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May
16,
2015
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No.
20 Need to Establish
Independent
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Canadians have become
increasingly concerned with the direction of the
country. Political, economic and social problems are being ignored and
covered over with dogma spouting anti-social austerity, predatory wars
and the
negation of rights. Instead of solving problems, the political and
economic
leadership at all levels is failing Canadians by dragging the country
into
anarchy, violence and poverty while fighting phantom enemies called
deficits,
debts and state-organized staged "terrorist events."
The situation cries out
clearly for a new pro-social direction. Through their
anti-social actions, the ruling capitalist elite are challenging the
working class
to assert itself as an independent political force or be condemned as
an
oppressed class without rights, dignity or control over those affairs
that
directly affect its life.|
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On May 18, National Patriots' Day in Quebec, celebrations are taking place to mark the 1837-1838 uprising and to honour the memory of the Patriots who gave their lives or were forced into exile in the struggle to end British colonial rule by establishing a Republic of Quebec. Marches, historical exhibitions, conferences and cultural performances of songs and poetry are being held. In Montreal, the March of the Patriots will start from Au-Pied-du-Courant, the corner of Notre-Dame and de Lorimier, where a statue stands honouring the Patriots who were hanged by the British.
Patriots' Day celebrates the striving of the people to affirm their right to be. Beginning in the spring of 1837, when the British Crown formally rejected the demands of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada included in the 92 Resolutions of 1834, numerous mass meetings broke out across Quebec where the people spoke and demanded their democratic rights.
In the midst of this affirmation of the people's will,
the Patriots proclaimed
"by order of the provisional government" an important manifesto, the
"Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Lower Canada." In it
they
declared the principles and democratic rights of the Republic. Section
3
of the
declaration calls for the defence of the rights of all: "Under the free
government of Lower Canada, all individuals will enjoy the same rights:
the
natives will no longer be submitted to any civil disqualification and
will enjoy
the same rights as all other citizens of Lower Canada." Section 15
proclaims
that the people will author their own constitution: "At the earliest
occasion the
people must choose delegates according to the present division of the
country
in counties, cities and boroughs who will form a convention or
legislative
body to draft a constitution according to the needs of the country, in
accordance with the provisions of this Declaration, subject to
modification
according to the will of the people."
The 1837-38 uprising was crushed through brutal force, including the suspension of habeas corpus, mass arrests, burning of homes, the hanging of 12 patriots and forcing of 64 others into exile. More than 1,700 were imprisoned following the suspension of habeas corpus. In Montreal alone in 1838, 816 people were arrested out of a population of 30,000, which translates into 40,000 people out of Montreal's present-day population. Of that number, 108 were court-martialled. Hundreds were forced to flee to the U.S. to escape arrest, including 10 accused of "murder" who faced the death penalty if they ever returned. It marked the suppression of a modern Quebec nation-state whose existence has been denied ever since by depriving the Quebec people, irrespective of their national origin, language or creed, of their right to self-determination as an independent legal entity with the right to form a free and equal union with the rest of Canada if they so decide of their own free will.
The 1837-38 Patriots' Uprising is an important
event in the history of
Quebec and Canada whose significance must be grasped in order to
understand
the present-day situation and not be misled by the blackmail of those
establishment forces which claim that affirming Quebec's sovereignty
will lead
to the "destruction of Canada." On the contrary, the establishment of
the
modern state of Quebec remains necessary to settle the constitutional
crisis in
a manner which favours the people by ending the stranglehold of the
institutions established out of the suppression of the nation-building
project the
Patriots put forward in 1837-1838. These are the present democratic
institutions based on "reasonable accommodations," the arrangements the
British oligarchs found "reasonable" to strengthen British colonial
rule after
the English defeated the French at the Plains of Abraham in 1759 and
Quebec
passed from being a French colony to an English colony. The British
divided
the people on an ethnocultural basis and enshrined this division in the
Act of
Union of 1840. Ever since then, the line of divide and rule has
served
first the
British and then the Canadian state to impose the dictate of the ruling
elite on
both the Quebec and the Canadian peoples as well as the First Nations.
It is
clear that after the rebellion of 1837-1838, all those patriots who
refused to
conciliate with these so-called reasonable accommodations were either
hanged
or exiled and with this infamous act, the present democratic
institutions of so-called responsible government came into being to
keep the people out of the
power-sharing arrangements.
The present situation shows that the cause for which the Patriots fought in 1837-1838 today takes the form of the need for the working class to constitute itself the nation and vest sovereignty in the people to make them the decision-makers in all political, economic, social and cultural affairs that concern them and their nation. This need is all the more urgent as the governments of Quebec and Canada intensify the sell-out of the natural and human resources and establish new arrangements to facilitate the political, economic and military annexation of Canada and Quebec to the United States of North American Monopolies and restructure the state in the service of the most powerful monopolies as part of U.S. empire-building. The more they refuse to share power with anyone, the more they talk of "reasonable accommodations."
As a result of this nation-wrecking agenda, the ruling elites have mired Quebec and Canada in an unprecedented constitutional and political crisis. Their refusal to open society's path to progress is seen in increasing attempts to push the politics of division based on language, national origin, culture, belief, colour of skin, gender or any other consideration. The people are witnessing the daily spectacle of political factions challenging each other as to who will best represent Quebec values, or reducing the identity of the Quebec people to a linguistic issue, or dividing the people on an ethnocultural basis so as to get away with imposing a new "reasonable accommodation" to suppress their right to be and determine for themselves the kind of arrangements they require to flourish.
On this occasion, TML salutes all those who espouse the cause of the Quebec Patriots, especially those who are determined to elaborate a nation-building project consistent with the demands of the times.
Let
the Working Class Constitute Itself the Nation and Vest Sovereignty
in the People!
Sovereignty Yes! Annexation No!
Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Lower Canada
Declaration of Independence of Lower Canada and Robert Nelson,
President of the Provisional Government.
Caldwell's Manor (NOYAN), February 28, 1838.
WHEREAS the solemn contract established with the people of Lower Canada as recorded in the register of the Statutes of the Kingdom of Britain and Ireland, as Ch. 31 of the Act passed in the 3rd year of the rule of King George III, has been continuously violated by the British government and our rights encroached upon; and whereas our humble petitions, addresses, protests and remonstrances against this prejuicial and unconstitutional behaviour have been in vain;
WHEREAS the British government has disposed of our revenue without the constitutional consent of our local legislature, robbed our treasury, arrested and imprisoned a large number of our fellow citizens, spread across the country a mercenary army whose presence has caused dismay and alarm, whose tracks are red with the blood of our people, which has burned our villages to ashes, desecrated temples and sown terror and desolation throughout the country; and whereas we can no longer suffer the repeated violations of our most sacred rights and patiently endure the numerous outrages and cruelties of the government of Lower Canada;
We, in the name of the people of Lower Canada, acknowledging the decree of divine providence that says we can overthrow a government that has violated the object and intent of its creation to choose the form of government that will restore the use of justice, ensure domestic peace, see to the common defence, elevate the general well-being and guarantee us and our descendants the benefits of civil and religious freedom;
Solemnly declare that:
1. From this day on, the people of Lower Canada is free from allegiance to Britain and the political continuity between Lower Canada and the British rule is broken.
2. A republican form of government best suits the needs of Lower Canada, which is on this day proclaimed a Republic.
3. Under the free government of Lower Canada, all individuals will enjoy the same rights: the natives will no longer be submitted to any civil disqualification and will enjoy the same rights as all other citizens of Lower Canada.
4. All union between the Church and the State is by the present declared dissolved and all persons will have the right to freely practice the religion or belief dictated by his or her conscience.
5. The feudal or seigniorial tenure of the land is by the present abolished, as completely as if such tenure never existed in Canada.
6. Any person who bears arms or otherwise assists Canada in its fight for emancipation is and will be discharged of all real or supposed debts or obligations resulting from arrears of seigniorial rights existing prior to this day.
7. The customary dower is henceforth abolished and prohibited.
8. Imprisonment for debt will no longer take place except in certain cases of fraud which will be specified in an act to be adopted to this end by the Legislature of Lower Canada at a later time.
9. The death penalty will no longer be pronounced nor executed, except in the case of murder.
10. All mortgages on the land will be special and, to be valid, will need to be registered with offices to be created to this end by an act of the Legislature of Lower Canada.
11. The freedom and independence of the press will prevail in all public matters and affairs.
12. Trial by jury is ensured by the people of Lower Canada in its broadest and most liberal sense in all criminal trials and in civil trials beyond a certain amount to be determined by the Legislature of Lower Canada.
13. Since general and public education is necessary and is owed to the people by the government, an act establishing it will be passed as soon as circumstances allow.
14. To ensure electoral enfranchisement, all elections will be through secret ballot.
15. At the earliest occasion the people must choose delegates according to the present division of the country in counties, cities and boroughs who will form a convention or legislative body to draft a constitution according to the needs of the country, in accordance with the provisions of this Declaration, subject to modification according to the will of the people.
16. Every individual of male gender aged 21 and over will have the right to vote as stipulated in the present Declaration for the election of the aforementioned delegates.
17. All the lands of the Crown and those called Reserves of the Clergy as well as those formally belonging to a certain company of landowners in England called "The Company of the Lands of British North America" are rightfully the property of the state of Lower Canada, except for the parts that may be the property of people who own them in good faith, to whom claims will be granted and guaranteed in accordance with an act to be passed which will legalize such possession and give a title to such plots in the townships where such titles do not exist, when such plots are under cultivation or improved.
18. The French and English languages will be used in all public affairs.
And for the realization of this Declaration and in support of the patriotic cause which we have now undertaken with full confidence in the protection of the All-Mighty and in the justice of our action -- we solemnly pledge to each other through the present our lives and fortunes and our most sacred honour.
By order of the Provisional Government.
Robert Nelson, President.
(Declaration translated from original French by TML. Illustrations: Henri Julien)
Philippine President's Visit to Canada
Activists Condemn President Aquino's
Human Rights Record
Advocates for human rights in the Philippines, including
Migrante and Bayan Canada, took the
opportunity of a
state visit to Canada by Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino III
to
hold a spirited rally outside a reception at Roy Thomson Hall in
Toronto
on May
8 where they denounced the "dismal" human rights record of Aquino and
his
host for the event, Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The event was moved
from the original venue of Ricoh Coliseum to Roy Thomson Hall due to
lack of interest. A day before the event, protest organizers
noted, "From their target of 10,000 attendees, the organizers [of the
reception] have so far mustered only 800 confirmations. The Philippine
Consulate and Minister Jason Kenney have been calling on members of the
Filipino community to persuade them to attend."
Protesters accused Harper of trying to use the visit of
Aquino to attract
voters of Filipino descent in anticipation of the federal election
expected in the
fall, and similarly exposed Aquino as wanting to give the false
impression at
home that he has the support of overseas Filipinos, particularly
migrant
workers, in advance of his own presidential election, set for 2016.
They
called for the defeat of the Harper government in 2015 as well as the
removal of Aquino.
Speakers at the rally
pointed out the complicity of the
Aquino government
in allowing the murder of environmentalists in the Philippines to go
unpunished as well as his scandalous role in the armed state attacks on
the
people in a predominantly Muslim region in Mindanao, where the
opposition to
destructive
mining operations is strong. It should also be noted that Canadian
mining firms operating in the Philippines are notorious for their
wrecking of the environment.
Both Aquino and Harper were condemned for facilitating
the outflow of
migrant workers to Canada under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program
(TFWP). It was revealed that many TFWs are being rounded up for
deportation when their four years of eligible working time in Canada
ends, after which
they are
barred by law from returning to work in Canada for four years.
Activists at the
rally opposed the signing of any further bi-lateral agreements for the
supply
of cheap labour to Canada from the Philippines. The street rang out
with repeated calls of "Good Enough to Work, Good Enough to
Stay!"
In conclusion, Bern Jagunos read a statement of support
from the
International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) and
announced that the ICHRP, in co-operation with other human rights
organizations, will be
convening an
international People's Tribunal on Crimes of the Aquino Government
Against
the Filipino People in Washington, DC from July 16 to 18,
2015 and invited everyone to participate.
Aquino's Dismal Record Won't Boost Harper's
Hope of
Courting
Filipino Votes
Prime Minister Stephen Harper believed that when Philippine President Benigno Aquino visited Canada from May 4-12, 2015, his aura would rub off on him. The Prime Minister hoped the visit would provide him the opportunity to court the votes of Filipinos in Canada ahead of the fall federal election.
It appears, however, that the Prime Minister has not heard that the President's aura has irreversibly dimmed, thanks to his atrocious human rights record, dismally inept leadership and the unbridled corruption of his administration. President Aquino's popularity back home has sunk to a record low.
Referring to a study by Global Witness, the International Coalition on Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) points out that under President Aquino's leadership, the Philippines ranks third among the most dangerous countries in the world for citizens who advocate for the protection of the environment. In 2014 alone, 15 Filipinos were killed by state agents because the Aquino government considered their opposition to large scale mining and other destructive resource extraction projects a threat to the state.
The Aquino government incompetency and neglect was manifest in the wake of the devastating Haiyan Typhoon, as $48 million of disaster relief money was found sitting in banks while victims were crying for help. It is enmeshed in a serious corruption scandal that led to the Philippine Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of Aquino's Presidential Discretionary Assistance Funds, more commonly known as the biggest "pork barrel" in the country.
The counter-insurgency war, stubbornly pursued by President Aquino, which is designed to target not only the armed rebel groups and but also ordinary Filipinos critical of his administration and policies, has resulted in 241 assassinations of civilians, 491 political prisoners, 26 people abducted and missing and 59,612 Filipinos who have been forced to evacuate from their communities. Amazingly for a man who experienced human rights violation first hand, President Aquino has shown very little commitment to seek justice for victims and their families. A study by the Impunity and Justice Research Center of the Universidad de las Americas in Mexico shows that the Philippines holds the worst record of bringing perpetrators of violations to justice. President Aquino explains that the majority of the unresolved human rights cases were not committed under his administration.
Displaying the same lack of
compassion and leadership
expected of the
President, Mr. Aquino told the mother of Mary Jane Veloso, who was
saved
at the last minute from execution on April 28 in Indonesia, that her
problem
was not the making of his government. Mary Jane was a victim of human
traffickers, but more tragically she is a victim of the Aquino
government's
neglect. According to Migrante International, the Aquino government
failed
for five years to provide her with proper and sufficient legal
assistance, but his
government is now shamelessly claiming credit for the suspension of her
execution. The role of the collective people's action in the
Philippines and
around the world in saving Mary Jane was affirmed by her family.
Behind the Mary Jane crisis lies a labour export policy that leads to the exodus of millions of desperate Filipinos, with over 5,000 leaving the Philippines to work overseas every day. It appears that neither Mary Jane's death sentence, nor the large numbers of Filipino temporary workers presently being forced to leave Canada under Prime Minister Harper's law limiting their time in Canada to four years, will stop President Aquino from promoting the further export of Filipino workers during his visit. A deal on temporary workers is reportedly on his agenda with Prime Minister Harper. The Philippine government's abysmal record in protecting overseas migrant workers warns us that any deal President Aquino secures from Canada will put the rights and welfare of Filipino workers secondary to consideration of the revenues going to the Philippine government's coffers from the exploitation of their labour in Canada.
Prime Minister Harper, on the other hand, believes that he could win the votes of Filipino Canadians while at the same time instituting policies that are inimical to their interests. Many Filipinos in Canada look to the Live-In Caregivers Program and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program as an opportunity for family and relatives to join them in Canada. Filipino temporary workers and those who come as live-in caregivers are among the worst hit by the reforms the Harper government has instituted in these programs. The new four-year in, four year out policy has resulted in tens of thousands of Filipino workers who are forced to leave Canada as their contracts expire. They cannot apply for a new contract for four years.
Prime Minister Harper's
policy has little consideration
for the welfare of
temporary workers from the Philippines and other countries. Its only
interest
is to ensure a steady supply of cheap labour for Canadian business.
Similarly,
the path for Live-In Caregivers to permanent residency has been
narrowed
down. To continue saving the high cost of a national childcare program
the
Harper government is allowing more Live-In Caregivers to enter Canada,
but
cutting the opportunity for the majority to stay here permanently.
There appears to be a lack of enthusiasm among Filipinos in Canada about the visit of President Aquino. The public welcome rally planned by the Philippine consulate in Toronto to be held at the Ricoh Coliseum is reportedly moved to a smaller venue because there was no sign they could reach their target of mobilizing 10,000 Filipinos to attend. Community organizations have apparently been directed to recruit five from each of their groups to send to the event.
Let us hope that both Prime Minister Harper and President Aquino will get the message: Filipinos won't be duped into supporting their anti-people schemes.
* Bern Jagunos is a long-time Canadian human rights activist and a member of the International Coalition on Human Rights in the Philippines.
Celebrations of the 70th Anniversary of the Victory over Fascism
Celebrations Organized by Canadians
In cities across Canada, rallies, motorcades, cultural performances, public meetings and many other activities were held to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the May 9, 1945 defeat of fascism in Europe and to pay tribute to those who fought and died. These events were not premised on the anti-communist distortions of history promoted by the state-sanctioned VE Day events on May 8, that only acknowledge a limited section of World War II veterans in Canada and in doing so belittle the contributions of the Soviet Union and its Red Army, as well as many other peoples, that played such a decisive role in the victory. Failure to acknowledge these contributions is also used to create divisions in the polity based on nationality, despite the fact that it was precisely the united front against fascism that won the day in 1945.
The events made clear that Canada has been greatly enriched by the heroic peoples of all countries who fought against fascism in World War II and emigrated to Canada after the war, including many people from the former Soviet republics. Seventy years later, the great pride of these veterans, passed down to their sons and daughters and grandchildren, is undiminished, and belongs to all Canadians. At all the events, copies of the iconic Victory Banner flown over the Reichstag were waved with pride, along with other symbols of the Soviet Union and Red Army.
Montreal
On the morning of May 9, hundreds of people converged in the West end of Montreal with flags and orange and black ribbons to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. Families, most of them of Russian background, brought their national flag along with those representing other nationalities (including Belorussians, Armenians, Georgians and Kazakhs) of the former Soviet Union who fought the Nazi forces; they all converged at the Veterans Park in Côte-St-Luc to pay tribute to those who gave their lives to liberate Europe during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
A delegation of the Communist Party of Canada
(Marxist-Leninist),
amongst them members and supporters from the Greek community, unfurled
for the occasion a banner which read: "70th Anniversary of the
Anti-fascist
Victory Against the Nazis -- Honour to the Fighting Peoples who Crushed
Fascism, Especially the Peoples of the Soviet Union! Fascism Never
Again!"
Many people came forward wanting to have their picture taken alongside
it.
A Red Army veteran from World War II was present at the ceremony in full military regalia. He was warmly greeted by young and old who came forward to express their deep appreciation and affection for the great sacrifices made by the Soviet peoples at that time.
After the ceremony ended, a motorcade of hundreds of vehicles made its way through the streets with flags waving and horns blaring as people on the street raised their fists to show their support. The motorcade ended two hours later in Angrignon Park where people gathered to celebrate the event with a picnic. As participants listened to speeches and songs, a plane flew overhead with a huge orange and black banner with the words: "May 9 Victory Day" to the applause and cheers of everyone.
Ottawa
A motorcade was also held in Ottawa, as well as a parade, both of which went through the downtown, passed the Parliament, the Russian embassy and the Canadian War Museum.
At the Russian embassy, a ceremony was held to honour World War II veterans and other members of the community. Those who witnessed the war spoke and Russian Ambassador to Canada Alexander Darchiev unveiled a monument honouring the veterans.
Toronto
Parade of the "Immortal Platoon."
A major event was organized by the Victory Day 70 Committee in Canada, at Earl Bales Park in the north of Toronto on May 9. In addition to speeches and musical performances, the activities included:
- a parade of World War II
veterans from the former USSR
together with
the veterans from Allied countries, Holocaust survivors and survivors
of the
Leningrad Blockade.
- "No one is forgotten. Nothing is forgotten" -- a parade of the Immortal Regiment, with family members and friends carrying photographs of the veterans killed and missing in action.
- a "Remembrance Territory" for people to meet the veterans and share memories and stories.
- a children's art exhibition, "Say No to War," and an
exhibition of
portraits/photographs of veterans.
Hundreds of people participated, including many
veterans. The day
concluded with a celebration feast and party. In the lead-up to May 9,
the
committee organized the "Ride to Remember" on April 25 to commemorate
the 70th anniversary of the historic meeting of the Allied troops on
the Elbe
River and raise funds for the May 9 activities. On February 22, a
charity dinner
and concert, "Songs Scorched by War," marked Defender of the Fatherland
Day
(February 23) and raised funds for May 9.
In the evening in the west
end of Toronto, members,
friends and
supporters of CPC(M-L) gathered at the Party's Workers' Centre for a
political
and cultural evening to pay tribute to those who took part in the war
to defeat
fascism. The meeting was addressed by the First Secretary of the
Party's Central Committee. She gave a rousing speech which warmly
acknowledged all the peoples of the world for their courageous
contributions to defeating fascism, especially the Red Army and the
peoples of the Soviet Union. She firmly opposed all attempts at
disinformation to minimize the role of the USSR in the European
theatre, or the role of the peoples of Asia in defeating Nazi fascism
and Japanese
militarism. The First Secretary addressed the inappropriate remarks
made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the occasion. His statement
recognized the contribution of some Canadians, not all, she pointed
out,
and remained silent about the contribution of Canada's allies,
especially that of the Soviet Union without whose sacrifice even
Canada's victories in Holland and France would not have been secured.
This refusal to give credit where it is due is consistent with the
government's reactionary and anti-communist ideology that includes
support for Nazi-collaborators and war criminals. This reluctance is
also because of its support for U.S. imperialism and warmongering, and
the imperialists' attempt to isolate Russia in their quest for world
domination. (See the article, "Prime Minister of
Canada's Strange Statement on the Occasion of VE Day," TML Weekly, May 9, 2015 - No. 19.)
On this occasion, CPC(M-L) saluted the fighting spirit and sacrifice of those who fought to defeat fascism. The First Secretary pointed out that it is this spirit to fight for what is just, no matter how overwhelming the odds may seem, which creates the possibility for victory. It is the same thing we see today in the courageous resistance of the Palestinian and many other peoples, in the workers' movement and in the people's fight for their rights and against imperialist war, she said.
She concluded by saying
that part of the Party's program this year is to continue to honour all
those who fought to defeat fascism and militarism in World War II as
part of the work to establish a new world order in which war will be a
thing of the past.
The speech was followed by refreshments and a concert of anti-fascist and partisan songs with audience participation.
Vancouver
Two public events were held in Vancouver on
May 9 to celebrate Victory Day. From 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, a lively
rally was
held outside the Vancouver Art Gallery, with signs and slogans paying
tribute
to those who defeated fascism in Europe in 1945 and opposing
reactionary
ideologies and war in the present.
In the evening, the BC Regional Committee of CPC(M-L)
held a meeting
at Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House to mark the occasion. The meeting
began with a clip from a film of the June 24, 1945 Victory Parade and
celebrations in Moscow. This was followed by a presentation by Charles
Boylan about the glorious history of the triumph of the anti-fascist
forces with
the Soviet Union in the lead. The audience of Canadian workers,
anti-war
activists, First Nations fighters and many anti-fascist and patriotic
men and
women originally from Russia and Ukraine, greatly appreciated the
information provided and the call to step up the struggle against
imperialist
aggression and for an anti-war government.
Gail Davidson, co-founder of Lawyers Against the War, spoke briefly about some of the measures taken to consolidate the victories and conclusions of the war against fascism, including the establishment of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the codification of the experience of the world's people in international laws against war and aggression. She said that it is a problem to be solved that the Canadian government today is not standing by these historic decisions and the laws to which they gave rise. She gave the example of the refusal of the Attorney General of Canada to permit the laying of war crimes charges against former U.S. President George W. Bush when he came to Canada.
Participants spoke of the experiences of their families, their communities and their nations in fighting fascism, including Russia and Ukraine. One worker told of how his father, who immigrated to Canada from Scotland, recounted to him that he had enlisted in the Canadian navy when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union as an act of proletarian internationalism and not for "King and Country."
Every person who spoke emphasized that the freedom that was won in the Great Patriotic War and through the sacrifices of the European resistance fighters and the soldiers from the Allied countries is under attack by world imperialism to this day. There was a deep determination to honour the sacrifices of the past by stepping up the struggle for the defence of the rights of all today. The meeting concluded with a militant rendition of The Internationale.
(Photos: TML, RT, wangeringval, N. Mark, E. Pencheva, L. Schnaider)
World Leaders Gather in Moscow
On May 9, world leaders gathered in Moscow to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day. The main celebrations of Victory Day have always been in Moscow because of the major role of the Soviet Union in achieving victory at the cost of more than 11 million soldiers. This constitutes the biggest death toll among the members of the anti-fascist coalition which fought against Nazi Germany.
The celebrations were attended by 26 foreign leaders and several international organizations, the head of Kremlin administration Sergey Ivanov informed the press. These included Chinese President Xi Jinping; the President of Cuba Rául Castro; Kim Yong Nam, the Chairman of the Presidium of the DPRK's Supreme People's Assembly; and the leaders of Abkhazia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Palestine, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, South Ossetia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also attended, as did Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova. France and Italy were represented by their foreign ministers and the UK by Winston Churchill's grandson, according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov.
Events on May 9 began with Russian President Vladimir
Putin and other
world leaders and dignitaries paying their respects to the fallen of
all nations
at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This was followed by the Victory
Day
Parade in Red Square, and then the march of the "Immortal Regiment"
with
people carrying portraits of their family members who fought in the
war. The
events concluded with an evening concert and fireworks. An estimated
three
million people took part in the Moscow festivities.
The parade was the largest in modern times. Commander of Russian Ground Forces Colonel General Oleg Salyukov informed that ten foreign military contingents with a total of 732 servicemen and women participated in the Victory Day Parade. This included a contingent of China's People's Liberation Army (China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression led to the death of some 20 million Chinese, according to Beijing's estimates and it ended with Tokyo's World War II defeat in 1945.) More than 16,000 service people participated, along with some 200 vehicles and 140 aircraft.
About 20 million people across Russia took part in
celebrations,
spokeswoman for the Russian Interior Ministry Elena Alekseeva said in a
statement, adding that there were about 14,000 commemorative events in
more
than 6,000 localities.
Victory Day is commemorated at the memorial complex in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad).
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Moscow on May 10 and held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Similarly, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry came to Russia on May 12 to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Putin. As part of the visit, Kerry and Lavrov laid wreaths at a memorial complex. U.S. imperialism and countries under its influence had put pressure on the heads of state of other countries not to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory Day in Moscow in an attempt to isolate Russia. Nonetheless, the President's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the visit was considered "very positive." According to a diplomatic source, while the agenda of talks between Kerry and Putin was very broad, Russia did not broach the issue of sanctions. Nonetheless, the Russian government considered the visit symbolic and important, according to the source.
(News Agencies)
Celebrations Across Europe and the United States
Despite the attempts to isolate Russia, ceremonies and other activities were held across Europe where the contribution of the Red Army and the USSR in the defeat of Nazi fascism was properly recognized, alongside all other countries.
In Riga, Lativia, flowers and wreaths were laid at the
monument to Soviet
soldiers in Victory Park. The ceremony was attended by Russian
Ambassador
to Latvia Alexander Veshnyakov, the deputies of the Latvian parliament
and
representatives of Riga City Council, as well as various diplomats and
representatives of public organizations. Nil
Ushakov, the Mayor
of Riga, and Albert Paget, the Chairman of the Association
of
Veterans of the Latvian partisan brigades and the 130th Latvian Rifle
Corps that fought in the Red Army led the wreath-laying ceremony which
was
followed
by
a concert and fireworks.
Riga, Latvia, May 9, 2015
In Sillamae, Estonia, a procession of the "Immortal Regiment" was held for the first time. Sillamae is just a few kilometres west of Sinamae, where Estonian fascists gather every year to pay tribute to Nazi collaborators.
In Athens, Greece, a procession of the"Immortal Regiment" was also held for the first time. Participants marched from the Melina Mercouri Cultural Centre in the area of Kallithea to the monument to Soviet soldiers on Syngrou Avenue, holding portraits of their relatives who fought in the Great Patriotic War. In the evening, a gala concert was held at the National Garden, where the Victory Parade in Moscow was broadcast on a big screen and Russian Ambassador to Greece Andrei Maslov gave a speech.
In Italy, a commemorative ceremony organized by the Russian diplomatic corps along with the Italian partisan association was held at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Rome. In the halls of the Centre were two thematic exhibitions: "The Memory of Our Victory," a series of photographic portraits of war veterans, and "Russia and World War II Through the Eyes of the International Press," showing original copies of newspapers published in May 1945 in the USSR, Great Britain, Italy, the U.S. and France, recounting the capture of Berlin by the Red Army, the unconditional surrender of Germany and the success of the allied forces.
In Germany, tens of thousands of people gathered on May
9 at the Soviet
memorial in Berlin's Treptow Park. The Russian flag, the Victory Flag,
the flag of the USSR, St.
George's ribbons and red carnations were prominent. A procession for
the"Immortal Regiment" was also held. In Berlin
many
flowers were laid at the monument to Soviet soldiers at the Tiergarten
there.
Gathering at Soviet memorial in Treptow Park, Berlin, May 9, 2015.
In Belgium on May 9, representatives from more than 30 countries laid flowers on the graves of Soviet soldiers and the monument to the victims of the Second World War cemetery in the Evere municipality of Brussels. The ceremony was attended by the Ambassador of Russia to Belgium Alexander Romanov, representatives of the Russian diplomatic corps, as well as ambassadors and senior diplomatic staff of embassies of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Germany and Italy, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, representatives of the municipal authorities of Brussels, and Belgian veterans' organizations.
In London, England, flowers were laid at the Soviet War Memorial established in 1999 in the park near the Imperial War Museum.
In Dundee, Scotland, flowers were laid at the
International Submarine
Memorial and the Scottish Arctic Convoy veterans were awarded
commemorative medals, "70 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War
of
1941-1945."
May 9 Marked in United States
 Victory Day march in New York City, May 9, 2015. |
In
New York, hundreds of veterans of the Great Patriotic War and the
blockade
of
Leningrad, former prisoners of Nazi concentration camps and others took
part in the May 9
Victory Day march. Many came with their entire families of four and
even
five generations.
People warmly welcomed veterans and congratulated them on the holiday
of the 70th
anniversary of Victory and gave them flowers.
In Los Angeles, a solemn wreath-laying ceremony took place at the
memorial to Soviet
soldiers in Plummer Park. It was initiated by the Association of
Veterans of the Second World
War and the District Municipality of West Hollywood. The Los Angeles
memorial is the only
such monument in the U.S. to the Soviet soldiers who fell in the
Great Patriotic War.
After the ceremony, a reception was held at West Hollywood City Hall.
(www.may9.ru)
To Remember History Is to Open the Future;
To Forget History Is to
Commit Treason
On May 9th, Victory Day in the world war against fascism, at the invitation of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, I will visit Russia and take part in the celebrations in Moscow devoted to the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. This sacred day I will celebrate together with the Russian people and the entire world.
Everyone remembers that the aggressive wars begun by the fascists and militarists inflicted unprecedented damage and suffering on the peoples of China, Russia, and the countries of Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world. The relentless struggle between justice and evil, light and darkness, freedom and slavery, was joined by the peoples of China, Russia, and more than 50 other countries, as well as by all the other peace-loving peoples of the world, who stood up as one and formed a broad international anti-fascist and anti-militarist front. All these nations fought in bloody battles against the enemy, and in so doing defeated the most evil and brutal aggressors, bringing peace to the world.
I remember, in March 2013, when I first visited Russia on a state visit, I laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin walls. There was a depiction of a soldier's helmet and a red banner on the tomb, and there burned an eternal fire, symbolizing the unbroken life and unwavering fearlessness of our fallen heroes. "Your name is unknown, your deeds are immortal." They will never be forgotten by the Russian people, the Chinese people, or anyone else.
China was the main theater of military operations in
Asia during the
Second World War. The Chinese people stood up before anyone else in the
struggle against the Japanese militarists, waged the longest war,
fought in the
hardest conditions, and, like Russia, suffered the most enormous
losses. The
Chinese army and people fought stoically and persistently, locking down
and
destroying numerous contingents of the Japanese aggressors. At the cost
of a
huge national sacrifice -- the lives of more than 35 million people --
a great
victory was finally won and an enormous contribution was made to
victory in
the world struggle against fascism. The exploits of the Chinese people
in the
war against the militarists, just like the exploits of the Russian
people, will be
immortalized forever in history and will never die.
The Chinese and Russian peoples supported each other, helped each other; they were comrades in arms in the war against fascism and militarism, and built a friendship with each other forged with blood and life. In the most difficult times of the Great Patriotic War, many of the best sons and daughters of the Chinese people decisively joined in the battle against German fascism. Mao Anying -- the eldest son of Chairman Mao Zedong -- fought in many battles as a political officer of a tank company of the 1st Belorussian Front, up to the storming of Berlin. The Chinese fighter pilot Tang Duo, as deputy commander of a fighter company of the Soviet Army, distinguished himself in air battles against the fascist forces. Children of the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party and descendants of the fallen heroes of the Chinese Revolution, when studying at the Ivanovo international boarding school, despite that they were still only children, nonetheless went off to dig trenches, prepared Molotov cocktails, prepared food and clothes for the fighters, chopped trees, dug out potatoes, and looked after the wounded in hospitals. Apart from that, many of them regularly donated blood -- 30 millilitres once per month for the soldiers at the front. The Chinese female journalist Hu Jibang, small and weak, underwent the entire war from the first day to the last, through bullets and fire, writing about the resilience and courage of the Soviet people, the barbarous cruelty of the fascist hordes, and the joy of the Russian soldiers and people in their times of triumph. It emboldened the armies and peoples of both countries, raising their will to fight to the end, to the final victory. Alongside the above heroes there are many other representatives of the Chinese people who contributed to the Great Patriotic War while remaining unknown soldiers.
The Russian people gave the Chinese people valuable political and moral support in their war against Japanese invaders. This included large convoys of arms and war materiel. More than 2,000 Soviet fighter pilots joined the Chinese air force and helped in the air battles over China. More than 200 of them died in battles over Chinese soil. In the closing phase of the war, Red Army soldiers of the Soviet Union were sent to north-east China. Together with the Chinese army and people they fought against the Japanese militarists, which helped China tremendously in achieving final victory. The Chinese people will always remember the Russians, both soldiers and civilians, who gave their lives for the independence and liberation of the Chinese nation.
The famous Russian historian Vasily Klyuchevsky said,
that, having
forgotten history, our soul can get lost in the darkness. To forget
history is to
commit treason. The Chinese and Russian peoples stand ready, together
with
all peace-loving countries and peoples, and with the utmost
determination and
decisiveness, to oppose any actions or attempts to deny, distort, and
rewrite the
history of the Second World War.
Chinese People's Liberation Army honour guard at Victory Day parade in Moscow, May 9, 2015.
This year, China and Russia will hold a series of events to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Second World War. There will also be many other events conducted by the UN and other international and regional organizations. The purpose of these events and celebrations is to demonstrate our determination to defend the results of the Second World War, to protect international equality and justice, and to remind our contemporaries that it is necessary to preserve and guard the peace that was won for humanity at too high a price.
The hard lessons of the Second World War tell people that humanity's coexistence is not subject to the laws of the jungle; that world politics is diametrically contradictory to belligerent and hegemonic power politics; and that the path of human development is not founded on the principle of "winner takes all" or in games with zero-sum outcomes. Peace -- yes, war -- no; cooperation -- yes, confrontation -- no; mutual gains are honored, while zero-sum results are not: This is what constitutes the unchanging core and essence of peace, progress, and the development of human society.
Today, mankind has unprecedentedly good opportunities for the realization of our goal -- peace, development, and the formation of a system of international relations that is ever more strongly based on the spirit of cooperation and mutual benefits. "Unity -- is strength, while self-isolation -- is weakness." Cooperation and the win-win principle should be adopted as the basic orientation of all countries in international affairs. We have to unite our own interests with the common interests of all countries, find and expand on the common points of interest of different parties, develop and establish a new conception of multilateral win-win, to always be ready to extend a helping hand to each other at difficult times, to partake together in rights, interests, and responsibilities, and to collectively collaborate to solve growing global problems such as climate change, energy security, cybersecurity, national disasters, and so on. In short, we are in it together on our planet Earth -- the homeland of all humanity.
The Chinese people and the Russian people -- they are both great peoples. In the years of grief and misery, our indestructible camaraderie was cemented with blood. Today the peoples of China and Russia will hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder defend peace, promote development, and make their contributions to lasting world peace and human progress.
(Russia Insider, May 10, 2015. Slightly edited for grammar by TML. Photos: Xinhua)
Our Right to Be Marxist-Leninists
Commemoration of 70th anniversary of victory in Great Patriotic War,
Havana, Cuba, May 9, 2015.
In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War, the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution expresses his profound admiration for the heroic Soviet people who provided an enormous service to humanity.
***
The 70th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War will be commemorated the day after tomorrow, May 9. Given the time difference, while I write these lines, the soldiers and officials of the Army of the Russian Federation, full of pride, will be parading through Moscow's Red Square with their characteristic quick, military steps.
Lenin was a brilliant revolutionary strategist who did not hesitate in assuming the ideas of Marx and implementing them in an immense and only partly industrialized country, whose proletarian party became the most radical and courageous on the planet in the wake of the greatest slaughter that capitalism had caused in the world, where for the first time tanks, automatic weapons, aviation and poison gases made an appearance in wars, and even a legendary cannon capable of launching a heavy projectile more than 100 kilometers made its presence felt in the bloody conflict.
From that carnage emerged the League of Nations, an institution that should have preserved peace but which did not even manage to stop the rapid advance of colonialism in Africa, a great part of Asia, Oceana, the Caribbean, Canada and a contemptuous neo-colonialism in Latin America. Barely 20 years later, another atrocious world war broke out in Europe, the preamble to which was the Spanish Civil War, beginning in 1936.
After the crushing defeat of the Nazis, world nations placed their hopes in the United Nations, which strives to generate cooperation in order to put an end to aggressions and wars, such that countries can preserve the peace, development and peaceful cooperation of the big and small, rich or poor States of the world. Millions of scientists could, among other tasks, increase the chances of the survival of the human species, with billions of people already threatened by food and water shortages within a short period of time. We are already 7.3 billion people on the planet. In 1800 there were only 978 million; this figure rose to 6.07 billion in 2000; and according to conservative estimates by the year 2050 there will be 10 billion.
Of course, scarcely is the arrival to Western Europe of boats full of migrants mentioned, traveling in any object that floats; a river of African migrants, from the continent colonized by the Europeans over hundreds of years. 23 years ago, in a United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development I stated: "An important biological species is in danger of disappearing given the rapid and progressive destruction of its natural life-sustaining conditions -- man." I did not know at that time, how close we were to this.
In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War, I wish to put on record our profound admiration for the heroic Soviet people, who provided humankind an enormous service. Today we are seeing the solid alliance between the people of the Russian Federation and the State with the fastest growing economy in the world: The People's Republic of China; both countries, with their close cooperation, modern science and powerful armies and brave soldiers constitute a powerful shield of world peace and security, so that the life of our species may be preserved.
Physical and mental health, and the spirit of solidarity are norms which must prevail, or the future of humankind, as we know it, will be lost forever. The 27 million Soviets who died in the Great Patriotic War, also did so for humanity and the right to think and be socialists, to be Marxist-Leninists, communists, and leave the dark ages behind.
Fidel Castro Ruz
May 7, 2015
10:14 p.m.
(Granma International)
Support for Ukrainian Anti-Fascist Fighters
Donbass International Solidarity Forum
Held in Lugansk
An International Solidarity Forum for Donbass was held in Alchevsk, Lugansk People's Republic on May 8 under the slogans, "Anti-Fascism, Internationalism, Solidarity."
The Forum was attended by 177 delegates representing 31 organizations from 13 countries (Belarus, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Poland, the Russian Federation, the Basque country, Turkey, Ukraine, France and Sweden). More than 20 organizations from around the world sent letters of support to the Forum.
The Forum strongly
condemned the manifestations of
fascism in Ukraine,
including political terror, massacres, persecution of dissidents and
the
prohibition of Communist ideology.
Forum participants supported the residents of Donbass in their quest for peace and their struggle against fascism.
The Forum called on EU governments, deputies of the European Parliament, the United States and representatives of the countries at the UN to take all possible measures, including economic and political sanctions, against the Ukrainian state to ensure that it implements all the provisions of the international agreements to which it is a party, including the Minsk peace agreements, aimed at ending the war and restoring peace in the Donbass.
The Forum adopted a decision to establish an International Committee of Solidarity with the Donbass under the themes of anti-fascism, internationalism, and solidarity. Its main goal is united action by political parties, public organizations and movements, and independent activists to support the Donbass, the preservation of peace, opposition to fascism and the building of a just society.
(New Cold War. Photos: Communists of Lugansk)
All Out to End the Criminal Blockade of
Cuba
Cuba's Critical
Contribution to the Fight Against Ebola
Cuban Doctor Begins Cross-Canada Tour in Toronto
|
Torontonians were held spellbound as Dr. José de Jesús Portilla García spoke about the role of Cuban doctors in the fight against Ebola. Dr. Portilla spoke to a packed room at A Different Booklist bookstore on May 15. His tour of several Canadian cities will raise awareness about Cuba's extensive and unprecedented internationalist solidarity with the peoples of Africa, and in particular its recent contribution to addressing the Ebola crisis in West Africa. Cuba was the country that without hesitation sent the largest medical team of over 250 doctors and other medical personal to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone at a time major powers sent military aid instead of medical aid. The speaking tour is organized by the Canadian Network on Cuba (CNC).
Elizabeth Hill, Co-Chair of the CNC, explained the speaker's distinguished career as a surgeon, university professor and head of the Department of Health for the province of Havana. He was also involved in a number of Cuban medical missions to Africa including to the former Republic of Congo and Angola.
Dr. Portilla outlined the development of the Cuban health care system since the Cuban revolution in 1959 and highlighted the various indicators such as the remarkable decline of infant mortality from 60 per 1,000 births in 1959 to 4.2 per 1,000 births in 2014. He explained the human-centred health care system that has emerged in Cuba despite the U.S. embargo. In Cuba, the principle that health care in a human right is enshrined in the Constitution and guaranteed by the state. He noted that since the 1960s despite being a poor country Cuba has provided medical assistance to other countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean based on a spirit of internationalism. This is something he is very proud of, Dr. Portilla said.
He then spoke about the Cuban role in the Ebola crisis in 2014 in West Africa. When the crisis broke out, he said, there was reluctance on the part of the U.S. and other western countries to provide timely assistance. Cuba was approached directly by UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon and the head of the World Health Organization, Dr. Margaret Chan, who both knew that they could count on Cuba.
Because of its intervention and working in collaboration with medical personnel from other countries and the local health care workers, Cuba was able to assist in bringing down the Ebola mortality rate from 80 per cent to about 20 per cent and give the lie to the disinformation from the monopoly media that somehow Ebola was an uncontainable African scourge. As well, Dr. Portilla explained, Cuba began an intensive training program to teach medical personnel in the affected countries it was working in, as well as Cuban medical professionals back home and in Latin American about what it had learned through its work in West Africa.
This is the story that Dr. Portilla wants to share on his cross-country tour. In the discussion that followed, audience members expressed profound respect and admiration for Cuba's critical role in stabilizing the Ebola crisis in West Africa and its high level of social responsibility and internationalist spirit in carrying out these missions with no selfish motive. It was an example that everyone can learn from, one audience member stated.
Following the discussion, the participants went up to meet Dr. Portilla, to welcome and congratulate him, and wish him great success as he embarks on his tour.
Gatineau Meeting Marks 70 Years of
Canada-Cuba Relations
On April 30, the Outaouais-Cuba Friendship Association and the students' association at the CEGEP de l'Outaouais held a well-attended enthusiastic discussion on 70 years of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Canada.
The main speaker at the meeting was His Excellency Julio Garmendia Peña, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba in Canada. The Ambassador spoke about the longstanding economic and diplomatic relations enjoyed by Cuba and Canada. These include investments, cooperation on joint projects and academic exchanges which have greatly benefited both countries. Another important aspect of the friendship between the two countries is the high level of Canadian tourism in Cuba which has also been a very positive experience.
Ambassador Garmendia spoke at length about Cuba's
developing economic
model and the important changes taking place in the economy and society
since the mass consultation process started in 2008 involving all
sectors and
levels of society to find solutions to the problems facing Cuba. He
gave many
examples of the advances being made in different sectors of the economy
in
spite of the ongoing U.S. economic blockade. He also spoke of Cuba's
recent efforts on the international front in the fight against the
Ebola epidemic in Africa. The meeting warmly applauded the Cuban
people's tireless and selfless humanitarian contributions wherever
tragedies like these strike.
The Ambassador gave an update on the latest developments in the discussions underway since December 17, 2014 when the U.S. and Cuba announced their intention to re-establish diplomatic relations. Ambassador Garmendia explained that many complex issues remain to be solved, the most important being the blockade. Other matters include Cuba's removal from the U.S. list of countries that it accuses of sponsoring state terrorism, as well as allowing Cuba to access the international banking system which the U.S. has blocked. Despite the many issues still to be resolved, the discussions are going in the right direction, he said. Whatever the outcome of the negotiations with the U.S., the Cuban government and people will never abandon their nation-building project, he concluded.
The presentation was followed by a lively question and answer period. Participants expressed their great appreciation to the Cuban Ambassador for the interesting discussion.
Update on Cuba-U.S. Relations
Speaking to reporters on May 12, Cuban President Raúl Castro confirmed that once the U.S. removes Cuba from its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, both governments will designate and exchange ambassadors. U.S. President Barack Obama announced in April that Cuba would be removed from the list, which was followed by a 45-day waiting period that ends May 29. This is the latest development in the process of restoring diplomatic relations between the two countries that began in December 2014.
President Castro reiterated concerns about the process of reestablishing relations with the U.S. in light of ongoing "illegal" activities by U.S. diplomats in Cuba. The U.S. has a longstanding practice of using the U.S. Interests Section and its diplomats in Cuba to provide encouragement and resources to opposition figures and groups, many of whom are funded by the U.S. through the National Endowment for Democracy and U.S. Agency for International Development.
The Cuban leader also reiterated that the United States must fully end its economic blockade and return Guantanamo Bay before full relations are restored.
(TeleSUR)
Cuba Will Come Off the Terrorist List,
But the Blockade
Will Remain
Intact
The exclusion from the list does not imply any relief from the economic, commercial and financial blockade against our country
On April 14, President
Barack Obama notified the U.S.
Congress of his
decision to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
From that
date, the government must allow a period of 45 days for Congressional
and
public comment before Cuba's removal from the list becomes effective.
Two weeks ago, Cuban-born Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican-Florida) introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to reverse the President's decision. However, her efforts met with resounding failure, and she was forced to withdraw the bill. In doing so, she misleadingly claimed there were no legislative mechanisms which allow for the repeal of the de-listing of Cuba, which is not true, as Congress has the necessary procedures to maintain the designation of a country as a state sponsor of terrorism.
The reality is that the anti-Cuban Congresswoman failed to garner the required support, even among members of the Republican Party, which currently holds the majority in both houses of Congress, to pass a law that would override Obama's decision and survive a possible presidential veto.
This means that once the 45 days established by law have passed, on May 29, the inclusion of Cuba as a terrorist state will end.
This constitutes an act of historical justice for the Cuban people.
For 33 years the U.S. government unjustifiably kept our country on an ignominious list, on which it never should have been included, as a country that was victim to hundreds of terrorist acts which killed 3,478 people and incapacitated 2,099 Cuban citizens. Cuba has always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, as well as any action that seeks to provide encouragement, support, financing and concealment of acts of this nature. As a sign of its international commitment, the Cuban state has ratified all conventions and protocols on combatting terrorism promoted by the United Nations.
A positive outcome of the presidential decision on Cuba in the legal field, will be the eradication of the possibility of further spurious claims against the Cuban government, as filed in the past by unscrupulous people who, protected by U.S. anti-terrorism laws and with the complicity of courts, especially in Miami, won compensatory damages that allowed them to seize assets frozen in the United States belonging to Cuban state entities, by virtue of our designation as a sponsor of terrorism.
However, the definitive exclusion from this list does not imply any relief from the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba. This is because most of the laws and regulations which established the blockade policy were approved before 1982, when Cuba was declared a state sponsor of terrorism. The sanctions and restrictions that this designation implies were therefore already in place as part of the blockade.
U.S. officials themselves have made clear, following the announcement of President Obama's decision, that the majority of the restrictions associated with the inclusion of Cuba on the terrorist list will continue, as they are contained in the complex web of sanctions which make up the blockade.
The Trading with the Enemy Act (1917), the Foreign Assistance Act (1961) and the Export Administration Act (1979), which during the early years of the Revolution supported the policy of economic war against Cuba, were enacted prior to 1982, just as the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (1963) and the Export Administration Regulations (1979), issued to implement that which was codified within these laws. Subsequently, other laws such as the Torricelli Act (1992), the Helms-Burton Act (1996) and the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act, intensified the bans on transactions with Cuba, with a marked extraterritorial character.
For example, among the
transactions prohibited by law,
arising from the
inclusion of a country on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, are
the export
of military equipment and dual-use technology (civilian and military),
the
granting of foreign assistance and the development of government aid
programs, the provision of loans and credits by international financial
institutions, and the adoption of systems of trade preferences and
commercial
rates. All these restrictions will remain in force for Cuba, despite
its de-listing,
in compliance with the laws and regulations of the blockade.
The removal from the list, due to its positive symbolic and political effect, could have some impact on the perception of Cuba as a risk country by financial institutions and alleviate -- though not eliminate -- the fear of banks, especially foreign, of maintaining relations with our country.
This reflects the fact that following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States strengthened its laws and regulations on the financial sector to combat the financing of terrorism, which had a further negative impact on those states singled out as sponsors of terrorism, which have been the object of true harassment and persecution of their financial operations over the last five years, under the pretext of fighting terrorism.
Nevertheless, Cuba will continue to be considered a significant risk in financial matters, as it is subjected to a regime of unilateral economic sanctions by the U.S. government. It is worth remembering that when foreign banks refuse to work with Cuba, they do so for two reasons: due to its designation as a terrorist state and due to being a country sanctioned by the U.S. blockade.
Testament to this is the fact that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the Treasury Department, responsible for ensuring compliance with the blockade regulations and penalizing U.S. and foreign banking institutions that violate these, has upheld the persecution of Cuban financial transactions, even after the announcements of December 17, 2014. The billion-dollar fines imposed on the German bank Commerzbank ($1.71 billion) and U.S. online payment company PayPal ($7,658,300) this March, demonstrate the continued enforcement of this policy and its marked extraterritorial nature.
While the removal of Cuba from the list implies virtually no change in the application of the blockade, it is a just measure and has been welcomed by the public in the United States. A media survey by the New Jersey website, NJ.com, revealed that 64% of U.S. citizens believe the President made the right decision.
This action by the White House allows for progress in the process of restoring diplomatic relations between both countries. But, in order to normalize ties with Cuba, among other important pending issues, the United States should fully lift the blockade.
Just as Cuba should never have been included on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, because the country has never promoted or supported terrorist acts, it should not remain subject to the most overarching and prolonged system of unilateral economic, commercial and financial sanctions ever imposed on a nation. It is time for the blockade to come to an end.
United States
Government Says Refugee Mothers and Children
Are Not
"Persons" and
Have No Rights
According to the Department
of Justice, Central American
mothers and
children who are refugees seeking asylum in the United States are not
"persons" and therefore have no Constitutional rights. The families are
currently being held in U.S. detention camps. Family detention is
itself
contrary to human rights law and the inhumane prison-like conditions
are as
well.
The case involves the Karnes detention center in Texas
where women organized a hunger strike demanding humane conditions for
themselves
and
their children, and an end to their unjust and prolonged detention.
Commonly, those seeking asylum, once they have shown a "reasonable fear" for their safety if they are returned home, are released to family members in the U.S., various churches or other safe places while their cases are pending. Instead, President Obama has been housing families in what amount to prison camps, many for months. Many, including unaccompanied minors, have to contend with the complicated refugee process without the benefit of lawyers or even interpreters.
In late March, 78 women detained at the Texas facility signed a petition that said their continued detention was unjust, that their children were suffering and that they should be released. At least 40 women also participated in a hunger strike, while some also vowed not to work in the facility or to send their children to its school.
Several of the women who organized the hunger strike were placed in isolation and faced other retaliation for their stand, such as threats that they would be separated from their children. They brought a class action suit for all those in detention, saying their First Amendment rights were being violated. They are calling for the court to stop the retaliation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The women also state that they "continue to suffer irreparable injury because they are unconstitutionally deterred from engaging in their protest," and that they are bringing the action "to vindicate their rights under the First Amendment." Among those named in their action are two ICE administrators, ICE Director Sarah Saldana, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and the GEO Group Inc., the private monopoly that runs Karnes.
The Constitution
specifically states "all persons" in
the U.S. or under U.S.
control have equal protection under the law. In arguing against the
women, the
government said the women cannot bring claims for First Amendment
rights,
because they are not "persons." And they are supposedly not "persons"
because they are not citizens and have not yet been admitted into the
country --although they are being forcibly detained by the government
in
government-run prison camps.
The government made use of a Supreme Court case from 1904 involving an alleged British anarchist imprisoned on Ellis Island for speaking out for the rights of workers and unions. (He was defended by renowned civil rights and labor lawyer Clarence Darrow).
Echoing far earlier arguments used to deny slaves rights, including those who escaped to freedom, the Department of Justice is claiming that it can decide who is and is not a person. And in using a case involving political and union organizing, it is putting in place "legal" arguments for more broadly denying people their right to speak and organize. They are also calling the hunger strike an "insurrection," another means to claim those involved can be punished and put in isolation.
In the context of U.S. drone massacres abroad, with those killed also not counted as people, and ongoing police killings, where unarmed African Americans are also not treated as human beings whose lives matter, this attempt to deny rights based on the claim that refugees are not people is a dangerous threat to the rights of all. It is a government effort to make "legal" its racist killings and detention of families and to "legalize" similar attacks and detention of political activists. This effort must be firmly opposed and the rights of the women and all those targeted by the anti-people and racist attacks of government defended.
Voice of Revolution is a publication of the U.S. Marxist-Leninist Organization.
(May 8, 2015)
Toronto Rally Shows Solidarity with Protests
Against
Police Killing in
Baltimore
Close to 500 activists held a militant rally, organized by Black Lives Matter Toronto, in front of police headquarters in Toronto on May 2 to express solidarity with the people in Baltimore protesting against police killings and to demand an end to police brutality in Toronto and the rest of Canada.
The first speaker was Melissa from Baltimore, who had been at the protests there during the preceding week. She said she had an "alternative narrative" of solidarity among the people that the "mainstream media don't share with you." She said that the protests were long overdue because of marginalization that has been going on for years, and that something has to give when people's basic needs are not met.
Local activists spoke out against
the practice of
"carding" by Toronto
police. "Carding" is when police stop and question a person on the
street to
collect personal information even though the person is not suspected of
any
crime. The information is then entered into a massive police database.
The new
Toronto police chief has stated publicly that "carding" is necessary
for the
police to do their job. At the rally, author, activist and Newstalk
1010 radio host
Desmond Cole
denounced "carding" as "illegal and immoral." He exposed the fact that
information gathered through "carding" appears on criminal background
checks
and can ruin the lives of young people looking for jobs. He called on
Mayor
John Tory and the Toronto Police Services Board to set a rule for
police
officers to follow: "If I'm free to go, just tell me so." He vowed, "We
will not
stop demanding our right to walk in peace and freedom in Toronto."
An update was given by Latanya Grant, the cousin of Jermaine Carby, an unarmed man who was shot and killed by police in Brampton, near Toronto, on September 24, 2014, after he stepped out of a car in which he had been a passenger. Police witnesses later claimed he had a knife but the investigation by the Justice for Jermaine Carby Committee has learned that several witnesses gave statements saying there was no knife. After seven months, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the body responsible for investigating deaths caused by police in Ontario, has still not revealed the results of its inquiries, including the name of the officer who shot Jermaine four times. The report remains in the hands of the Director of the SIU Tony Loparco.
The demonstration proceeded from the police headquarters
building
through the downtown streets to the steps of the U.S. Consulate, where
protesters shouted their anger at the racist treatment of Black people
in the
U.S. and again expressed solidarity with the uprising of the people in
Baltimore.
Justice Department to Investigate Baltimore Police
Newly-appointed Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch launched yet another Department of Justice (DoJ) investigation, this time into the Baltimore Police. The federal government is acting to control the courageous resistance in Baltimore, with youth contending with National Guard, a selectively imposed and racist curfew and a militarized police force. Yet many are aware that similar investigations by the DoJ in Oakland, Cleveland, Ferguson and Los Angeles have done nothing to block racist police brutality and killings, and the widespread government impunity that goes with them. And, despite what is well-known and has been repeatedly documented and opposed by people in Baltimore, the DoJ is going to investigate if there is a "pattern or practice" of excessive force.
Lynch testified during her first hearing on Capitol Hill as Attorney General on May 7 that she was considering the investigation. She then announced it May 8. Already indicating that the investigation is not meant to solve the problem of government impunity, where frequent and regular excessive use of force goes unpunished, Lynch said, "Ultimately, this process is meant to ensure that officers are being provided with the tools they need -- including training, policy guidance and equipment -- to be more effective, to partner with civilians, and to strengthen public safety."
It is the DoJ and Pentagon
that are responsible for the
fact that local police
now have military-grade tanks and weaponry and large stores of chemical
weapons like tear gas (which is banned for use in war). One
example is
the wide-scale provision of Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles,
(MRAPs). Their only real purpose is urban warfare against people in the
U.S.
rebelling against government racism, violence and government refusal to
provide equal rights for all. Local police have received 624 MRAPs from
the
Pentagon since 2011. National Guard units, in contrast, have just 60.
It is also the DoJ and Pentagon that are responsible for the culture of militarism that pervades police departments. People, especially African Americans and youth, are seen as "threats" and the role of police is to shoot to kill and treat people, as the military does, as though they are not human beings -- as though their lives do not count. They are also responsible for the numerous Joint Terrorism Task Forces and similar joint actions, under federal command, where police are trained to control, attack and repress dissent. This was evident in the live-exercises by police agencies conducted in Ferguson and at numerous demonstrations, such as those against NATO.
Lynch called for the investigation shortly after Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby filed criminal charges against six Baltimore officers who were involved in the arrest and killing of Freddie Gray. Mosby, in announcing the charges May 1, admitted the arrest itself was illegal and his treatment in custody, where he was left to be banged up and injured, shackled and handcuffed in the back of the police van, brought about his death. Gray's repeated calls for medical help, much like Eric Garner's calls that he could not breathe, were ignored.
Mosby announced charges in part in response to the persistent demonstrations in Baltimore demanding justice, including a large action April 25. Following Gray's funeral April 27, there was another large demonstration that was forcibly repressed by police, including with tear gas. It remains unclear if police were among those that instigated the breaking of windows -- a practice they have been documented carrying out at numerous demonstrations.
The response of protesters has been to continue their fight, joined by actions across the country on May 1 demanding an end to police violence and equal rights for all. Rejecting the efforts by the government and monopoly media to divert attention from their violence to the protesters, people responded, "You are worried about a few broken windows that can be fixed. We are worried about people's lives and police killings." Many bring out that the government's refusal to deal with the violence of poverty, government racism, the violence of police impunity, the occupation of African American communities by militarized police and National Guard are all evidence that the federal government has no solutions but more repression.
This was further indicated in remarks made by
Attorney-General Lynch. While
the appearance is
the federal government is opposing police killings, in reality it is
preparing the
ground for the potential federal takeover of local police. Lynch said,
"The
situation in Baltimore involves a core responsibility of the Department
of
Justice -- not only to combat illegal conduct when it occurs but to
help
prevent the circumstances that give rise to it in the first place." She
added,
"When there are allegations of wrongdoing made against individual
officers
and police departments, the Department of Justice has a responsibility
to
examine the evidence and, if necessary, implement changes."
Demonstration in Baltimore, April 22, 2015.
These changes include taking over a police department if it fails to make "progress" as determined by the DoJ. The joint task forces are already putting into practice such federal control and command. These DoJ investigations, which have systematically failed to end police violence, are a further mechanism for outright federal takeover.
People in Baltimore and across the country know that it is only as a result of continued and determined actions that charges were filed. They also know well that bringing charges does not mean convictions, as seen in the Trayvon Martin case. And that even if there are convictions, it does not solve the problem of the thousands of police killings, beatings and unjust arrests that occur across the country and go unpunished.
Police impunity at all levels is a crime. Justice demands that it be treated as such and that the DoJ be held responsible first and foremost. Solutions lie in continuing to step up organized resistance, including demands to disarm police and in rejecting federal intervention, instead organizing self-defense mechanisms of our own making, where the people themselves decide what more is needed to block racist government attacks and defend the rights of all.
