Comrades mark Kim Il Sung anniversary

by New Worker correspondent

Comrade Thae holding up the New Worker!

AT THE HEIGHT of the Cold War NATO forces staged an intimidating war exercise along the length of the border between eastern and western Europe involving 120,000 troops from assorted NATO countries.

This year NATO forces, along with Japanese and south Korean troops, staged an aggressive war exercise, including practising the use of  nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, in the much smaller space of the south of the Korean peninsula involving 300,000 troops.

The exercise included goals entitled: “behead the leader” and involved practising invasive beach landings. And they wonder why the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been motivated to develop its own nuclear weapons!

This information was delivered by Comrade Thae Yongho, a representative of the DPRK embassy in London, to a meeting of the Korean Friendship Association (KFA) and the Juche Idea Study Group of England in central London on Saturday 2nd April  to celebrate the 104th anniversary of Korean revolutionary leader Kim Il Sung and the DPRK Day of the Sun.

Dermot Hudson outlined the life of Kim Il Sung and the contributions he made to communist unity throughout the world, especially at a time when there was an ideological war between Moscow and Beijing that led to sectarian divisions and even violence between the different factions throughout communist parties across the world.

Kim Il Sung, and his son and successor Kim Jong Il, developed the Juche idea, which is based on the principle that human society is the master of its own destiny; that communist parties in different countries should work out their own path to socialism according to their circumstances; that they should respect each other but not rely on each other for protection nor to set out what political line they should take. Each party and its membership must be responsible for its political line and actions.

They went on to develop the Songun, or Army First, policy, which does not mean a military dictatorship but that the army should be engaged in civil construction and other work, creating a better standard of living for the people and creating a long-lasting bond between the people and the army.

And so the country has raised itself up and, despite United States imposed sanctions and natural disasters like flooding, has steadily raised the standard of living so that people in the DPRK now enjoy a life well balanced between work and leisure that their grandparents could hardly have dreamed of – where there is respect and affection between the generations, guaranteed housing, free healthcare and education. and a life with much less stress and anxiety than in our society.

Other speeches were made by Sean Pickford, Nick Shakespeare, Alex Meads and Daniel Braggins, and there was a film shown of DPRK defence exercises.

Stop Turkey’s war on the Kurds!

by New Worker correspondent

THOUSANDS of members of London’s Kurdish community gathered on Sunday 6th March outside the BBC headquarters in Portland Place for a mass march to Trafalgar Square and protest at the one-sided genocidal war now being waged by the Turkish government of Erdogan against the Kurdish people.

Turkey is a member of NATO and is an ally of the British government and David Cameron has publicly welcomed the Turkish Prime Minister to 10 Downing Street even as Kurdish civilians were being massacred in a basement in Cizre.

Britain and Turkey are working hand-in-glove – along with the United States and Saudi Arabia in doing their utmost to destabilise the elected Syrian government. Thousands of extreme Islamist terrorists from ISIS, al Nusra and other groups have been infiltrated from Turkey across the border into Syria.

Turkey has acted as a go-between to allow money, resources and weapons to flow from the western imperialists while they try to pretend they are opposed to ISIS and its barbaric tactics.

Kurds in Syria and Turkey have been fighting ISIS effectively but have to fend of attacks from the Turkish state as they do so.

In the South East of Turkey a full-scale military assault on Kurdish civilians is underway with 24-hour curfews for the last four months.

People are often shot at while carrying the white flag in search of water and food. Whole areas are turned into rubble with widespread crime against humanity being committed by the Turkish state.

The Kurdish successes against ISIS are astonishing; they are fighting mainly with Kalashnikovs and on two fronts – against ISIS and against the Turkish state.

The Kurds, led by their Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), have long campaigned for democratic autonomy within Turkey where they wish to form an egalitarian, gender equal society. But Erdogan wants to create and Islamic dictatorship throughout all Turkey.

The crowd that gathered in Portland Place last Saturday included many supporters including trade unionists, along with major anti-fascist and anti-racists organisations and London Turkish communists.

It was a colourful and exuberant crowd with many children present. But behind the smiles was the awareness that in the war zone young people not much older than these children are fighting on the front line, slowly winning the war but risking their lives to do so in the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and the military wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD).

Also on Sunday Turkish police in Istanbul broke up an attempt by Turkish Women to celebrate International Women’s Day, using rubber bullets to disburse the angry and defiant women.

Hundreds of women had turned out in response to an order from the governor of Istanbul, who banned the annual 8th March rally citing security concerns.

Hundreds of women filled the square in the Kadikoy district on the Asian side of Istanbul chanting slogans and carrying banners. Sporadic skirmishes between the demonstrators and plainclothes police erupted on several occasions.

Women’s rights activists criticize the Turkish government for failings on issues, such as eradicating domestic violence and gender inequality at work.

No to Sanctions! No to War!

By New Worker correspondent

London comrades were outside the American embassy on Saturday 5th March to protest against US imperialism’s war-games in south Korea and the latest tranche of sanctions imposed on Democratic Korea at the United Nations.

New Communist Party leader Andy Brooks joined comrades and friends protesting outside the US embassy in Grosvenor Square against the “Foal Eagle” and “Key Resolve” drills that have heightened tension on the divided Korean peninsula at a picket  called by the UK Korean Friendship Association.

Taking the microphone, KFA chair Dermot Hudson denounced the latest imperialist provocations against the homeland of Juché saying: "The US imperialist aggressors and the south Korean fascist puppets will begin the Foal Eagle and Key Resolve military exercises in less than a week’s time on the 7th March and these will run until the 30thApril, that is nearly 2 months. The exercises are unprecedented in scale and intensity.

“The exercises will involve 15,000 US troops , that is 3 times the usual number. The US imperialist forces' nuclear-powered submarine North Carolina has already entered Pusan Port and F-22A Stealth fighter-bombers have been deployed in the Osan air force base. The exercises will include so-called "beheading operations" aimed at the physical liquidation of the DPRK supreme leadership and destruction of nuclear and rocket bases of the DPRK.

“These exercises come at a time when the US imperialists , south Korean puppets and world reactionaries have run amok in their efforts to stifle Korean-style socialism by means of 'additional UNSC sanctions' and the so-called' human rights ' campaign. The US imperialists and their lackeys throughout the world have unfairly and hypocritically taken issue with the legitimate satellite launch of the DPRK and the self-defensive H bomb test .

“Foal Eagle and Key Resolve are neither "defensive " nor 'routine' as claimed . They include detailed plans for the rehearsal and invasion of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea of Korea. It is a nonsensical sophistry to assert that they are "routine ". The analogy can be used of a fire drill in an office building or factory , these are not held for the sake of "routine" but as a practice for the real thing . It is the same with "Foal Eagle " and "Key Resolve.

“We call for the immediate cancellation of Foal Eagle and Key Resolve and the unconditional withdrawal of US troops from Korea . Moreover a broad labour movement and peace movement campaign must be mounted against Foal Eagle and Key Resolve. Foal and Key Resolve must be stopped in their tracks."

Comrades held up DPRK flags, and displayed the large KFA banner that always accompanies these demonstrations while others maintained a constant commentary on the microphone throughout the afternoon.

The Shining Star of Korea

Michael Chant, Andy Brooks and Dermot Hudson

by New Worker correspondent

Friends of the Korean revolution celebrated the 74th anniversary of the birth of dear leader Kim Jong Il at a number of events in February, including a reception and ceremony at the London embassy of the DPR Korea in London on the 12th and a meeting at the John Buckle Centre on 13th February.

  In Democratic Korea Kim Jong Il’s birthday has long been known as the Day of the Shining Star and comrades paid tribute to the Korean leader’s immense contribution to the theory and practice of the world communist movement at a Friends of Korea meeting at the headquarters of the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (ML) in south London.

NCP leader Andy Brooks opened the meeting by paying tribute to Kim Jong Il, who steered the DPR of Korea through the difficult times that followed the death of great leader Kim Il Sung in 1994. He devoted his entire life to serving the Korean people in the cause of building a human-centred society, a cause that is espoused by the democratic and anti-imperialist forces the world over. He followed the footsteps of great leader Kim Il Sung in leading the country into the 21st century. Now the torch has passed to Kim Jong Un and under his leadership the DPRK has made giant strides in science and technology over the past few weeks with the test of a thermos-nuclear bomb and the successful launch of a satellite into space. 

 This was followed by other tributes from Michael Chant of the RCPB (ML), Dermot Hudson of the Korean Friendship Association and  DPRK Ambassador Hyong Hak Bong who answered questions from the audience on the current tense situation on the Korean peninsula. This was followed by Kim Jong Un guides Satellite launch! a DPRK film about last week’s tremendous space launch.

Comrades and friends joined diplomats and many others actively involved in solidarity with Democratic Korea across the country for the reception to mark the Day of the Shining Star at the DPRK embassy in London.

 Last week, on 16th February, Andy Brooks, the NCP leader, joined others in laying floral tributes in front of the portraits of the great Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at a ceremony at the DPRK embassy in London.

The Co-ordinating Committee of the Friends of Korea brings together all the major movements active in Korean friendship and solidarity work in Britain today. It is chaired by Andy Brooks and the secretary is Michael Chant. The committee organises meetings throughout the year, which are publicised by the supporting movements and on the Friends of Korea website.

Students demand free education

OVER 10,000 students marched through London on Wednesday 4th November  to protest at the Government’s decision to abolish maintenance grants for students from low-income homes and to demand a return to free higher education.The event was organised by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC).

The demonstrators also marched against the discrimination directed at students from overseas, stopping outside the Home Office to make this point. The march was vibrant, loud and colourful, and included many first time protesters.

The police themselves face a new wave of swingeing cuts to their numbers and the outsourcing of some of their duties to private contractors like G4S. They nevertheless defended the Home Office that is attacking their futures.

But they were not in a good mood and the students experienced some of the most heavy-handed policing in London for some years.

Once protesters reached the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the office responsible for this latest round of attacks on education, some students tried to enter the building. Smoke bombs, flares, eggs and paint balls were thrown while riot police from the Territorial Support Group (TSG) stormed the crowd.

The police then kettled a large number of the protesters, resulting in panic and confusion. At least 18 protesters were arrested violently. The NCAFC condemned this unnecessary and aggressive response.

Students then spread around the streets of Westminster in groups to avoid being kettled. They were still moving around and protesting well into the evening.

The NCAFC is planning another day of action on 17th November and a national student strike in early February.

They said: “We will build a movement that can win — and we will not be deterred, either by the violence of the police or the myth that protest doesn’t work. Because from history and from student movements all over the world, we know that it does.”

Last week Government released its Higher Education Green Paper — the first major policy paper since the election. It contains a series of changes that, if implemented, would further entrench the marketisation of universities and mean that governments could raise fees without even a vote in Parliament.

Students are already facing total debts in excess of £56,000 now that their maintenance costs will be added to their student loans and these figures are rising all the time. For students at elite universities the fees are even higher than the £9,000-per-year charged by most. Currently around more than half a million students receive the maintenance grant but that will soon disappear.

The NCAFC is concerned that many young people will be deterred from going to university and that higher education will be only for the wealthy.

James Elliot, from the NCAFC and a member of the National Union of Students (NUS) national executive, said: “These proposals are being openly touted by Jo Johnson (MP for Orpington, currently working in the Cabinet Office) as treating students as ‘consumers’. If implemented they will mean potentially unlimited tuition fees and, by linking teaching funding to graduate earnings, threaten to impose cuts on both humanities and the arts.

“It will be a disaster for students and education workers alike, meaning more fees and debt, and threatening jobs too.”