachada luminosa se encuentra una oscura verdad: Churchill llevó a cabo una estrategia económica y militar en Bengala, India, durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, que provocó una hambruna que terminó matando a millones de personas. Este tema no es recurrente en los libros de historia, ni es recordado como un hecho controvertido. Sin embargo, vale la pena hacer una revisión del mismo para dar a conocer uno de los hechos más crueles y lamentables de la historia mundial. 

Muy pocas personas conocen a día de hoy el genocidio en Bengala, y mucho menos cómo lo diseñó Churchill. El odio de Churchill hacia los indios llevó a varios millones de personas a morir durante la “hambruna” de Bengala de 1943. “Odio a los indios. Son un pueblo de bestias con una religión de bestias“, dijo.

La hambruna en Bengala de 1943 fue una de las varias hambrunas ocurridas en Bengala, una división administrativa de la India Británica que se encontraba bajo el mandato de la Corona británica. Se estima que alrededor de 2 millones de personas fallecieron de desnutrición en ese periodo. Gran parte de las consecuencias fueron debidas a las decisiones del primer ministro británico Winston Churchill, ya que temía que los japoneses avanzaran a través de Birmania y atacaran la frontera oriental de Bengala. Como medida preventiva se lanzó una iniciativa de tierra arrasada en dos partes, Bengala oriental y costera. El impacto de las políticas sobre el desarrollo de la hambruna fue decisivo. A finales de marzo de 1942, el Gobernador Herbert, actuando bajo las órdenes directas de Winston Churchill, emitió una directiva que exigía que las existencias excedentarias de arroz y otros alimentos fuesen retirados o destruidos en toda Bengala. 

Aquel año Bengala tuvo una cosecha mejor de lo normal a pesar del estado de guerra que se extendía a la colonia asiática. El ejército británico cogió millones de toneladas de arroz del pueblo hambriento para enviarlas a Oriente Medio, donde ni siquiera era necesario. Cuando el pueblo hambriento de Bengala pidió comida, Churchill dijo que la “hambruna” era causada “por criar como conejos“. El virrey de la India declaró que “la actitud de Churchill hacia la India y la hambruna es negligente, hostil y despectiva“. Incluso el imperialista derechista Leo Amery, que era el Secretario de Estado británico en la India, dijo que “no veía mucha diferencia entre su perspectiva [la de Churchill] y la de Hitler“. Churchill rechazó todas las ayudas que le ofrecieron para enviar arroz a Bengala, Canadá llegó a ofrecer 10.000 toneladas. Mientras, varios millones de hombres, mujeres y niños morían de hambre en Bengala. 

Los británicos intentaron matizar la dramática situación atribuyendo la situación a las malas cosechas que había tenido la India en dicho periodo. Sin embargo, como ha señalado el economista y Premio Nobel Amartya Sen, se considera que no había escasez global de arroz en Bengala en 1943: la disponibilidad era algo mayor que en 1941, cuando no había hambre. En parte fue esto lo que condicionó la lenta respuesta oficial al desastre, ya que no había habido pérdidas de cosechas y, por lo tanto, el hambre era inesperada. Una de sus causas fundamentales, sostiene Sen, estaba en los rumores de la escasez que provocaron el acaparamiento y la inflación de los precios causada por la rápida demanda en tiempo de guerra que hizo que las partidas de arroz fueran una excelente inversión (los precios ya se habían duplicado respecto al año anterior). En la interpretación de Sen, mientras que los campesinos propietarios de tierras en donde creció el arroz y los que trabajaban en las industrias de las zonas urbanas y en los muelles vieron cómo sus salarios se elevaban, se condujo a un cambio desastroso en los derechos de intercambio de grupos como los campesinos sin tierra, pescadores, barberos, descascarilladores de arroz y otros grupos que encuentran que el valor real de sus salarios había sido recortado por dos tercios desde 1940. Churchill impidió aliviar la carga a la India, y por el contrario la aumentó. Las industrias indias fueron reconvertidas para ayudar en la manufactura de armas y uniformes a las tropas en África y la frontera con Japón. Esto dejó sin industrias de primera necesidad a las grandes ciudades Indias, lo que sumado a un aumento en los envíos de granos, provocó el colapso. Al estar las fábricas ocupadas en armamentos, bienes como herramientas agrícolas y ganaderas estaban en escasez. Esto contrajo la producción agrícola y al no poder entregar la cantidad de grano que los Británicos pedían producir, los terratenientes indios entregaron los almacenes de comida locales. Al haber menos grano disponible en los comercios, el precio se duplicó mientras los sueldos con el esfuerzo de guerra se congelaron por 5 años. Esto causó que en 1943 murieran 2 millones de personas en la peor hambruna de la india del siglo XX. En pocas palabras, a pesar de que en Bengala había suficiente arroz y otros granos para alimentarse, la gente no tenía suficiente dinero para comprar. 

Como queda dicho unas líneas más arriba más de 2 millones de personas murieron en Bengala, debido a esta terrible situación. Se trata de uno de los crímenes contra la humanidad más terrible y deshonesto que de que se tenga noticia. 

Coronavirus statements from the ICMLPO's European chapter and others

Below is a statement from the European branch of the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations ( www.cipoml.net/ ).


We are not only fighting a pandemic – but for a new and better future 

Statement of the European Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations of the ICMLPO

Open for signature by communist, revolutionary and anti-imperialist, anti-fascist European forces

We are in the middle of a serious health, political, social and economic crisis. The Covid 19 pandemic has exposed a capitalist society that has not been able to provide even the most basic medicine, healthcare equipment and staff for the workers and especially the poor people. It has demonstrated a public health system on its knees from years of cutbacks and heavy privatization in favor of the big monopolies and the rich. A system on the verge of the breakdown of capacity. The consequences of the neoliberal and capitalist austerity policy, which has made the public health care system into a commodity of profit, are fatal.

This crisis shows also the tremendous capability of the people to develop their concrete solidarity: the bourgeoisie calls for “isolation”, the people respond with spontaneous expression of solidarity and support to health care workers and demands for concrete measures of protection.

The public health care systems must immediately receive get the necessary economic and human resources to secure public health. Free healthcare and protective devices for all. Private health resources must be requisitioned.

On the order hand, capital, the big monopolies with immediate greed have demanded full access to public funds on a scale never before seen to secure their profit. The bourgeoisie, their governments and state call for national unity and public spirit. But in fact they have been using fear and shock therapy to start a massive offensive against the working class and popular masses in order to secure themselves through the rapidly growing underlying economic crises, that the Covid 19 has accelerated. The bosses are given almost free hands to deepen exploitation and make further cutbacks to the working and living conditions of the working class. And the top leaders of the reformist trade unions facilitate this in the name of unity with the insatiable capitalists.

Make the exploiters and the rich use their profits and stolen wealth to pay for this crisis and the pandemic – not the workers and popular masses.

Capital and their governments are not at war against an invisible enemy. They have intensified their class war, demanding that the workers, students and the people abandon all class struggle and the struggle for their just needs, at a time when unemployment, lack of income and social need are growing fast. Instead it is time to stand up for our rights and demands and continue the fight for social justice.

Adequate health and safety measures guaranteed for all workers. Stop all dismissals. Full pay, social benefits and guaranteed income for all. The governments must use the public funds for the social, health and economic needs of all the people.

In many countries the governments have declared a state of emergency, in which democratic rights are set aside, the police and military are given unlimited power to secure the safety of the imperialist states and the profits of the ruling class, not the safety of the population. The bourgeoisie uses the pandemic to limit the freedom of the workers and silence critical voices, to spread chauvinism and fascism.

Taking advantage of this situation, the European Union, its Central Bank and the EU Commission are centralizing their power. Their only answer is to pay huge sums of billions of euros in order to defend the profits and maintain and strengthen the position of the European monopolies and the EU in the global economic crisis, and to close the borders between the countries and between the EU and the rest of the world.

But we have not forgotten the last crises, in which the banks and corporations were gold plated at the expense of the people, and how their profit were subsequently protected at the expense of the public health systems.

Hands off the rights and freedoms of the workers!  It is time instead to raise the demand:  stop the free movement of capital out of the public coffers and the exploitation of the working class for the already full pockets of the stockholders and tax havens.

It is time to demand the repeal of the state of emergency laws. To demand not only the soldiers out of the streets, but all soldiers engaged in imperialist wars to be brought home and given useful civilian work to stop the pandemic.

The epidemic is a tremendous threat to the people worldwide, especially where the health care system is weak, because of the plundering of wealth by the imperialist states and monopolies, supported by anti-people and corrupt governments. The imperialist cannot wash this responsibility from their hands. It is time for comprehensive sanitation.

The working class and the popular masses are facing a complex and dangerous period with the deepening of the general crisis of the imperialist capitalist society and the sharpening of all the main contradictions: the working class against the bourgeoisie, imperialism against the oppressed people and nations, the contradictions among the imperialist powers and monopolies themselves for world domination and hegemony.

The moribund system of capitalism cannot offer anything but more exploitation and social injustice, more pillaging of the peoples and devastation of the planet. Even when million people are suffering the consequences of the pandemic, the criminal financial oligarchy never ceases to speculate on the emergency. Hence, there is a need for revolutionary struggle for a new, socialist society, which can guarantee the complete well-being of all its members and develop true international solidarity.

We, the independent and revolutionary parties and organizations of the proletariat, call upon the workers, trade union militants, the youth, women and all popular strata to organize themselves independently and be part of and build a united workers front and a popular front on its basis. Let us strengthen unity, solidarity and struggle to stand up and not accept the scenario of the bourgeoisie of attacks on our working and living condition, but to resolutely defend our demands, our health, our interests! We are not just fighting a pandemic; we are fighting for a new and better future.

March 21, 2020

Communist Party of Spain (Marxist-Leninist), PCE(m-l)

Communist Platform. Italy

Party of Labor (EMEP), Turkey

Communist Platform (Marxist-Leninist) KPml, Norway

Movement for the Reorganization of the Communist Party of Greece 1918-1955 (Anasintaxi)

Organization for the Construction of the Communist Workers’ Party of Germany, Arbeit Zukunft (Labor Future)

Workers’ Communist Party, APK – Denmark

Communist Party of the Workers of France, PCOF

 

 

Here are some a few other statements and articles I have come across:

Marxism-Leninism Currents Today (informative and written by a medical professional): 

ml-today.com/2020/03/17/how-should-marxists-view-the-covid-19-pandemic-of-2019-2020/

Left side of the road (UK): 

michaelharrison.org.uk/2020/03/turning-a-problem-into-a-crisis-tory-inactivity-and-hypocrisy-in-the-face-of-the-covid-19-pandemic/

Green Party US March 16th statement: 

www.gp.org/far_too_little_but_not_too_late

The Party for Socialism and Liberation and the La Riva / Peltier presidential campaign (Liberation):

www.liberationnews.org/a-peoples-program-to-fight-the-virus/

Revolutionary Communist Party, USA (Revolution): 

www.revcom.us/a/639/coronavirus-what-we-know-what-we-dont-know-en.html

American Party of Labor (The Red Phoenix):

theredphoenixapl.org/2020/03/20/5600-americans-were-infected-today-self-protecting-capitalists-are-responsible/

Freedom Road Socialist Organization (Fight Back! News):

www.fightbacknews.org/2020/3/17/report-china-covid-19-tale-two-systems

Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) (The Communists), one of a few articles:

thecommunists.org/2020/03/20/news/covid-19-treatment-handbook-published-compiling-frontline-experience/

Workers World Party: 

www.workers.org/2020/03/46959/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=socialist-demands-for-the-covid-19-crisis

Communist Party USA:

cpusa.org/party_voices/an-open-letter-on-the-coronavirus-crisis/

United National Antiwar Coalition:

unac.notowar.net/2020/03/22/coronavirus-and-the-antiwar-movement/

Socialist Action:

socialistaction.org/2020/03/20/statement-of-socialist-action-national-committee-coronavirus-threatens-the-lives-of-billions/

Venezuela Analysis - IMF Rejects Venezuela Emergency Fund Appeal: 

venezuelanalysis.com/news/14817

There are many articles from various left perspectives at www.counterpunch.org , monthlyreview.org/ , www.defenddemocracy.press/ ,  popularresistance.org/ , iacenter.org , fair.org ,  www.commondreams.org , etc.

The Party of Labor of Iran (Toufan) on the assassination of Qassem Soleimani

Below is a statement from the Party of Labor of Iran (Toufan; www.toufan.org/ ) on the January events.

Statement of the Party of Labor of Iran (Toufan) on the Recent Developments in the Middle East Region

The assassination of Qassem Soleimani by the U.S. and the Iranian and the world response to it, has prompted our Party to reaffirm its principled stance on the matter and investigate the effects of this U.S. terrorist action on Iran and the world.

General Soleimani was a commander who voluntarily went to war against the Iraqi’s military invasion of Iran, defended the territorial integrity of the country, and gradually became a prominent military strategist. Qassem Soleimani also took the lead in the fight against ISIS, especially at the time when the U.S. backed terrorists made their way to Baghdad with the hope of coming to Tehran. General Soleimani defeated the murderous attempts of ISIS by establishing a united front and founding the para-military group Hashad al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) in Iraq.

Qassem Soleimani, as an experienced military man and a diplomat, was a popular and respectable army general not only to a large section of the Iranian society, but also to the entire region and many world leaders.

According to documents released by the international press and by the statement of Iraqi Prime Minister Adel al-Mahdi, Soleimani had traveled to Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government in order to facilitate negotiation between Iran and Saudi Arabia. In a press interview, al-Mahdi unmasked the U.S. lies that “We had the exact information that Soleimani had come to assassinate the Americans in Iraq”.

Al-Mahdi declared: “For the record, I say that at eight o’clock in the morning, I had a meeting with General Soleimani. I wanted to give him the Saudi letter that was about the developments in Iraq and peace in the region.”

The fact is that the Iranian government has long been trying to put an end to the turmoil that the U.S. has created in the region. U.S. imperialism coming from 8,000 kilometers away has built dozens of military and terrorist bases around Iran, has occupied the territories of the region, is plotting and sabotaging against the formal, legal and legitimate governments of the region, and is causing tension in the Middle East. The Policy of the Iranian government in the region includes the removal of tension in the region, prevention of war and destruction, demands for the withdrawal of foreign troops from the region, and the establishment of a partnership agreement with the Persian Gulf states that guarantees security in the region. If implemented, these policies would primarily serve the national interest and the interest of the working class and the people of Iran.

Israel is the only country that benefits from the chaos in the region and wants to interrupt any attempts at reconciliation, cooperation, and peace. Continued provocative Israeli actions in Iraq, the bombing of Syria, targeting Iranian ships in the Red Sea with its missiles and accusing Saudi Arabia for it, and other Israeli acts of sabotage in the Persian Gulf are in the service of preventing the Arab countries from getting close to Iran. This proximity is of strategic importance in the region, reinforcing the Palestinian Liberation Movement, curtailing Israeli so that it fails to exploit divisions in the region for the benefit of its own expansionist and tension-creating goals. That is why political analysts reiterate that Trump has been used by his Zionist adviser and has fulfilled Israel’s wish without thinking about the consequences of his actions. In the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, you see the filthy hands of Israel Zionism.

The Party of Labour of Iran (Toufan) strongly condemns the Trump–ordered assassination of Qassem Soleimani, a well-known Iranian official, who had traveled to Iraq for negotiation with Saudi Arabia. This is a manifestation of state terrorism in the world. This criminal act by Trump is a clear violation of the rights of nations, universally recognized norms and standards, and a trampling on achievements of humanity and global agreements.

The right to national sovereignty is a democratic right that all countries of the world are entitled to regardless of ideology, the size of country, the nature of state, religion, race, language, and so on. President Trump, by an assassination order, has thrown this important achievement of mankind into a landfill. All countries in the world, with the exception of Israel, condemned this terrorist act. Trump’s hideous crime was condemned by the UN Secretary General.

National sovereignty or democratic rights are the rights that are independent of the nature of governments. Democratic rights are not divisible. Only tyrants and fascists do not recognize these universal rights in the present world. The rights of men and women are equal whether they are from working-class or from the bourgeoisie. This is also true of the national sovereignty and rights that our country Iran has. One cannot use the form and ideology of the government in Iran to deny the rights that belong to Iran as a country with a long history.

When the news of the assassination of Qassem Soleimani reached Iran, the society boiled over because our awakened nation did not condone the humiliation and violation of Iran’s national sovereignty. Millions of people took to the streets of many cities to protest and participate in the funeral procession. A nation that came to the streets for the love of its country in November 2019 and lost its sons and daughters in the fight against the repressive regime of the Islamic Republic, refused to undermine the interests of his country for the sake of revenge and vengeance on the ruling regime and to dance for Trump’s act of terrorism. The punishment of the Iranian government for its crimes must be determined only by the Iranian people, not by Trump or Netanyahu. This message was sent by the Iranian nation to all the world’s bullies and to the Iranian sellout opposition. The people of Iran love their country, are full of national pride, differentiate Iran from the Islamic Republic, and are ready to carry out a unified resistance to any foreign aggression.

Everyone heard Trump‘s announcement that he will destroy Iran’s cultural heritage. This is the very same man that labeled the Iranian people as terrorists. Immediately after the announcement was made, the pro-U.S. and pro-Israeli Iranian opposition, who had realized the extent of the criminality of the announcement, started to rephrase it. They claimed that Trump did not even understand his words and that he meant “religious sites“, and the “Qom seminary”. To say that Iranian centuries-old mosques are not part of Iran’s cultural heritage: how much a brain must be infected to think so! This
outrageous claim was declared by the Iranian mercenary opposition to deceive the public when all press in the world criticized Trump’s announcement and defended Iran’s cultural heritage and when UNESCO chief at the United Nations declared it criminal act of war.

Not war, No sanction, No military aggression.

Our Party opposes the destruction and disintegration of Iran and fights against the complicity of Iranian mercenary opposition with imperialism and Zionism. Setting the account with the capitalist regime of the Islamic Republic is the duty and the work of the Iranian people. Opposing sanctions and war does not mean accepting humiliation. The Iranian regime is said to be seeking talks with the United States behind the scenes. This is a bourgeois principle of diplomacy in the world and it is not a big problem here. What matters is what comes out of this compromise. If the opposition to the assassination of Qassem Soleimani and the pressure of Iran and the world on the United States lead to
the implementation of the nuclear deal, lifting of sanctions, and the return of Iran’s illegally seized assets, it would naturally be in the interest of Iranian people, but if these negotiations take place for the purpose of killing time and violating Iran’s rights, it will be considered a treacherous act by the  regime of the Islamic Republic. Today, the U.S. imperialists and their allies have become increasingly isolated in the world and in the region. If the United States of America does not give concession in today’s conditions, it will never give any concession, and the risk of war will increase. The interest of our homeland is to retreat so long as the gains listed above are achieved, and if not, all the interests of imperialism in the region must be endangered.

What is to be done?

The first step towards a political solution to the current impasse in our country is to form a popular, revolutionary front. The formation of such fronts is only possible through drawing a transparent demarcation between friends and enemies of the Iranian people. In our view, this transparency separates the ranks of those who go hand in hand with the imperialists from the forces loyal to the people. Any economic sanction and military intervention should be condemned. Neoliberal economic policies, corruption and embezzlement, and political repression should be opposed. Any political change must be considered an internal task of the Iranian people. The tie between the struggle for the
democratic rights of workers and toilers and for social justice and the struggle against imperialism and its mercenaries defines the identity and character of such a revolutionary and popular alternative.

There is no doubt that the assassination of Qassem Soleimani and the danger of a foreign war has affected the class struggle and has given the regime a break, but these effects are short-lived. Deprived of their rights and faced with poverty, discrimination, and repression, the masses will rise again. Foreign threats have always been used by the authorities of the Islamic Republic to unite the people behind their power. These threats justify the concentration of power in the hands of a few authoritarians and transform society into a war-time society. In fact, the threats by imperialists objectively serve the continuation of despotism in Iran and reinforce the regime of Velayat-e Faqih (the rule of Supreme Leader).

The elimination of external danger and lifting of illegal sanctions are in favor of the movement of workers and toilers, and they provide the conditions for the advancement of the class struggle.

Shooting Down of the passenger aircraft

The warmongering, aggressive, tension-creating, law-violating policies of U.S. imperialism have created an atmosphere of insecurity around the world. No one anywhere in the world enjoys the legal security and universal protection of the United Nations. Language of force and bullying are the last word. A valid law in the world has become the Genghis law: he who has more power has more right. This insecurity and tension was the rule not only in the Iran-Iraqi airspace and when an Iranian official in Iraq was assassinated or when a Ukrainian passenger aircraft in Iran was hit by missiles.

In 2014, a Malaysian passenger aircraft also became a victim of the NATO terrorist atmosphere in the conflict zone of Ukraine, an atmosphere which was the product of clear aggression and interference by NATO and the U.S. in Ukrainian internal affairs and the  creation of a warlike atmosphere.

The catastrophe of downing the Ukrainian aircraft in Iran, which also killed many of our compatriots, is neither the first nor the last in the tension-escalated climate that is the product of U.S. policy. The American administration is directly responsible for these catastrophic events. As far as the regime of Iran is concerned, the lack of transparency and lying about the event has made many Iranians angry. These liars will never regain the trust of the Iranian people. The People of Iran worry when they see that the American, Canadian, and Australian intelligence agencies knew all the secrets of the regime in this event even sooner than many high-ranking authorities. The Iranian people have a right to fear such insecurity; they want to know whether the regime is competent or only boastful when they claim to have the ability to defend Iran’s airspace against U.S. cruise missiles. The people have the right to demand the resignation of the regime’s incompetent Islamic officials. The great Iranian nation is prepared to fight against U.S. aggression despite the domestic repression it has been facing for 40 years. Imperialists are also exploiting the chronic inadequacy and lies of the regime. As the repetition of the Syrian experience, the British ambassador participates in a student protest and President Trump sends a Farsi message to students telling them to count on the support of the U.S. administration. It is unclear what mysterious hands have informed the British ambassador so that he can participate in the protest. Now we have to wait for the work of imperialist hand-picked sharpshooter agents in Iran!

Our Party calls for the resignation of the incompetent officials. We call for a public trial for these officials with the presence of world-wide mass media. The high tension and insecure atmosphere created by Trump administration that resulted in the tragedy of downing the Ukrainian aircraft must be brought to light in the courtroom. Assassinations by the imperialists and their lack of respect for human life must be exposed in a public tribunal. We strongly condemn the U.S. intervention and Trump’s speech and the shameless presence of the British ambassador in anti-regime demonstrations in Iran. These interventions damage the democratic struggles of the Iranian people for freedom because they are hypocrisies and sow the seeds of division and repression. The people of Iran, not President Trump or the British ambassador, must seek justice and force the regime of the Islamic Republic to respond to their demands. Imperialist conspiracies aimed to destroy or disintegrate Iran must be exposed and discarded.

We support the revolutionary struggle of the Iranian people against the capitalist rule of the Islamic Republic for the freedom, democracy, social justice, and respect for the right of national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran!

We demand that the liar and braggart Iranian authorities be brought to an open trial, and the role of the U.S. imperialist in breaking international law and creating hostilities be exposed!

We demand an end to the presence of imperialist forces and to interference in the internal affairs of the countries in Middle East!

We say “No” to war, sanctions, and to all aggression against the countries in the Middle East!

The U.S. imperialists must keep their hands off Iran and Iraq!

UNAC: No US War on Iran!

UNAC ( www.unacpeace.org/ ) released this statement in a January 6th email:

 

No U.S. War on Iran!

 

United National Anti-War Coalition Statement on Iran and Iraq

 

The United States drone assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abd Mahdi al-Muhandis, along with eight others, was a war crime by any definition, violating both Iraqi sovereignty and international law.  This criminal act carelessly risked sparking a wider, catastrophic war that would involve many nations and put millions of lives at risk.

 

President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo followed their aggression with a series of lies, which were repeated by much of the media and many politicians, claiming that General Soleimani was responsible for the deaths of over 600 U.S. soldiers in Iraq. But it is Iran who has been the victim of U.S. aggression ever since 1953, when the democratically-elected president Mohammed Mossadegh was overthrown in a joint British/U.S. coup, followed by the imposition of the Shah. From 1980-1988, the U.S. fueled the Iran/Iraq war, which killed more than one million people. In 1988, the U.S. shot down an Iranian civilian passenger plane, killing more than 290 Iranian civilians.  Since 1984, the U.S. has imposed crippling sanctions that have devastated Iran's economy and the lives of its citizens.

 

Iraq also has been devastated by U.S. sanctions imposed by the Clinton administration, which killed 500,000 children, and by the U.S. invasion and occupation which followed in 2003, resulting in the deaths of over one million Iraqis.

 

Donald Trump's order to assassinate General Soleimani was the culmination of his campaign of "maximum pressure" against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The bipartisan attack began when Democrats joined with Republicans to resume sanctions in 2017, giving Trump leverage to withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement (JCPOA). The Iranian people continue to suffer tremendously from U.S. sanctions, which prevent Iran from accessing world financial markets, depriving them of life-saving medications and the ability to maintain the nation's infrastructure.

 

The Anti-War Movement Responds

 

But the U.S. people are not fooled by their government's aggression. The anti-war movement quickly and decisively organized mass actions in 80 different cities [including Durham] in 38 states. Tens of thousands of people rallied across the country to demand No War on Iran and U.S. Out of Iraq!

 

 

Most importantly, the people of Iran and Iraq have spoken loudly. Millions have taken to the streets to mourn their martyrs and both governments spoke quickly. The Iraqi parliament passed legislation demanding that the U.S. close its embassy and remove all military personnel. They also ended all security agreements and now deny the U.S. the right to use Iraqi airspace. Iran announced that the JCPOA is officially dead, that they will resume enriching uranium, and that they will take their case to the United Nations. 

 

Donald Trump is just the latest U.S. president to lay waste to the nations of the Middle East, a region whose problems can all be laid at Washington's door. Democrats in Congress have made a great show of their impeachment but not before giving Trump everything he wanted. They agreed to remove language from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would have required him to seek congressional approval before taking action against Iran. They gave him more than $700 billion in defense spending – more than ever before – and refused to end the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) which is the pretext for continued occupations in the region.

 

Trump's provocations did not end with the assassinations. He publicly stated that the U.S. would target 52 sites in Iran, including those of cultural significance – another war crime. He then threatened Iraq with extreme sanctions after its parliament and Prime Minister requested that all foreign troops, including U.S. troops, be removed from their country. Trump also said he would force Iraq to pay for the bases built to support the US occupation.  This is a gross violation of Iraqi sovereignty and a slap in the face of the Iraqi people.

 

 

When Congress returns on January 7 they must be met with demands for action. Their impeachment makes no mention of the international crimes in which they are complicit. They must add war crimes – surely a high crime and misdemeanor – to their articles of impeachment. Congress must clearly state that they oppose war on Iran, whether Trump seeks approval from them or not.

 

The people’s demands are clear. We are absolutely opposed to a war with Iran – which could have devastating consequences for the entire planet. The U.S. must withdraw its military from Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen and all of the Middle East. The January 4 anti-war protests are just the beginning. We will continue to mobilize mass actions and to voice our demands for an end to invasion, occupation, and war. We stand in solidarity with the people of Iran and Iraq, who want the U.S./NATO axis to leave their region and end their deadly interference and interventions.

 

NO WAR ON IRAN - U.S. OUT OF IRAQ!

\

U.S./NATO Out of the Middle East!

 

End the Sanctions!

APK: US imperialism out of Greenland

US imperialism out of Greenland

It made the headlines when the US government called off its official state visit to Denmark on the 2nd and 3rd of September. And even more because of the reason given – that US imperialism could not and cannot simply buy Greenland at a fixed price, as the US president and the White House wished.

This outrageous proposal of course created an outcry of disbelief and anger among the people of Greenland as well as among the Danish people. The president of the United States of America spoke as a true imperialist superpower and ruler of the world – Greenland is of strategic interest, so we simply buy the whole shit – and no more fuss. Without any political sweet-talk to cover it up. This situation forced the social-democratic government, the politicians in the Danish parliament and the politicians in Greenland to state in an open reply that Greenland is not up for sale.

The people of Greenland do not want to exchange their Danish citizenship for a US citizenship. Their aim and goal is to see Greenland as a free and sovereign nation. It is only ten years ago that Greenland gained status as a self-governing part of the Danish Kingdom and as an independent people after centuries as a Danish colony. Greenland is still a semi-colony, where the Danish state and government has the power over the foreign and security policy and the power to decide what that means.

Today’s reality has put Greenland and the Arctic right in center of the struggle between the two superpowers US and China for world domination. The rights to the many minerals, gas and oil to which climate change has eased the access has become a security question. The development of the infrastructure such as airports and new ship lanes becomes a security question as US imperialism by itself and through NATO demands full control, requiring exclusion of Chinese investments.

In order to secure control over Greenland the Danish Government must play two agendas – that of being a loyal servant (ally) of US imperialism and at the same time not appear as the old colonial power in the eyes of the people in Greenland. That is why the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in her official reply in the Danish media very carefully stated that Greenland had said no to the sale and that the Danish government agreed.

At the same time the prime minister stated that Denmark and the US share the same strategic security interest in the Arctic, the Middle East and elsewhere where the Danish military operates as a part of the US NATO war coalition.

Just a few days ago the Danish Foreign Minister Trine Bramsen stated that Danish military investments in Greenland will be raised significantly – in accordance with the demands of the US and NATO. The militarization of Greenland and the arctic has a long and cruel history dating back to the Second World War [Colonial metropole Denmark was defeated by Germany in April 1940, and the US immediately took over Greenland; in May 1940 the UK invaded Iceland and was later replaced by the US.]  Both at that time and during the Cold War US imperialism acted as if it already owned the country, and placed military bases, nuclear weapons that are strictly forbidden by Danish law, missile plants, radars etc. Even huge secret military plants and cities fully armed under the arctic ice, which are now coming for a day with the climate change together with dumped nuclear waste.

Another question in the rivalry to secure control over Greenland is the role of the European Union, EU. Denmark is a member state and the only country in the EU with borders and land in the Arctic, now with Norway and Greenland out of the EU. Greenland left the EU in 1985 after a popular referendum in 1982 and now has what is called an OCT (Overseas Countries and Territories) status as do a number of former French, Dutch and British colonies in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, and has the status of a geopolitical important partnership. Only a few weeks ago the Danish Government put up the first Schengen border control in North East Greenland.

Whether or not President Trump has cancelled his visit to Copenhagen this time, he is not welcome as he is a representative of US imperialism. A variety of organizations – antiwar, students, women’s, trade unions, solidarity and anti-imperialist, have been organizing protests and demonstrations, and they will still take place though in a smaller scale.

These are not anti-Trump demonstrations simply opposing Trump as a ‘mad man’. They are against US imperialism, its wars and crimes against the peoples, its military build-up and hegemony. It is against NATO as the military arm of imperialism and of Danish imperialism. Being targeted as a battlefield of the imperialist superpower is a big concern to all the peoples in this region of the world. It is against the militarization of the Arctic and a call for US and NATO bases to get out of Greenland.

It is in solidarity with all the people who fight imperialism – at this moment for instance the people of Venezuela– and in solidarity with the right of the people of Greenland to their own independent state and to make their own decisions about their future.

The social-democratic government in Denmark has given Trump the promises he wanted. It even turned the butt just to be kicked by an arrogant imperialist superpower.

August 21, 2019

APK, Workers Communist Party of Denmark

 

[English website:  apk2000.dk/en/welcome-page-for-the-workers-communist-party-of-Denmark/ ] 

PCOF and PCE (M-L) on EP elections and ICMLPO Europe declaration

Below are some related documents on the situation in the European Union and its relations with other imperialist powers, such as China and Russia.  First is a translated article from the Parti Communiste des Ouvriers de France ( www.pcof.net ) on the recent election for French members of the European Parliament (but votes are being held throughout the EU, including in the UK).  Their website has a related article from the Communist Party of Spain (Marxist-Leninist) translated into French:  www.pcof.net/communique-du-parti-communiste-despagne-marxiste-leniniste-sur-la-sequence-electorale/  The second article is a statement from a meeting of European members of the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations (ICMLPO, www.cipoml.net/ ) held in Spain at the end of May.

The main lessons we draw from the European elections

The stakes at the elections revolved around who, Macron's party – LRM La République en marche (The Republic on the Move) allied with MoDem (Democratic Movement), or the Rassemblement National [RN – National Rally] of Marine Le Pen, would be in the lead after the first round. The "European" stakes were put at the service of this confrontation. The participation rate of 50.7% has certainly increased (7 points more compared to the record of abstentions in 2014), but this is primarily related to the national issue, and does not reflect any renewed membership in the popular strata of European construction, for the EU and its parliament and its plethora of deputies. It is in the popular circles that the abstention rate is strongest.

This "duel," wanted by the two protagonists, was largely orchestrated by Macron. From this point of view, he suffered a failure: not only is his list not in the lead, but his score, compared to that of the first round of presidential elections, did not increase. He is more and more a right-wing candidate, who has won a part of the right-wing electoral base that does not recognize itself in the line of Wauquiez (head of The Republicans – translator’s note). The collapse of the LR (The Republicans) list, led by the very right-wing Bellamy (who increased his reactionary statements in the last days of the campaign) testifies.

The RN list got 23.3% of the votes, which is obviously worrying. It garners a lot of voices among the sectors that are close to the yellow vests. It is in these areas and regions that the RN gets its highest numbers and it is also where the electoral mobilization has been stronger.

It also attracted the votes all the tendencies of the extreme right and reaction that could, through several candidates, during this campaign, show their hatred of migrants, of Muslims, etc. These candidates served as spokespersons of positions that Marine Le Pen herself preferred not to put forward.

The political current that can speak of victory is undoubtedly the EELV (Europe Ecology – The Greens), which achieved a high vote. The protest movement of some of the youth, who were still mobilized in "climate" marches the day before the elections, has in many EU countries contributed to the high votes of the ecology parties that were running. If all the parties tried to capture the votes of this mass movement, by "greening" their program, it is the parties or movements that mobilize mainly and for a long time on these questions which appeared the most legitimate to bring this question, especially at the European level. Macron tried in a rough way to "win votes of the EELV," announcing on the eve of the elections pseudo-measures for the preservation of the environment: he failed, so great is the distance between some of his words and the reality of his policy, serving the monopolies of agribusiness, pharmacy chemistry, not to mention nuclear power.

The Socialist Party "kept itself afloat" by exceeding the 5% mark that allowed it to have seats in the European Parliament. Its main campaign argument was: do not let us be left out of the [European Parliament in] Strasbourg. They want people to forget the years in which it supported the European Socialist Group (PSE) and its policy of alliance with the right of the EPP (European People’s Party) to co-manage the European authorities, at the service of the interests of the monopolies. It is not with some Members of the European Parliament that it will get out of its increasing marginality.

France Insoumise (France Unbowed) led an active campaign to achieve a double-digit vote, like the result of J.L. Mélenchon in the first round of presidential elections. Very active in support for the yellow vests, it tried to the end to present itself as the only "useful” vote, by claiming the leadership of the left opposition pole to Macron. The vote achieved, while not negligible, did not allow the FI to claim this leadership.

We are not happy to see the PCF miss the 3% mark that would have allowed, at least, the reimbursement of its campaign expenses. That said, its campaign for "another Europe" is neither clear nor credible in popular circles. This is also true for other forces that cling to this idea.

In conclusion

The campaign was dominated by distorted and divisive themes, such as "nationalism against progressivity," giving rise to a reactionary escalation against immigration, for more "Security," more "control," etc.

It served Macron to continue to reduce the entire political debate to a clash between his current and the RN. The majority of workers, working people, women, young people, etc. do not identify themselves themselves in this choice. If the movement to the right of political forces, in their speeches and positions, is a reality, if the level of electoral influence of the RN and company is worrying, we are in opposition to all the theses that want to convince us that reaction would be hegemonic in working-class and popular circles: if more than 5 million votes were won by the RN, it also means that the vast majority did not make this choice.

The workers' and people's interests, the first victims of the neoliberal governments and the EU, were absent from this campaign. They will not be represented in the European Parliament.

Paris, May 27, 2019

Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Workers of France

Some figures

Votes: 47,344,857

Abstentions: 49.88%

RN	5,281,734		23.3%	23 elected
LRM-Modem	5,076,464		22.4	23
EELV	3,052,533		13.5	13
LR	1,920,601		8.5	8
FI	1,428,480		6.3	6
PS	1,402,129		6.2	6
Hamon		741,252		Not elected but reimbursed for campaign costs
PCF		564,741		Not reimbursed for campaign costs

The European elections of 2014 were organized in 7 large regions. The abstention rate was 57.5%

Successful meeting of the Marxist-Leninist parties and Organizations of the ICMLPO in Europe

May 27th, 2019

In May, representatives of the Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations of Europe of the International Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations (ICMLPO) met in Spain. In intensive discussions the political and economic development in Europe was discussed and conclusions were drawn from it, which were incorporated in the statement printed below.

Declaration on the Situation in Europe and our Tasks

We, Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations of Europe, met in Spain as guests of our brother party the PCE(m-l). We thoroughly discussed the current situation in Europe and our tasks.

The process of building up Europe is taking place in the general context of the crisis of the capitalist-imperialist system: the EU is totally integrated into this system and is a part of it.

The crisis of building up Europe is an expression of the contradictions inherent in the capitalist-imperialist system:

• the contradiction between capital and labor;
• the contradictions among the monopolies and among the imperialist powers;
• the contradictions between the imperialist powers on the one hand and the oppressed nations on the other.

The building up of Europe is a battlefield among the main imperialist powers USA, China and Russia, which are competing and fighting against each other: they are also interfering in the EU to hinder its development as an imperialist competitor.

Today the nationalist policies and protectionism applied by US imperialism, which is still the strongest and most aggressive power, are deeply destabilizing the world and are deepening the contradictions among the imperialist powers. It is continuing to increase the tensions between its European allies in Europe, which are NATO members, and Russia by strengthening the military encirclement of the latter through the stationing of missiles, the deployment of more troops, and large-scale maneuvers in the Nordic countries.

The economic and political conflict with Chinese imperialism deeply affects the EU.

China is developing an active economic policy with political and geo-strategic ambitions, with the aim of expanding its influence in Europe and opening up new markets for its monopolies. The so-called "New Silk Road" concretizes these goals. Taking advantage of the internal contradictions of the EU, China is proposing "deals" on investments with various governments – Greece, Italy and Hungary, but also France and Holland; it also promises the possibilities of exports to its own market. This policy is creating divisions and political as well as economic tensions among the various states of the EU, but also with US imperialism.

China is also extending its influence to Africa, claiming to make a "just" contribution to the economic development of those countries, especially to their infrastructures (roads, railways, bridges, etc.). China is taking control of minerals, oil and land at the expense of the peasants and rural communities. The so-called "equal relations" are not at all equal and in fact are a cover for its imperialist robber-policy and for opening up new markets for its goods. Under the guise of "non-interference in internal affairs," it supports reactionary regimes that oppress their peoples.

Russia is also very active in exploiting the contradictions among European imperialists and capitalists, especially on the issue of gas exports.

Because of its character and its structure, made up of different imperialist and capitalist states, the EU is also subject to the law of uneven development inherent in the capitalist and imperialist system. All these contradictions are developing and working together. They came to light, for example, in the Brexit process, which has not yet been resolved. In any case, the Brexit, whether carried out or not, is weakening the build-up of Europe.

Nevertheless, the crisis affecting the European Union is not stopping the establishment of supranational institutions, such as the European agencies (energy, transport, services, etc.), directives, decrees and laws issued by the European Commission and the Council of Europe (consisting of the governments of the member states), which continue to promote neoliberal policies in favor of the big monopolies.

These mechanisms limit and even suppress the national control and regulatory capacity of the states in important areas such as energy, transport, etc.

The anti-worker and anti-people measures continue to be applied and increase social dumping, the competition of "all against all" and the competition among the workers, etc.

German and French imperialism are pretending to lead the process of the build-up of Europe – in the interests of their own monopolies. But they are also competing with each other. In the current situation, they propose to solve their crisis by expanding their military-industrial base (planes, tanks, drones, missiles, etc.) with the development of a European "defense policy". So far the policy is still in agreement with NATO, especially with the dictate to spend 2% of GDP on the war budget, in particular at the expense of social budgets. This also leads to the "neutral states" of the EU being involved in militarization through their participation in PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation).

This tendency towards militarization is spreading all over the world and the EU is participating in it; the EU is not a factor for peace, on the contrary, it is a factor for war.

In order to enforce the reactionary attacks on the workers and people, the bourgeoisies of the European states are developing a policy of repression of social protests: the police state, ever more repressive laws, ever fewer political and social rights, increasing arrests of militant workers, etc. At the same time they promote reactionary, fascist movements and parties that stand for election. They benefit from the crisis of the traditional right-wing and social-democratic parties, which all support the EU and its neo-liberal policies. The aim of these extreme right-wing and even fascist parties is to divide, promote racism and xenophobia and spread reactionary nationalism.

"Africa is our future," say some EU leaders and heads of government. They mean that Africa should be the exclusive market for their products, that mineral resources, water, food, land, energy resources, etc. of the African countries should be there for their monopolies. They even see it as their right to export all kinds of waste (industrial waste, chemical and nuclear waste, etc.). In short, they regard Africa as their property and defend it against the greed of other imperialist powers.

The military presence of some European states in Africa is increasing. French imperialism is the most important military power present in the Sahel and sub-Saharan regions with thousands of soldiers, military bases, etc. It puts pressure on the EU and its member states to send troops and logistical support and to put more and more money into the so-called "war on terror".

This whole policy is the main cause of the spread of misery and of the economic crisis that is afflicting the African countries with consequences that are far more devastating for the workers, peasants and peoples of Africa.

This is also the main cause of the large flows of migrants that affect millions of people, first of all in Africa itself. A small part of them succeed in crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe.

The EU is developing an aggressive policy against these migrants and is turning into a 'fortress' by organizing military maritime surveillance, causing thousands of deaths. It is also increasing the harassment of migrants within Europe. This is the "European policy of solidarity".

The resistance is growing throughout Europe

We can observe the development of the resistance of the workers and peoples, the resistance of the women and youth against the policy of poverty, which is promoted by every bourgeoisie as well as by the EU as a whole. The struggles for increasing wages and pensions, which have been greatly reduced by the neoliberal policies, to defend the public service (health care, education, public transportation, social security, etc.), which are being attacked by the policy of privatization, against the reduction of the social budgets, the struggles against dismissals, against the expansion of precarious work are increasing. There are also struggles against policies that want to restrict the rights of workers such as collective bargaining, the right to strike, the right to demonstrate, etc.

New sections of the people are joining the struggle against the consequences of the policy of austerity, the increase in tax, which are mainly paid by the workers and the lower strata, as we see in France with the "yellow vests". The organized labor movement is interested in taking over the social demands of this kind of movement in order to strengthen the general movement against capital and the government in the service of the big monopolies.

The struggles are facing aggressive police and judicial repression: The nature of the state and the class character of the violence that it uses against the workers' and people's movement is becoming more and more clear. At the same time, the legitimacy of the resistance of the workers, youth and people in all forms is self-evident.

The mobilization of women for equal and better wages, equal rights and against sexual harassment is developing, as the growing participation of workers, women and men, in the powerful March 8 mobilization shows.

Young people, especially in Europe, have tackled the question of the responsibility of the governments and their policies, as well the large monopolies, for climate change and its catastrophic consequences, especially for the peoples of the poor countries. Some sections of the youth that the view that "it is not the climate that must be changed, but the system". Of course, this is a first step in the consciousness that the capitalist-imperialist system is mainly responsible for the environmental catastrophe.

Resistance is also growing against the expansion of racist and fascist forces in many European countries. This resistance is expressed in different ways and is gaining special strength among sections of the youth.

The danger of an imperialist war is also leading to greater mobilization of the people. The anti-NATO movement, the movement against US bases in Europe and against nuclear weapons in Europe is getting stronger. It is also important to develop the opposition to all forms of the European "defense policy", which only defends the interests of monopolies, especially those of the military-industrial complex, against the peoples. At the same time, we must always clarify the nature of the policies of other imperialist powers such as Russia and China, which are also part of the inter-imperialist struggle. They are not "peaceful" or "possible allies" for the movement against war and imperialism.

In this general context of the intensification of the class struggle and the deepening of the main contradictions of the epoch, we Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations of Europe propose the following important tasks:

• The development of an active policy for the unity of the workers on the basis of their class interests and for the unity and struggle of the workers and lower social strata against the offensive of the monopolies and capitalists, the reaction and the war policy of imperialism.
• To develop active solidarity with the workers and peoples of the world, especially the people who suffer and fight against imperialist oppression, aggression and plunder.
• To strengthen our support for the Palestinian people and their organizations in the struggle for their national rights, against Zionism and imperialism.
• To continue and strengthen our solidarity work with the peoples of Turkey against the reactionary Erdogan regime and with the democratic, revolutionary and communist forces. We condemn the attempts of the Erdogan regime to silence the leaders of EMEP through criminal and financial sanctions.
• The fight against the wall of silence over the legitimate struggle of the Sahauri people for self-determination.

We pay special attention to and support the peoples and their revolutionary organizations who are fighting to eliminate their reactionary regimes and for bread, freedom and popular sovereignty, as is the case in Algeria and Sudan. We condemn all attacks and interference of the imperialist powers and reactionary regimes and forces that want to repress these strong popular movements.

We support our brother parties in Africa (especially in Tunisia, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Benin) who are fighting to give the struggles of their peoples for a "change" a revolutionary character and lead them to national and social liberation,.

One of our special tasks is to build up our organizations, the build-up of vanguard parties of the working class, to help in the creation of M-L parties and organizations in Europe and the strengthening of international solidarity.

We reaffirm our commitment to the revolutionary struggle, for a revolutionary break with the capitalist-imperialist system and for socialism.

Spain, May 2019

Regional Conference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations, Members of ICMLPO

Workers’ Communist Party Denmark (APK)

Communist Party of the Workers of France – PCOF

Organization for the Construction of a Communist Workers' Party of Germany (Arbeit Zukunft)

Communist Platform, for the Communist Party of the Proletariat of Italy

Marxist-Leninist organization Revolusjon of Norway

Communist Party of Spain (Marxist-Leninists) – PCE(m-l)

Party of Labor of Turkey – EMEP