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An outstanding Korean leader

By New Worker correspondent

Millions of communists in Korea and all over the world recalled the outstanding achievements of dear leader Kim Jong Il at events to mark the 5th anniversary of his passing on 17th December 2011 last weekend.

London Korean solidarity activists, including NCP leader Andy Brooks, presented floral tributes during a ceremony at the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) embassy in London on Saturday 17^th December hosted by the new ambassador Comrade Choe Il. Other bouquets were laid by Michael Chant and Chris Coleman from the RCPB(ML) and Dermot Hudson from the Korean Friendship Association (KFA).

Following in Kim Il Sung’s footsteps, Kim Jong Il led the Workers Party of Korea into the 21st century to build a strong and prosperous democratic republic. Kim Jong Il was a leading Marxist thinker who made an important contribution to modern communist theory, as well as an astute statesman who led the Korean people through thick and thin to overcome natural disasters, imperialist blockade and diplomatic isolation.

Kim Jong Il made an immense contribution to Marxist-Leninist theory and ideology. In his 1982 work On the Juché Idea, Kim Jong Il brought together and systematised the Juché theory; his 1994 thesis Socialism is a Science affirmed that socialism would eventually become the economic system of the entire world because it is the only form of society in which people can be truly free.

Kim Jong Il worked tirelessly to ease tension on the Korean peninsula to pave the way towards the peaceful reunification of Korea whilst at the same time ensuring the DPRK’s defence against the threats and provocations of US imperialism and its lackeys.

On 15th June 2000 dear leader Kim Jong Il and President Kim Dae Jung of south Korea signed the historic North–South Joint Declaration. This was an historic landmark in the struggle of the Korean people to reunify their homeland that had forcibly been divided by the US imperialists following the Second World War. The Declaration opened up a new era for independence, peace, reconciliation and reunification on the Korean peninsula until the US-sponsored anti-national and anti-communist Lee Myung Bak clique in the south began to sabotage its spirit and principles.

US imperialism can never forgive the DPRK for being the first country since the second world war to defeat it on the battlefield, setting an example for all people fighting for independence and self-determination. Its revenge continues unabated to this day.

The Americans and their south Korean lackeys are working constantly to try to isolate the DPRK and the movement for national reunification. Peace campaigners and trade unionists have been jailed under south Korea’s fascist National Security Law whilst the joint US–south Korean military exercises aimed at invading the DPRK take the Korean peninsula ever closer to a cataclysmic nuclear war.

The DPRK has had no alternative but to develop a nuclear deterrent to defend its socialist system. At the same time it has pledged that it will never be the first to use nuclear weapons, and it has also vowed never to threaten the use of nuclear weapons nor allow the transfer of nuclear technology to other countries.

Kim Jong Il was a great leader of the Korean people who devoted his entire life to serving the Korean people in the cause of building a human-centred society, a cause that is one espoused by the democratic and anti-imperialist forces the world over.

The eternal memory of Kim Jong Il

Alex Kempshall speaks in solidarity

by New Worker correspondent

Friends and comrades returned to the Marchmont Centre in London last Saturday to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the passing away of dear leader Kim Jong Il who devoted his life to serving the Korean people. Organised by the Korean Friendship Association (KFA) speakers included Dermot Hudson of the KFA, Shaun Pickford and Alex Meads. Kim Song Gi, Minister Counsellor from the DPR Korea embassy also spoke while New Communist Party national chair Alex Kempshall delivered a solidarity message during the meeting.

Dear leader Kim Jong Il died at his post, whilst on a train giving on-the-spot guidance, on 17th December 2011. His entire life had been dedicated the revolutionary movement that was founded by Kim Il Sung, and the young militants around him, to fight the Japanese colonialists and build a modern communist party that would lead the Korean workers and peasants to a new life under socialism. Building a guerrilla army that took on the might of the Japanese Empire, great leader Kim Il Sung mobilised the masses in a struggle that ended in victory in 1945 and the establishment of a people’s government in the north of the country.

The Workers’ Party of Korea, with Kim Il Sung at the helm, led the battle for land reform, education and socialist construction in the 1950s and 1960s, and then pushed forward on the engineering, technical and scientific fronts to build a modern socialist republic where every individual worker is master of his or her own life. The DPRK stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the peoples of the Third World struggling to break the chains of colonialism, and gave technical and economic aid to their new republics to defend their freedom and independence.

From an early age Kim Jong Il worked side by side with Kim Il Sung, and when Kim Il Sung passed away Kim Jong Il told the Korean people and the world that they could “expect no change from him”.

 Under his leadership the Workers’ Party of Korea won even more great victories. Natural disasters were overcome. Imperialist diplomatic isolation was broken and the intrigues of US imperialism were exposed. Scientists in Democratic Korea mastered the secrets of the atom to guarantee the DPRK’s defence and energy needs, and now Korean rockets reach for the stars.

Now led by Kim Jong Un, the Korean people are following in the footsteps of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il to overcome all obstacles to fulfil the revolutionary tasks that faced the Korean people when they began their long march to socialism in the struggle against Japanese imperialism.