Missouri Senator McCaskill Proposes Bill that
Will
Allow for Further
Federal Intervention
Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill introduced a bill May 7 addressing the Pentagon and Department of Justice programs providing military-grade equipment to local police. U.S. Representative Lacy Clay, also of Missouri, is offering an identical bill in the House of Representatives. The bills would specifically remove MRAPs from the list of military equipment available to local police. They will not remove the more than 620 MRAPS already in the hands of local police, such as in Ferguson, Baltimore and most major cities and towns across the country.
McCaskill's concern is not that MRAPs, designed for urban warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan, have no place in local police departments. She said the problem is that MRAPS "are not flexible or nimble enough to provide the kind of protection that police officers need in some circumstances."
As an indication of the high level of militarization already in place, the bill also would bar small police departments, with fewer than 10 sworn officers, from purchasing more than one military tactical vehicle.
The bill is also designed to use federal funds to force police departments to form regional policing agencies. For example, departments with fewer than 35 officers would not be able to obtain federal funding for SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) equipment unless they teamed up with other agencies to form regional SWAT teams. These SWAT teams are already among the most militarized and aggressive policing forces. Developing regional teams will only further strengthen federal and Pentagon control -- forces outside the communities and cities police are supposedly serving.
As well, far from blocking the use of military equipment against protesters or strikers or immigrants defending rights, police departments would simply have to publish their requests for such equipment. These include flash bang grenades, sound blasters (Long Range Acoustic Devices or LRADs) and high caliber assault rifles. For the public, which is demanding an end to the militarization of police and that they be disarmed, there would be hotlines to receive reports about the misuse of funds and equipment.
McCaskill chaired a Senate hearing to examine the militarized police response to Ferguson protests. At the time, she said she was deeply disturbed by the sight of helmeted officers in body armor aiming sniper rifles at civilians and patrolling the streets of Ferguson atop huge armored vehicles. None of this is outlawed in the bill. Indeed, the federal program, funded with public dollars, will continue instead of being banned. The program has provided billions of dollars worth of surplus Humvees, helicopters, ballistic vests and other military supplies to police departments since the 1990s. It is run by three federal agencies notorious for their violence and racism -- the Pentagon, the DoJ and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The demand of the people is to shut it down entirely: fund rights, not repression.
Bringing the Crisis to a Head in Baltimore
- Glen Ford,
Black
Agenda Report -
It has been nine months since the
Black youth of
Ferguson, Missouri, set history in motion with their demand for justice
for
Michael Brown, yet the movement has maintained its momentum while the
forces of collaboration are on the defensive. In Baltimore, the young
Black
State's Attorney gave the people what they had so loudly demanded, but
did
not expect to get: serious charges against the six cops directly
involved in
Freddie Gray's death, with one officer facing up to 30 years in prison
for 2nd
degree "depraved heart" murder -- a potential template for future
"depraved
indifference" charges against killer cops. [...]
It was not Allen Bullock's time. The 18 year-old succumbed to pressures from his family to turn himself in to police, and was promptly locked up in lieu of $500,000 bail on charges of rioting and destruction of property [a police car] -- substantially higher than the $350,000 bail set for the four officers charged with manslaughter and murder of Freddie Gray, and twice as high as the two cops facing misdemeanor counts in Gray's death.
Maryland's top public defender appealed to private lawyers to represent the hundreds arrested during last week's rebellion, and pleaded for affordable bail. "This is a poor community. Putting high bonds on those who cannot afford even nominal bonds sends the wrong message -- that if you have money you get released -- and may fan the flames of frustration," said Paul DeWolfe. But judges continued to set high bail, including $100,000 for a man accused of stealing 130 bottles of vodka. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who had earlier lamented that her city was being "destroyed by thugs," and then later apologized for her remarks, reiterated ... that more arrests would be forthcoming as police poured over video evidence.
More than one hundred people who had been arrested during protests were released with no charges, prompting deputy public defender Natalie Finegar to tell the Los Angeles Times, "It looks like a lot of folks were just flat-out illegally detained." Which only goes to show that the U.S. criminal justice system responds to protests against over-policing and disregard of Black rights -- with more of the same.
On May 3 Mayor Rawlings-Blake lifted the five-day curfew -- a collective punishment that was selectively imposed on Black and poor sections of the city -- and Maryland's governor announced the start of withdrawal of thousands of National Guard troops.
Baltimore State's Attorney Mosby, who won office vowing to reign in police misconduct and to set an example for swift prosecution of offenders in blue, will have to fight to assemble a jury willing to convict police officers of -- anything. The cops' lawyers will surely demand a change in venue from 63 percent Black Baltimore and the heavily Black surrounding county, to a much whiter locale. Although Maryland is the fourth Blackest state in the nation, at about 29 percent, there are still "Simi Valley"-type venues out there that can be counted on to exonerate killer cops. If a change of venue is granted, then the odds of convicting a cop for killing a citizen of any race in the U.S. will remain unchanged at 1,000 to 1, as tabulated by a landmark Washington Post-Bowling Green State University study.
Mosby's use of Maryland's "depraved heart" statute -- the equivalent of "depraved indifference" in other states or "reckless disregard" for constitutional rights in federal case law -- to charge one of the cops with 2nd degree murder, is a challenge to the prosecutorial chorus, including former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, that maintains it is near impossible to prove a case of murder against cops because of how "the law" is written. Mosby is apparently aware of the Michigan Branch of the ACLU's efforts to show that U.S. court rulings provide ample room for prosecution of killer cops. For example, a 1997 U.S. appellate court ruling held that: "It is enough...if it can be proved -- by circumstantial evidence or otherwise -- that a defendant exhibited reckless disregard for a constitutional or federal right." (See, "It's Not the Law, But Prosecutors, That Give Immunity to Killer Cops," BAR, Dec 12, 2014.)
Under Eric Holder, according to the New York Times, the U.S. Justice Department "has supported police officers every time an excessive-force case has made its way to arguments." Which means, like every attorney general before him, Holder has used the weight of his department to relentlessly shape the case law of the nation's highest court in favor of impunity for killer cops. He is part of the problem, yet is allowed to tour Black communities and churches pretending to be a friend on the inside of the system. (Loretta Lynch will doubtless be no different.)
Mayor Rawlings-Blake went to that poisoned well May 6, asking the Justice Department to conduct a "pattern and practice" investigation into systemic racial bias and excessive force in the Baltimore Police Department.
The only thing that can work to fundamentally change the system for Black people -- whether in the 21st century or the Sixties -- is mass organization for popular empowerment. In a society where police practice systemic violence, the resistance will inevitably include violence, as well. Baltimore saw both ingredients at work, over the past couple of weeks -- and it scared the powers-that-be to their bones. Whatever this movement will ultimately be called, it announced its active presence in a major American city at the beginning of the hot season.
There was clearly more than simple "looting" going on in the pattern of confrontation with police -- which means important things are happening in the street. When high school kids rush out of school to join the battle against the cops, we know that important things are happening in their peer groups. And the summer has not yet begun.
The "peaceful" protesters and the bad "thugs" -- who might be the same person at different times of day -- created a small taste of the crisis that must come to all of the Baltimores of the United States, if Black people are to control or replace the local police and sever every fatal connection to the Mass Black Incarceration State that has been imposed over the past 45 years. [...]
Iraq Veterans Against the War Calls on the
Maryland
National Guard
to Stand Down
April 29, 2015 -- Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), a national group of Post 9/11 veterans, calls on the Maryland National Guard to stand down from their mobilization to Baltimore. As 1,000 soldiers currently deploy to put down an uprising of exploited people who have been terrorized by a consistently racist police department, we stand in solidarity with the people of Baltimore and encourage service members and veterans to listen to their fellow community members and to stand on the right side of history.
We know that the death of yet another black person at the hands of police is not unique or new in our country. We also know that the rage we are seeing in the streets is the direct result of a legacy of police departments and a prison system that dehumanizes and targets black people and people of color and the result of a morally bankrupt economy that continues to profit off of the backs of poor people across the country. We stand with those people who have lifted up the banner of #BlackLivesMatter to ensure that fundamental change takes place in our country.
The irony of the National Guard deployment to quell protests due to the death of Freddie Gray at the hands of police is not lost on us as we approach the 45th anniversaries of both the Jackson State and Kent State shootings, where the National Guard and police were deployed to silence protestors with deadly consequences.
As veterans who have deployed to and served in support
of occupations
abroad, we see some of the same tactics and military equipment being
used by
police against the people of Baltimore, just as it was used against the
people
of Ferguson and Oakland. The increased militarization of our foreign
policy
and our domestic policing, coupled with racist violence perpetuated by
our
government, has to stop. The people of Baltimore demanding systemic
change
should be responded to with dialogue not an escalation of force. We
encourage
National Guard members across the country, many of whom we have served
with, to begin a conversation on how they will respond when it becomes
their
turn to be mobilized against their own communities.
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Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca