Kathmandu, Dec. 26: If UNMIN does not remain and armies are not unified, the entire nation will be pushed into conflict and at that time People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Nepal Army (NA) will be on the same frontier putting arms on arms to fight against the invaders. There will be no options to be left before the Nepalese people than to resist it. These are the versions of UCPN-Maoist standing committee member Barsaman Pun Ananta in a telephone talk with the correspondent of Red Star fortnightly.
The complexity in situation is being created by the care taker government and the puppets of Indian power. The cause or unseen hand behind the curtain is clear; however, the remedy to get rid off it is still in debate. Only the unity of nationalist, progressive, leftist and the revolutionaries can resist successfully the inevitable invasion of foreign power.
Dr. Binayak Sen is a popular paediatrician in India, he is known as a “Barefoot Doctor”, a respected title citing the Maoist revolution in India. Sen has dedicated his work to the rural poor in India, including treating Maoist rebels. He was handed a life sentence in prison for sedition by the government of Chhattisgarh (a state in central India).
The Government of India has also attempted to bring sedition charges against noted author and activist Arundhati Roy for making statements in support of Kashmir autonomy and the Naxalite movement. The Communist Party of India (Maoist) has said in a recent statement “These judgments are the latest additions to the huge cache of anti-people, fascist repressive measures of the Indian ruling classes.” The CPI (Maoist) on has called for a weeklong protests starting January 2nd, 2011 against “the fascist Chhattisgarh government’s court judgments.” For additionally information we urge readers to visit the campaign website for the immediate release of Dr. Binayak Sen. Below is Dr. Sen’s statement to the Chhattisgarh court. Read the rest of this entry »
Kuligligs are motorized pedicabs that have become increasingly popular in the big cities. Kuligig perators in Manila fought the government’s recent order to ban kuligigs from much of the city streets. On the morning of December 1, 2010, 700 kuligligs and 2000 drivers took to Lawton Plaza in Manila to take a stand for themselves. In an effort to disperse the thousands in protest, police sprayed them with fire hoses and then violently assaulted the drivers.
[Explanations in brackets have been added for the benefit of non-Filipino readers.–Frontlines ed.]
Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, Spokesperson National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Mindanao
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines in Mindanao (NDFP-Mindanao) unites with the entire Filipino nation in commemorating International Human Rights Day and remembering all activists and masses — martyrs and heroes of our time — who have fallen victims to the gravest abuses against human rights perpetrated by fascist agents and running dogs of previous and current reactionary regimes. We also join the whole Filipino people and the international community in voicing our strongest condemnation, and demand for justice to all the victims.
As we mark this day with indignation and protests, the NDFP -Mindanao, together with all revolutionary forces, strives to intensify people’s struggle to put an end to social inequity and repression that spawn grave violations against civil and political rights. The people’s struggle for basic human rights also include the right to basic necessities, such as decent food, shelter and clothing; freedom from fear; and the right to enjoy an atmosphere of peace.
Even UN Raporteur on Human Rights Philip Alston said that the reactionary bourgeois state, through its mercenary AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines], PNP [Philippine National Police], paramilitary forces and the so-called private armies, is the biggest human rights violator in the Philippines.
Kathmandu, 18 Dec: The central committee meeting of UCPN-Maoist has passed a unified document in place of three different documents put forwarded in Palungtar party extended meeting. Central committee meeting has decided to pass a single document by submitting principal contradiction, party line and working plan from the three different documents.
The meeting has reached to the conclusion to publish inter-party forum for the debate on the difference of opinion. According to a central committee member, the party has adapted the Leninist organizational principle- freedom in discussion and unity in action. The party has its common thinking to develop ideas and its methods to solve the problems created in the movement and in the party.
Party has decided to run struggle for nationality, people’s power and people’s livelihood during one month- from January 15 to February 12. For the preparation of the struggle, party has decided to take schooling for one month prior to the struggle.
Several thousand people joined celebrations yesterday of the 42nd founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in a what was described as “one of the biggest celebrations of the revolutionary victories of the Filipino people exhibiting the continuing growth of the revolutionary movement led by the CPP.”
At the same time, the CPP denounced the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) “for setting-up checkpoints along the route to the site of the assembly to harass participants and dissuade them from proceeding to the site of the celebrations in violation of the spirit and intent of the 19-day ceasefire.”
The whole day celebration was hosted by the National Democratic Front-Mindanao.
According to NDF-Mindanao spokesperson Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, a few more thousand people failed to join the celebrations because of the checkpoints setup by the military and police. “Checkpoints were setup by the 4th Infantry Division all over the Caraga region in a desperate attempt by the AFP to prevent the people from joining the celebrations of the CPP anniversary.”
Garment workers clash with law enforcers and burn a bus at Chittagong Export Processing Zone gate yesterday. The shockwave sent ripples through the entire apparel sector forcing many factories to close. Photo: Aunrup Kanti Das
“Unruly garment workers clashed with law enforcers in Chittagong, Dhaka and Narayanganj out of grievances over wage yesterday leaving at least four people dead and 200 others injured.
The four including a garment worker and a rickshaw-puller were killed during a five-hour clash in and around Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ). The identity of the other two remained unknown. Labourers of other factories also joined the garment workers.
Police fired 600 rounds of bullet and 150 teargas canisters to disperse the agitating workers in the three places. They picked up at least 65 people including 30 in the port city.
The workers pelted law enforcers with brickbats and stones. They also damaged 11 garment factories and 20 roadside buildings.
The protesters set five vehicles ablaze and damaged 90 more bringing traffic on Chittagong Airport Road, Dhaka Airport Road and Dhaka-Sylhet Highway to a halt for hours.
The clashes led to the closure of the entire CEPZ in the morning and suspension of production at three factories in Dhaka and another in Narayanganj. The CEPZ houses 156 factories with 1,54,000 workers.
…
Earlier, the workers of Youngone Ltd took to the streets demanding reinstatement of a „temporary“ Tk 250 food allowance that the management withheld when it started paying the new minimum wage, said an official of the company.”
The following comes from Republica. We remind our readers to exercise caution about information promoted from the bourgeois press and not take lightly issues of line struggle. However, things are in motion in Nepal and we should remain watchful of these events. Posting here, as usual, does not imply endorsement.
Maoist CC passes Dahal’s paper
KATHMANDU, Dec 18: The UCPN (Maoist) Central Committee meeting on Friday endorsed the political paper of party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal that proposes to go for a revolt if there is any conspiracy against peace and the new constitution.
The CC meeting held at party headquarters, Paris Danda endorsed Dahal´s political paper by voice vote as Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya, who had presented a separate political paper during the Palungtar plenum, supported Dahal, except in his review of the party´s history from the Chunwang meeting to date.
The recent edition of the Red Star, newspaper of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) is now available in English. This issue (published July 16-31 on Krishnasen Online) contains an important article by Prachanda (aka Pushpa Kamal Dahal) on the problems of forming the Nepal’s next government and who must lead it, the so-called program of army integration, the question of holding the Party Vongress during the People’s War period and more.
We share this extract:
The government must be formed under the leadership of our Party
by Prachanda, Chairman UCPN-M
The Politburo meeting that was held for the long time has decided that it will lead the national united government. if it’s sure that the national united government will be formed, who will be the prime minister?
The Politburo meeting has decided that national unity government must be formed under the leadership of UCPN (M). When the time comes to form that government, our party will finalise about the leadership. We didn’t discuss it this time. The main focus is that the government must be formed under the leadership of our party. It’s the party that counts, not the person.
The following from the British Guardian (December 16).
A leaked cable documents the Indian government torture in Kashmir. Photograph: Tauseef Mustafa/AFP/Getty Images
“In 852 cases, the detainees reported ill-treatment, the [Red Cross] said. A total of 171 described being beaten and 681 said they had been subjected to one or more of six forms of torture.
“These included 498 on which electricity had been used, 381 who had been suspended from the ceiling, 294 who had muscles crushed in their legs by prison personnel sitting on a bar placed across their thighs, 181 whose legs had been stretched by being “split 180 degrees”, 234 tortured with water and 302 ‘sexual’ cases, the ICRC were reported to have told the Americans.”
The central Indian government has long threatened and dominated people on India’s border regions. They invaded East Pakistan, they absorbed Sikkim, they have waged war on their borders with Pakistan and China, and they have engaged in intrigues within Sri Lanka, they have carried out relentless counterinsurgency against the people on their eastern borders.
Indian domination — through unequal treaties, political infiltration and economic weight — is one of driving concerns of the Maoist revolution in Nepal.
Now Wikileaks has provided a chilling insight into the ruthless and and brutal mechanisms of that Indian domination: the massive dump of U.S. government cables includes evidence of systematic torture by Indian forces in the occupied northern border region of Kashmir — where the people have long struggled for self-determination and independence.
The cables also reveal that the U.S. has had detailed knowledge of that Indian torture for years: The same U.S. government that has tortured its own Muslim opponents in a secret network of CIA prisons around the world turns a blind eye when its Indian ally carries out torture of Kashmir’s people on their own soil.
U.S. Ambassador Mulford -- Eager student and partner in Indian torture and counter-insurgency
“Using every opportunity available to signal our interest in learning from India – which has successfully tackled ’asymmetrical’ insurgencies in Punjab and Kashmir – will go a long way to reduce this distrust and may prompt Indian officials to be more receptive to our offers of support,” U.S. Ambassador Mulford, secret embassy cable, Feb. 23, 2007.
India describes itself as “the world’s largest democracy.” And the U.S,. as we all know, portrays itself as “the shining city on the hill” — supposedly inspiring all of humanity.
But now, thanks to Wikileaks, we can see that the alliance of India and the United States involved a sinister sharing of experience — a joint interest in counterinsurgency. India sees itself as an expert — having fought the aspirations of many peoples within and beyond its borders. And apparently the U.S. agrees.
This experience we have all now learned includes the extensive, systematic and ongoing torture of people under Indian occupation in Kashmir. A focus on torture? Something else the U.S. and India have in common.
US complicit in India’s systematic use of torture in Kashmir
By Deepal Jayasekera
21 December 2010
US diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks show that Washington has long had evidence of Indian authorities’ systematic use of torture against opponents of Indian rule over Jammu and Kashmir, but has chosen not to speak out against New Delhi’s gross human rights violations.
In a classified cable sent in April 2005, the then-US ambassador to New Delhi, David C. Mulford, reported to the US State Department on a “confidential briefing” embassy officials had received from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) “on widespread severe torture in Indian prisons in Kashmir between 2002 and 2004.”
“The continued ill-treatment of detainees,” reported Mulford, “despite longstanding ICRC-GOI (Government of India] dialogue, have led the ICRC to conclude” that New Delhi “condones torture.”
In their briefing, the ICRC officials emphasized that those subjected to torture by Indian authorities were generally not anti-Indian insurgents—since Indian security forces have a standard practice of summarily executing suspected insurgents. Rather they were noncombatants, those accused of providing the insurgents support or suspected of having useful information: the “detainees were rarely militants (they are routinely killed), but persons connected to or believed to have information about the insurgency.”
Hindu chauvinism has violently attempted to suppress religion minorities in India.
Thanks to Banned Thought for this recent statement by the Communist Party of India (Maoist) Central Committee which details their support for religious freedom for minorities against Hindu fundamentalism.
The CPI (Maoist) called for “Black Day” to protest Hindu chauvinism. They also call for the rebuilding of the Babri Mosque. Posting here as usual does not imply endorsement.
“Exactly 18 years ago, on 6th December, 1992, Hindu religious fundamentalist goondas in connivance with the then Congress government at the centre, demolished Babri Masjid at Ayodhya. Firstly, these Hindu fundamentalists made 500 year-old Babri Masjid a controversial site by claiming it as the birth place of Lord Rama and on that pretext many a time instigated communal disturbances in the country killing thousands of Muslims. Demolition of Babri Masjid was the biggest attack by Hindu fascists in the history of our country.
“Remaining together despite ideological and political differences is no good, for it makes the party just a joint front.”
KATHMANDU: Vice-Chairman of the UCPN-Maoist Mohan Baidhya ‘Kiran’ today said the party’s sixth extended meeting had mandated it to launch a ‘people’s revolt’. Addressing an interaction on ‘National Independence and People’s Republic’ organised by Samayabaddha bimonthly, Baidhya said the Palungtar meeting has also urged the party to fight for a people’s federal republic and national independence.
He said a communist party must be ready to split or merge with others whenever necessary. “Remaining together despite ideological and political differences is no good, for it makes the party just a joint front,” he claimed, justifying the disintegration of his party from Mohan Bikram Singh’s party earlier.
He claimed that Vice-Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai had begun making public the internal debates through Rato Jhilko news magazine. After this, other leaders have also started revealing the secrets, he said. Read the rest of this entry »
By Mike Ely
This is about our first tantalizing tidbit — emerging from Wikileaks about the revolution in Nepal. It is only one sentence in a cable dealing with other things. We don’t want to read too much into it, or treat it (standing alone) as something authoritative.
But we can now get a sense of what we may soon learn about the thoughts and intrigues of various powers against revolutionary change in South Asia.
This first Wikileaks mention of Nepal’s Maoist revolution appears in a January 2010 cable from the U.S. embassy in India (New Delhi) to the U.S. Secretary of State in Washington D.C.
It is from U.S. ambassador Timothy J. Roemer. And it contains notes on Special Envoy Holbrooke’s discussion of Afghanistan and Pakistan with Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao.
Revolution in South Asia 