Greek communists debate Brexit

Sotiris Zarinopoulos makes his point!

by New Worker correspondents

GREEK communists living in London packed the hall of the Marx Memorial Library last Friday evening to hear Sotiris Zarianopoulos – one of the two Greek Communist Party (KKE) MEPs – speak on Brexit, the European Union (EU) and the tasks facing communists in Europe.

He said that western capitalism at its present stage needed to be destructive in order to create new markets and to expand. Since the 2008 banking crisis it has been busy imposing austerity that is destroying jobs, wages, and social and welfare support structures. But there is a real danger it will resort to the ultimate destructive force – war.

Indeed, the imperialists have already made wars in the Middle East and Africa in order to create opportunities to make markets and profits from reconstruction.

On Brexit and the referendum in Britain he said that both sides were led and controlled by contending imperialist forces, and that those supporting Brexit were motivated by fear of the growing power and economic dominance of the German economy relative to the City of London. And he recognised that the British working class who supported Brexit did so out of anger at the effect of the austerity measures on living standards.

Zarianopoulos said that in or out of Europe, the workers in Britain would still be ruled by capitalists who want to crush their living standards further.

Austerity is being imposed throughout the EU under different labels and it was often the case that social democratic parties implemented austerity policies that some bourgeois parties were afraid to do so. The only way to really improve things is to organise to overthrow capitalism and to create a workers’ state.

The crisis in Europe was a capitalist crisis, a crisis of capital accumulation due to the fact that there is a lack of profitable spheres for investment. As a result of the crisis the capitalists are deliberately destroying productive sectors, driving down living standards and creating very high unemployment. The solution proposed by both pro- and anti-EU politicians is cutting wages in order to attract profitable investment.

Regardless of whether a country stays in the EU or not the problems remain. It is not enough simply to leave the EU; the working class must seize power and there must be a change of system to socialism in order to resolve the problems.

Comrade Zarianopoulos said that he had recently seen a debate on the TV between a pro-Brexit MP and a Remain MP; at the end both of them believed in the so-called flexibility of labour and imposing a burden on the working class.

There were questions about the rise of fascism, the dangers of a new world war and the prospects of expanding the KKE's electoral base. Comrade Sotiris said that the KKE did not set any great store on elections and warned the audience that: “World wars don’t start out as global wars. They start over a local or regional issue and more and more countries get drawn in.”

Farewell to Fidel at Congress House

by New Worker correspondent

Congress House was packed on Monday evening for the memorial service called by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign (CSC) to pay their last respects to the memory of Fidel Castro. It was standing room only for some of the thousand or so who came to the TUC’s headquarters in London to hear tributes from diplomats, writers and artists to the outstanding Cuban revolutionary leader who passed away on 25^th November.

            Cuban Ambassador Teresita Vicente led the tributes, saying: “Today we know that over 200 million children sleep on the streets in the world. Not one of them is Cuban. Millions of people all over the world lack healthcare, lack education and lack social security. None of them are Cuban.”

All of this had been achieved, she said, despite the fact that “Cuba has been under permanent attack and blockade for almost 60 years.

“We will continue with Cuban internationalism. Wherever a child will be without a school, there will be a Cuban educator. Wherever there is a child without medical attention, there will be a Cuban doctor. Internationalism, as defined by Fidel, is to pay off our debt with humanity.

“We will struggle until the end of the immoral, illegal and criminal US blockade against our country. We will fight for the return of the illegally occupied territory at Guantanamo.

“Those who die fighting for life cannot be called dead. Fidel will live on!”

She ended with the rousing call of “Viva la revolución! Viva Cuba! Viva Fidel!” and received a huge standing ovation.

Other tributes were given by artists and writers including Tariq Ali, Cuban violinist Omar Puente, Asabi Hawah, Victoria Brittain and Richard Gott; and diplomats spoke about the consistent support that Cuba gave to the Third World during the Castro era.

Venezuelan ambassador Rocío Maneiro said: "Fidel is the son of Bolívar, the son of Jose Marti. He fought for social justice and independence for our lands.

"The dream of friendship, solidarity and integration is being made reality by Latin American countries who believe a better world is possible."

But probably the best speech at the memorial meeting apart, from that of the Cuban Ambassador herself, was from the Angolan ambassador who is also a senior officer in the Angolan armed forces.

Lieut-Colonel Rui Goncalves said: “If it was not for Cuba, Angola would have fallen under the South African apartheid army – and I can honestly said that I wouldn't be standing here today.”

Cuba’s support went beyond the military support, the ambassador said. “All my teachers when I was growing up were Cuban. Many doctors in Angola were Cuban. Fidel and Cuba helped our country in so many ways that we will forever be grateful for.”

He detailed Cuba's assistance to the MPLA [The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola] and spoke highly of the Cuban military help, as well the help given to education and health by Cuba. Cuba's decision to send military assistance to Angola was done independently of the Soviet Union and one year before the USSR acted.

New Communist Party leader Andy Brooks joined other comrades in signing the book of condolences at the Cuban embassy in London last week and over 7,600 people have now signed the on-line condolence book for Fidel Castro organised by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign.