RUG& POLITICAL PAPER OF THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMUNIST LEAGUE OF BRITAIN
15P Volume 5 No.ll November 1981 Behind the statistics 4MILLION OUT OF WORK
Margaret Thatcher was very proud on the regular rate. The 270,000 At the same time a recent _of the official unemployment figures youths presently being exploited Runnymede Trust study showed that this month. They went down! Not in this way are not counted on the while the total has increased by something we see too often these unemployment register. 66% in the past year, the number days. But things are not always of black workers out of a job has Add to these uncounted unempl what they seem and government stat gone up by 83% istics certainly aren't. oyed the hundreds of thousands of women who have not registered as A united struggle demands oppos Officially unemployment went down unemployed because tney are not ition to this double oppression and by 10,145 to 2,988,644. But there entitled to the dole. the fight to make the bosses pay are always seasonal variations, and for the cns1s of their system -can taking these into account, as unempl When the real figures are counted only progress through unity. oyment always falls in October, the it totals. up to over 4 million unempl underlying· trend was · an increase oyed. In October the T.U.C. prod- in unemployment of 56,200. uced a report saying just that .. But real unemployment is even While the working class as a higher than the 12.4% ( 1 in 8 of whole must fight for the right to ..---- the population) admitted to by the work for all, it must also be grasped Inside ... government. 270,000 young people that the level of oppression varies throughout Britain. The unity of RCL Second Congress ~re on the miss-named Youth opport the working class can only be built unities Programme a brain child 4-page pull out supplement on the work by fighting the double oppression of the last Labour government. of the RCLB's Second Congress. Looks faced by the Scottish an~ _, _.\'Lelsh at opportunism, party building, the Through this programme young workers and by national minorities struggle in Ireland, national ::>eople are given work for 6 months in Britain. minorities and the s truggle against on lousy pay. At the end of 6 Average unemployment in England racism, summing up the League's work months they are chucked out of work. and the way forward. In nearly all cases they receive is 11.8%, in Wales 15.6%, and in no training, and are merely used Scotland it is 14.4%. In the north for cheap labour in unskilled of Ireland imperialism has created Salute the Hunger Strikers p2 labouring work, often as an alternat unemployment of 19.8% - 1 in 5 o1 RCL statement salutes the brave Irish ive to properly employing someone the population. martyrs, examines the effects of the hunger strike, looks at the campaign in Britain and re-affirms our solidar ity. HAS EDWARDES RUN Fighting a deportation p6 Shirley Graham has lived in Britain for many years. Now she is faced with deportation. In the London borough of Newham a campaign is being organised OUT OF THREATS? to mobilise support. In this issue we print an article on the struggle by a member of the campaign. Redundancies too After 3 years of using threats to blackmail Leyland workers Michael But did this. protect jobs? Not Commonwealth Summit p 7 Edwardes appears to have run out of a chance. In 1978 BL' s workforce as The . Commonwealth could play a us eful bluster. Edwardes has managed to force a whole stood at around 200,000. On role in opposi tiun to the superpowers through wage cuts and redundancies July 1 1981, the figure was down to but British imper1alism must mend its on a massive scale at BL and even 129,000 . 14,000 jobs have gone during ways. succeed in sacking the Longbridge con i981. In BL's car division there venor Derek Robinson. are 66,900 employees. One year ago Egypt 's Shah Assassinated p 10 the figure stood at 88, 500 - a loss The offensive started in 1978 during of 22,400 or over 1 in 3 of the work "Class Struggle" Middle East Correspon the last Labour government. Edwardes force. And it doesn't stop there. dent looks at the assassination of pushed through a pay rise of 5% at BL aim to reduce its overall workforce Sadat. What led up to it? Is the a time when inflation was running at to 100,000 over the next year. opposition Soviet inspi red? What are about 10%. In 1979 a further 5% rise the superpowers up to? was accepted, while inflation ran at Already this year BL have closed 16%. In 1980 the Leyland workers got rt~ Rover . . PlAQt at Solihull; It was I.R.A bring war to Britain pl2 more - 6. 8% But inflation was up to opened only 5 years ago at a cost of 16.4%! In real terms Leyland workers £27 million and was hailed as one of The IRA have struck at two military took a wage cut in three successive the most modern car plants in .Europe. targets in London. Thatcher says the years of 5%, 11% and 9.8%! Now BL ~ body assembly plant at Speke, Irish people are "sub human". The are offering 3.8% when inflation stands L~verpool and the Coventry Engine plant ''Morning Star" says they're "brutal at 12%, a cut of 8% have been given notice of closure. and vicious". Where do genuine ~ommunists stand? ~~~cl Oft f.-5 EDITORIAL SALUTE THE HUNGER STRIKERS
The following is the full text of a statement ·adopted unanimously by the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Communist League of Britain ::1t its meeting on the weekend of 17/18 October. After nearly eight months the second hunger strike of Republican prisoners in the H-Blocks has ended . Ten more freedom fighters have selflessly given their lives in the cause of Irish freedom. The names of BOBBY SANDS, FRANCIS HUGHES, RAYMOND CREESH, PATSY O'HARA, JOE MCDONNELL, MARTIN HURSON, KEVIN LYNCH, KIERAN DOHERTY, MCELWEE A~D MICHAEL DEVINE will live forever in the hearts of oppressed people everywhere. Their heroic struggle has propelled the liberation movement a big step forward. The criminaJ.isation policy of the British state has been exposed internationally; public opinion throughout the world opposes the occupation of Ireland; the mass struggle in Ireland, vividly highlighted by the election victories of Bobby Sands, ieran Doherty, Paddy Agnew and Owen Carron have put national liberation at the entre of Irish politics in both partitioned states, enormously strengthened epublican forces in political and military terms and thrown their pro-imperialist opponents into confusion and disarray. The SDLP are now openly fearful for their electoral future, and during the hunger strike, the glare of publicity had forced the British to pull in the reins on the loyalist assassins. In Britain, the bourgeois parties have at last been forced to take the question of Ireland seriously or all these reasons the hunger strike has been a major victory. This victory has been won by the struggle of naked prisoners prepared to face an imperialist power in a just cause.
There is still much to do. The Republican movement has pointed main pro-imperialist pillars of the Irish establishment, the hier3rchy and the Free State, have not been decisively moved. Progress has been made in building G. broad united front against British imperialist oppression, 3nd · in developing an agreed strategy for national liberation, but these rem3in long 3nd arduous tasks. At the present time, it would appear that the prisoners have only won three and a half of their five demands. They now have the right to their clothes, regular visits and parcels, nearly free association and half remission. ver, half remission means little to a prisoner with a 100 years sentence 3nd question of prison work h3s yet to be resolved. Yet there has been a decisive improvement in their conditions and it will be harder for the British to use the prisons for their main purpose - grinding down opposition. In Britain the national solidarity campaign was fr3nkly a failure overall. a few exceptions it ·never moved outside the narrow left.. The one area ignificant successes were scored was amongst those such 3S the nation31 minorities, themselves know something at first hand about the re3l nature of British imper It w3s plogued .by right and "left" opportunists, seeking either to w:J.ter wn the struggle to m3ke it acceptG.ble to the LG.bour PG.rty or eLse •-ti'ying to in G.dvance" of the prisoners themselves . Genuine solidG.ri ty with the prisOI truggle bec:J.me a 1 ine of dem3rcation between intern:J.tionG.l ism G.nd opportunism. is has been a disgrG.ce at a time when the prisoners' struggle h:J.s decisivel re-opened the Irish question in British politics. On the other h3nd, independe elements in the solidarity movement hG.ve demonstr::1ted their freedom beyond any doubt, and the solidG.ri ty movement h3s increG.sed forces two or three-fold. The prison struggle continues. The RevolutionG.ry Communist League will firmly b e hind this struggle ::1nd do G.ll thG.t is in its power to help bring ::1 just conclusion. We will continue to 3Ssist in the building of 3 principle solidarity movement which cG.n give le3dership 3nd direction to the v::1rious forces• KEVIN LYNCH i thin British society opposed to British imperi3lism in IrelG.nd. our commi ttment to helping build the Troops Out Movement G.nd to British working cl:J.ss on the n::1ture of British imperi:J.list oppression We re-3ffirm our uncondi tion::1l solid3ri ty with the Irish liber:J.tion struggle :::md its Republic:J.n le:J.dership ::1nd fully support their right to use G.ny t:J.ctics they choose in pursuit of their struggle . As M3o Zedong pointed out in 1966: "A sm3ll ::.md we:J.k country c:J.n cert3inly defeat a lG.rge one provided its cause is just G.nd its people mobilised." T_he Irish people will win n3tiqnal liberation.
TROOPS OUT NOW! SELF-DETERMINATION FOR THE IRISH PEOPLE AS A WHOLE!
VICTORY TO THE REPUBLICAN MOVEMENT! • THOMAS McELWEE
TO A VOLUNTEER OF THE I.N.L.A. Class Struggle (for Mick Devine) This poem was submit Subscriptions You are gone Comrade into the distant land. ted to "Class Strug Fallen on that lonely field that only the vanguard command gle" by a veteran of the Irish freedom The long days and endless hours, now are over. INLAND ABROAD struggle. It was The pain and suffering gone That proud spirit finally free. spontaneously written 6 ISSUES £1.75 £2.50 on hearing the news of the death of Mi 12 ISSUES £3.50 £5.00 No more to answer the clarion call to arms. chael Devine, the To defend liberty against the cruel oppressor. last of the 10 H Fran NEW ERA B
Birmingham stipendiary magistrate, Mr. Milward, ruled there was no case. WINSTON ROS( to answer!
Keep Campaigning. ((UNLAWFULLY KILLED,, The inquest verdict came in last April. After campaigning. by the family and friends, three officers were Class Struggle correspondent. questions are what treatment did charged again · and brought for a pre he receive that caused him to vomit, liminary hearing to the magistrates "They killed Winston and now the and why was he kept restrained in such cour~. The magistrate announced that '"orld knows they did." Those were the a way thC.t he couldn't save himself, they had no case to answer and flatly ·o~~ords of Winston's mother after the or why was he not helped? If the police refused to allow the case to be heJ.rd jury brought in their findings at his had no indication that he was choking in a court with a jury! inquest on October 21st. His half to death, he must have been unconscious The Director of Public Posecutions brother Felix added that now they were - Why? immediately announced that no further going to "make sure that the people action would be taken, but the campaign who killed Winston are brought to Remember Barry Prosser. stepped up its work . After putting justice." The case of the murder of Barry on the pressure , the D.P.P. h:1s now Winston Rose died in the back of Prosser throws some light on the quest agreed to ask a judge t o comm i t the a police van as he was being taken ion. Barry Prosser died in prison at officers for trial. A t rial before to hospital. A social worker had asked Winson Green, Birmingham. Barry had a jury. was finally ordered on Friday him to attend a psychiatric ward on been mentally ill and was being held 23 October. a voluntary basis. After he refused, in the 'hospital wing. Three prison officers entered his cell, and another Support the Winston Rose a magistrates order was gained -and Action Committee. police went round to pick him up. The prisoner testified to the sound of police did not bother to ensure that him being beaten up. A pathologist concluded that the injuries were the a social worker or doctor was present, So we know what to expect and i t and they went in force. result of a severe assault carried :>ut by more than one person. The post is clear that the syst e m will not Winston tried to hide from the mortem report said that he died of willingly act a gainst its own a gen ts . police, but he was grabbed. Neighbour, shock brought about by severe injuries The only answer is· to bu ild a m:1ss Sophia Mabley takes up the story: "They including a ruptured oesophagus movement to put on the pressure. took him in the back of the van. It (throat) and stomach, and bruising The Winston Rose Ac t ion Comm i ttee wasn't gently ... He might have been all over his body. cnn be contacted at: dead. I think his head was hanging loosely ,back. They threw him in head At the inquest, a . jury brought in a verdict of "unlawful killing". Winston Rose Action Committee Fund , first - like a piece of meat. " Winston c/o Waltham Forest C.R.C., was held face down with his arms Earlier, after a police enquiry, 25 Church Hill, Walthamstow, E17 3AB. handcuffed behind his back. He died one man had been charged at a a'fter choking on his own vomit. The magistrates court, but the then They need your support. UNEMPLOYMENT - child of Imperialism If you read the newspapers regularly you will find a lot of reasons given for the growth of unemployment. Some are partially true, some completely false. Bourg eois politicians are adept at talking round the issue.s, blowing up minor factors and even completely covering up the real problems. In this article we don't pretend to do an 'in-depth' analysis but only to look at some of the more common statements and point to the real causes.
"A WORLD CRISIS" Workers march through Derbyshire during October in one of a series of Right to Work Governments are fond of telling Mo.rches orgo.nised by the Trade Unions. u s that it's 'not their fault' - it's ::t ll because of "a world crisis" . This e xcuse has been trotted out by both lND\JSTti.Y C'lf"IIIC.I IN IIITf'olt' '~"'NC.\1 ,,., .liT,.,.""~ tro" &qr.y ~•o 'IM»L'C.Iii~ &,,.,. lct7S .... ,...., ... ••..au lcr'76 ""'~ O'iJI IW 1111, ...... "'*"' La b our and Tory governments. It is w••• e'MPL.OYr" '"l 1 inde ed largely the truth. But what '"" toCit&c.tot',. J o1'11~Q tl is missed out is that it is an inter n a tional crisis of imperialism . That Mei~L. ~AN\JfFK.TUila l)OI.ON 21 •;o Uf \q .q o/o gqca is the economic system that dominates b'$9 the world and Britain is an imperial ist HININ(co ~N) 1>0WN q.t,•~ l>OWN l·S~ <\SZ. q \ ~ - country . So to complain that is "all Q.\)A,.tt-."iJ~Gt .J e cause of the world crisis" is not G.'-4 ...... 'c.A L. :.m e xcuse' it is an utter condemnation PR.OJ>u C.TS uP S·lt~o UP lit C¥o \OOZ.. qas of the economic system in which we ~oo~, ~ ~'...," live and of the political parties which uP ~ · l% VP \q ·\ olo 'l'+1 97Lt- manage and protect it. AND 1"0SIAC..C.() Such a crisis of imperialism is e'N~lNEEi'RlNf:r )OWN l9·2% 1,.\"t'Tt.e C.lti\"'4G q~1 8ll, not a new development . Marx and Engels analyse d the causes of the regular T&iilCT&L.ES L..aATMea. 1 l>OWN 2't-·t»% U? \•bo~ crise s that racked capital ism. Imper A+l~ C.L O'TMtN" qe..3 1 Lt-2. i a lism is the highest stage of capi t ~ow.., 0 q(\g :.tlism and the basic causes of periodic CONSTil.!JC.TlOt-J \'5·'3 % ~O~t-J S·b 4 ca C\1 crises remain the same. We have seen .TQTAL these crises before and we will see DOWN lO·i» tt'b UP , . ~~ ~&'3 i37 the m again until the system itself (eKC.\.\J~ trJ• ~II.) i s destroy e d by the mass of the people TOTAl PRODVCTlON ])O~ l·5 o/o \Jf \7 . " 04 qb'3 8:ig whom it e xploits and oppresse s. 'wa.u~'"''- ot&.l "INCREASE PRODUCTIVI':'Y" The table above shows that the overall output of British industry is f a l ling. "\!J e must inc r e ase productivity" is Even Chemico.l products which s h ow a r i se in production since 1975 has had a fall :..t cry we h ear from all over. Why? in output of 13% since its high point ~ years ago. It is quite clear that even " Bcc:.~ u sc we must compe t e ". This is industries suc h as Food, Tobacco etc., where output has risen have lost many jobs tru e , if we ::tc cept the impe rialist as a resul t of productiv ity increases, whilst industries where productivity has ::;ystem. The British imperialists must changed little have lost j ob s due to a fo.ll irt ou tput . Falling produ ction and compete if t he y are to survive in productivity increase cause unemployment. It should be noted that "output per :.~ crl s i s which screws up the competit employee" figures are not an exact measure of productivity o.s output per employee i on b e tween the imperialists as the goes up with overtime and down with short-time working and industrial disputes . we::tker g o to the wall. British imper Overall production figures o.re given both with and without oil production because i:.~lis m h as los t most of its old protec the inclusion of oil distorts the true picture as high value is produced with ted m::trkets 3nd sources of raw mater hardly any labour. iJl ::; a nd its influence h3s steadily de cline d. It is still 3 m3jor imper i 3list powe r but the crisis h3s hit a genius to figure out the result . in Europe and Japan for taking ' our' it more deeply. For the imperialists The number of workers in productive work. They all sound so concerned about to compe t e they must pass the effect industry fell by more than l in 10. the plight of the working c l ass in Britain. But they are not. The image of the cri s is on to the b3cks of the The solution to unemployment does created of imports "flooding Britain" working class. When 3 company ration not and cannot lie within the imper is a lie. It is a lie designed to :llise s its oper3tion it closes factor ialist system. It's a case of heads make the demo.nds of the fo.ke 'left ' ies. Wh e n it boosts productivity it they win, to.ils we lose. The imperial appear 'fair' o.nd 'just'. I t i s a doe s so not to produce more but to ists benefit from the system. The lie designed to get British work ers produce the same (or even less) but working class does not . with :::1 lot less workers . Productivity to s upport their ' own ' imperialist and wage cuts are the me3ns to compet- You might expect then to hear self ruling class ago.inst other imperialists , ition. The imperialists will thus proclaimed 'socialists' those It is a lie intended to prevent the survive . But it is the workers who champions of the working class both struggle developing against imperialism lose jobs, it is workers who work within the Labour Party and in the o.s o. system . h3rder ::md it is workers who receive multiplicity of ' revolutionary' sects less for that harder work. which trail behind it - to be standing on their soap boxes (or rather sitting In 1975 the value of imports into The working class, so long as imper in their committee chairs) denouncing Bri to.in wo.s £3, 333 mill ion greo.ter i::tlism exists,is put between the frying the crisis of imperialism and beginning than exports. From being £3, 333 p::m :md the fire. If the imperio.lists to organise for its destruction. million in the red, British imperialist succeed in competing we lose jobs and t r a de ho.d tur ned into a £1,178 million bUt, no. lJ:ll'u.i:y· .:ore is +:o be h::tve w::tges cut. If they fo.il factories surplus in 1980. Britain exports far heard. The fake 'left' do not o.ttack close. more than it imports. the cause - imperialism itself . They In the p3st year o.lone (up to June atto.ck the Common Market and imports. The lies and the fake 'left' poli t 1981) the output of manufacturing They make o. lot of noise about cheap ics which back British imperi:-tlism industry in Britain fell by 9. 8% imports destroying British jobs and and cho.uvinism must be rejected . The ( ::tlmost one tenth); output per worker blame both the super-exploited workers enemy is imperio.lism o.nd socialists incre::tsed by l. 3o,t. It doesn't take in the Third World and the workers must organise to fight it. 4 signs of weakness on the part of the workers on one front, they will FORD TO OFFER 5% push through on the other. The fact that Leyland's Speke plant has By a "Cass Struggle" correspondent. 6hort-time working, lay-offs or one of the 'quietest' records of redundancies or a combination industrial struggles has not stopped Hard on the heels of the wages of all three .. Leyland deciding to axe it. To fight struggle developing at British Ley back and make the bosses pay for land is the annual negotiations at The Company will reply to the their crisis, means the working class Ford. claim on October 30th two days must fight both wage cuts and before the British Leyland strike redundancies. is due to start. But they are expect The unions have put in a claim ed to offer only £4.80 for most work In any case, even if Ford succeed for: ers - a paltry £3 after deductions. in their aim to some extent, there * £20 increase for all grades Furthermore Ford will say fhat their is still likely to be strong resistance * Consolidation of the supplement 'offer' is conditional on the work from the Body plants and the 'PTA's into the basic rate force accepting their "After ] a pan" (Paint, Trim and Assembly) at both * A 35 hour week without loss plan, which Halewood workers have t-l.alewood and Dagenham, which of pay already fought through strike action. produce Cortinas, Fiestas and Escorts * Improved pensions - all of which are in high demand . THE THREAT OF REDU~DANCIES The threats do not so much effect Ford are . hoping that the real them and those are the plants where Ford is the most successful car threat of redundancies will divide the strength of Ford workers will firm in Britain. They have consist- the workforce and gain acceptance most lie this year. ently had 3 out of the 4 top-selling of what is in fact a cut in real cars in the British market and at BREAK THROUGH THE wages. This type of thinking is GOVERNMENT CEILING present 3 out of lO new cars sold being pushed to all workers by the in Britain are produced by Ford. media and has in fad had some The annual agreement at Ford Ford have made £600 million success in blocking the wages runs out on November 28th and any profit out of their workforce in Brit- struggle. But over a period of time action will not start till then. But a in over the last two years despite the truth is becoming more and more if Ford and British Leyland workers the crisis. But in their constant apparent. That is that even where together are prepared to fight back, search for maximum profit have workers have accepted a cut in it will be a major development in knocked 3000 off the payroll. And wages, the bosses have still pusk<:.d. the struggle to break through the that's not all. The company is aim- for redundancies. The search for Tory government's projected 'ceiling' ing to push through a further 2000 maximum profit means the search on wage rises - 3.8% in the public production and 700 staff redund- for the lowest cost of production. sector. · That ceiling would lead anc1es. Already this means that The bosses want wage cuts and to an effective wage cut of nearly most plants in Britain face some redundancies. And where they see £l in 10.
Leyland (cont. from p.l).
In terms of cars the MG, Triumph Spitfire, TR7, Dolomite and the Maxi have all been chopped. But the effect on unemployment does not stop within BL. The "knock-on" effect means that car components firmsJ etc are also hit. Take one example. BL used to buy wheeis from both Dunlop and Rubery Owen. As it ration alised its operation it decided to have just one supplier. Overnight Rubery Owen 1 s plant at Darlaston lost half of its business. The plant closed throwing another 950 workers on the dole. So the effect on unemployment of BL closures is far more than the 71,000 jobs (60,000 in the car division) that have been lost so far. Each year Edwardes has refused to negotiate. He has stated what the pay rise will be, and threatened redundancies if it is not accepted. Up to now, with Union connivance_, A group of pickets outside BL' s Cowley plant at the end of Octooer, particularly that of the AUEW leader in dispute over lay-off pay. ship, he has got away with it. the being made. qo such an offer will be immense, and that fa.ct h:J.s forced wage cut has been gushed through, and ~ount to producing less cars, with governments in the past to push money redundancies have still followed. even less workers - or put simply the into British Leyland. As for closing This year, at the time of writing, British Leyland workers will be asked parts of British Leyland that is the picture looks very different. to sell more jobs. already part of British Leyland's aim. A massive 88 out of every 100 workers But in the West Midlands') the Region Edwardes has something to work on have voted for strike action over their al T.U.C. has already unanimously as well. For example one Lancashire £20 a week claim. The strength of adopted a. resolution calling for "the plant did vote to accept the original shoop floor resistance has led to the mobilisation of the whole Trade Union offer of 3.8%, after their plant national union leadership declaring and Labour movement" to resist a shut convenor, Alex Calder, argued Edwardes 1 their support for the workers decision. down. If those words are translated Du.ffy, the AUEW president, has said case for him. With leaders like that into practice, then there is the that the union will pay £12 a week prospect of a real fightback against strike benefit. But Edwardes still On the positive side Edwardeslthreat the effects of the crisis. has the experience of and ability to to close the whole of British Leyland, split workers, and there must be read or cer:tain parts of it is causing a More importantly British Leyland, iness on the shop floor to stand broad response. It is unlikely, together with Fords, are right a.t the against it. It is likely that British despite Edwardes threats (ably support start of the winter pay round. With Leyland will offer further 1 product ed by Norman Tebbit the new Tory backs the government adopb.ng a rigid pay i vi ty payments' as the main part of wood man in the job of 'Employment 1 limit in the public sector, an effect its answer. In which case it must Secretary) that the Government would ive struggle in the car industry could _?.e remembered that British Leyland dare to close British Leyland. The begin the economic fightback on a wider ~lana are reducing the number of cars effect on the economy overall would basis. 5 SUPPORT SHIRLEY GRAHAM Stop the Deportations Contributed by a member of the support. "I can't just stay at home Shirley Graham Defence Campaign. lying in bed. I don't sleep well anyway because I am scared that at any time the immigration officials will come A campaign has been set up in East and take me away." London to defend Shirley Graham from being deported. On the 15th of October, Shirley and about 20 supporters made· a deput Shirley, o. Jo.maico.n by birth, has ation to the Home Office ar~d handed lived in Britain since 1974. During in a protest letter. 2 days later, thc.tt time she has left the country Shirley and other campaign members 011 several occasions and been given travelled up to Rochdale to participate 'indefina.te leave to enter' - stamped in a demonstration about Nasreen Akhtar in her pa.ssport. another black woman faced with deport~ ation. The demonstration took up In August this year, after a short Shirley's case as well as 2 other trip o.broad, Shirley was, without Asians . "It was great", said Shirley, w:1rning, detained at the airport. She "All the people up there supporting :.1rrived at Go.twick with her cousin me." It is clear t·rom the growing :.:~r,d was stopped. Her baggage was number of these cases that greater thoroughly searched - the immigration co-ordination between C< 1igns is officials said they were looking for needed. Shirley really a~ reciated documents. Of course they found nothing Photo: David Me Calla, meeting Nasreen and talking to Cynthia Shirley was interrogated for a few East End News. Gordon, another Jamaican woman who hours. The officials told her cousin has won her fight to remain in Britain. to go aw:1y and eat for an hour or so :1nd they would take Shirley to eat. Support is now growing, with art However, Gl though Shirley did eat, icles in the press, interv'iews on the it was not at any airport cafe! She was her home here and worked as a nu:::-se radio and public meetings being held taken to a detention centre. " I did here for many years. All of her family But the greatest support so far has not know what was happening to me", o.re here and have been settled for come from 64 prisoners, mainly black, she said, "they tricked me, they would more than 20 years. who have written a letter to the Home not let my cousin see me again that In the 7 years that Shirley has Secretary, demanding that Shirley be dcq. I didn't ho.ve any money on me, lived here she has maintained contact allowed to remain here. "Shirley must I was put in a cell with two other with the home office, informed them not be separated from her family who bl:.:~ck women, I was treated like a of any changes in her circumstances, are settled here ... the threat of pr1soner, I just sat and cried a lot, and now for no apparent reason, her deportation ia a threat to all black I wCJs very upset." whole life has been disrupted. and Asian people." The letter calls for: "a public, independent enquiry Could it be that she is no longer into the treatment of people held in married? In June tnis-j{ear Shirley custody under the :Immigration Act". NOT IN GOOD HEALTH. divorced Mr. Graham, but surely black These brothers know only too well the Shirley is not in good health. While people are allowed to get divorced? hell that Shirley went through. They 1n detention her diabetes and blood Could it be because her first suffer the humiliation and cruelty pressure suffered. She was refused marriage happened before she ever of Her Majesty's prisons daily. Despite c.t special diet and there was a delay came to England? Shirley's first the fact that they could face reprisals in giving her medical attention. Fer husband turned out to be a bigamist, for the letter, they all signed their 2 days she complained of feeling faint i.e. he was already married and he names to it in defence of their black and sick and finally a doctor came hadn't told her. When Shirley came sister. It is acts of solidarity like to see her. He told her to stop making to England she employed solicitors Anwar Ditta speaking on platforms in c.t fuss. He took her blood pressure to legally annul her marriage so that defence of the Bradford 12 that the Gnd said it was o.k., although Shirley, she would be free to remarry. Surely state can't legislate against. The who is a nurse, could see it was high. it is not her fault if her first more black people are made the scape After further complaints she was moved was a liar, she has already suffered goat for succesi ve government crises, to I-brmsworth detention centre where enough after the shock of discovering the more they will organise and fight she was held for a further 3 days. he was already married. back. The government must not be allow On severGl occasions the immigration ed to get away with forcibly 're- officials told Shirley's fo.mily they It would seem that Shirley's only crime patriating' black people, labelling could come and collect her. However, is that she is black. She is just one them 'illegal immigrants 'J we have the when they arrived they were told that of a growing number of black and Asian right to choose where we live. Shirley they were still making enquiries and women who are being threatened with has chosen to make her home here, "My to come back the next day. Shirley deportation over the smallest technic family are here, I have nowhere to WGS finally released on the sixth day, alities. live in Jamaica, I haven't lived there and then only after the intervention So far the legal battle has been since the sixties, I am very bitter of G lGw centre that her family had lost. Shirley's case now rests with about the way I have been treated, contGcted. Shirley could still, in the Home Secretary who alone has the I want to stay." fact, be in detention, or already have power to over-rule the earlier decision by the Immigration Officers. It is WHAT YOU CAN DO. been removed. She said there was an entirely at his discretion. Shirley's 1. Write to the Home Secretary: The IndiGo there who had been there for only right of appeal would be after Rt. Hon. William Whitelaw MP, she left the country. 2 months, and he didn't know what was Home Office, 50 Queen Anne's Gate, going to happen to him. "Nearly all The recent success of other camp London SW 1, asking that the the people there were black", she said. o.igns against deportation has shown decision to deport Shirley Graham that legal arguments alone are not Be reversed and that she be given Shirley was given temporary leave enough. What is needed is massive pub indefinite leave to remain in to enter while legal representations the UK. were made to allow her to stay, but licity exposing the racism of the these have been turned down without British state and the suffering that 2. Write to your local MP urging Gny reo.son being given. It appears is caused by the immigration laws. him/her to do the same. That is why a Defence Campaign was that the Home Office cannot decide 3. Send donations to set up. The Home Secretary could make whether Shirley is here 'legally' or Shirley Graham Defence Campaign, a decision at any time, so the situat not, but held her on suspicion alone! ion is urgent! Shirley should be at c/o 285 Romford Road, Forest Gate, London E7 9HJ. Shirley has done nothing wrong but home now recovering from a major iD being treated like a criminal. operation that she had at the begining 4. Invite speakers from the Campaign !he is having to defend her right to of October, but instead she is busy to your trade union branch or remain in Britain. But she has made publicising her case and calling for organisation. 6 capit3list s t3te s): one of these, Brit3in, 3 declining imperialist power, 3nd the others C3n3da, Australia, New SUN SETTING FOR Zeal3nd, countrie s which 3re simul tcm eously beneficiaries and victims of imperialist exploitation. The Common wealth could pl3y some positive role in bringing together third and second world countries to work out 3 common BRITISH IMPERIALISM approach to building a new intern3t ional economic order, and thus creating a sound basis for combatting superpower The 45 Commonwealth countries met to be called for, and the mounting domination. for their bi-annual summit in tide of national democratic revolutions "1elbourne, Australia from September meant that imperialism could not cont BRITISH OBSTINACY 30 to October 7 this year. inue to rule in the 'old way' , so at the time of India's neo-colonial indep But what is preventing this is 3bove The communique issued at the end endence ( 1947), 'British Commonwealth' all Britain's unconstructive policy. of the summit calls for the withdrawal became 'Commonwealth' and the Imperial True, there exists a Commonwe:1l th of foreign troops from Afghanistan Conference (a periodical meeting of Development Corporation, which this but fails to name the aggressor. It dominion leaders) became 'Commonwealth year h:1d tot:1l investments of £516 calls for withdrawal of foreign troops Conference' . million, some of these in useful from Kampuchea and supports Polish projects; but the Corpor:1tion oper:1tes independence. It does not refer 'commercially' (gu3r3nteeing 3 so favourably to the work of the 'Contact ~~;:, - . : ·~ ~ · called 'reason:1ble ' return on invest Group' of five western imperialist ~ " ·: . ment, according to the terms of refer powers on Namibia (see last issue of ence drawn up by the post-w3r L:1bour "Class Struggle") because African Government), and s o falls within the countries, like Zimbabwe and Nigeria, p3ttern of neo-coloni::1lism. True, suspect it of manoeuvering to preserve there exists a Commonwe::1lth Fund for imperialist domination. It calls for The Commonwealth Summit provided Technical co-operation, but this has the immediate withdrawal of South le<:LJ.ers of some third world countries rec ~ ntly been obliged to r e duce the African troops from Angola and for with a platform to explain their s cope of its 3cti vi ty, pure ly b e c::1us e recognition of the right of the Palest people's struggles. of the low contribution from Bri t:1in. inian people to form their own state, President Kiprianou of CYPRUS The fund:1mental re:1son for these but opinions differed widely as to asked for support to end Turkish failures is Bri t::1in' s refusal to m::1ke the exact meaning of this. The commun occupation and said that he would any concrete commitment to r e:1lising ique also called for special support never agree to the creation of two steps towards the new inte rn::Jtimnl for the small Pacific Island states. separate states. Kiprianou said that economic order 3nd its clinging to The Communique correctly refers tha Cyprus problem had been created as much imperial power as it can. to a "slide from detente to confrontat by coup and invasion. "Britain as The Third World experiences things ion, mounting tension between the a guarantor pbwer did not stop the concretely enough! As President superpowers and the build up of nuclear invasion, nor did it restore the con Nyerere of Tanzania put it graphic::tlly arms". What about the fundamental stitutional order even though it was at the c onf er•.:::nce , in 1972 T3nzania causes of this situation? If we look in a possition to do so... We do h3d to sell 38 tons of s is31 or seven at the 1 Melbourne Declaration' also not accept partition. The creation tons of c ott on t o buy a 7-ton truck. issued by the summit, again there are of a federation, yes, but a .di.~on In 1980, to buy t h e s ame truck, they some good points made: "the gross in al solution, no." He also stressed h3d to sell 134 t ons of sis3l or 28 equality of wealth and opportunity that he did n ot agr ee with tons of cotton . So t he Third World currently existing in the world, and Thatcher's view tnat the problems wants 3c tion and not ~ l oad of bullshit~ the unbroken circle of poverty in which of both Namibia and Cyprus were But in response , Th:1tcher see ms hell the lives of millions in the develop problems of dis outed terri toties. bent on following Reagan's ultra-react ing countries are confined, are funda Maurice Bishop, Prime Minister of ionary policy of grinding down the mental sources of tension and instab GR£NADA, accused the CIA of sta.ging Third World still fur the r. ility in the world." All well and exercises in Puerto Rico that were In a recent speech, Richard Luce, good. But what is missing, the vital rehearsals for a possible invasion Parliamentary Under-Secretary 3t the ingredient, is any concrete committment of his country. Since the New Jewel Foreign and Commonwealth Office, stated by Britain to do anything to change Movement came to power in Grenada, that "we ( Bri t3in) w3nt to be judged this situation. the United States and Britain have branded it as pro-soviet, discrimin not by what we were but by what we EMERGENCE OF THE COMMONWEALTH ated against it in aid policies and are today". Very well, Mr. Luce, let's take you 3t your word. A Britain where The 'Commonwealth' emerged stealth sought to destabilise it. This has national minorities, most of them orig ily out of the British Empire. The only had the effect of driving Grenada closer to the Cubans and inating in Commonwealth countries are 'imperial commonwealt~' was first subjected to the foulest st3te-racist spoken of around the time of World Soviets. oppression of pol ice har3ssment, War I to refer to those parts of the immigration and nationality laws and empire ('.dominions' like Australia, a Britain which to this day is perpet Canada, South Africa) where the local rating an atrocious colonial war whites were in control and Britain against Ireland. Does this put Britain could draw profits while not having in a good position to build 3 n~w to do too much administrative dirty relationship with the Third World work. There was resentment in the countries 3nd peoples in their dominions azbout being forced to The intention was neo-colonialism, struggle against p overtv 3nd superpower provide cannon fodder during World but things didn't work out that simply. War I, and Canada led a struggle to domination? Over the past three decades the Third establish that the dominions were World has risen up, while Britain has No is the answer. So we need h3rdly really independent states. This declined to a second-rate imperialist be surprised that a government-owned demand reluctantly conceded in power. Zimbabwe highlighted this newspaper in Nigeria should write, the Statute of Westminster (1931) changed balance of forces. Left to even while the summit W3S in progress, had a progressive aspect, but the new themselves, Britain and the United that Nigeria has much better forums situation only emphasised the contrast States would have joyfully backed Smith for its international activity i n the bewtween the settler-dominated parts to the hilt, but the Third World Organisation of African Unity, the of the empire and the others where countries brought tremendous pressure Non-Aligned movement, and the United the black populations came directly to bear and US-British diplomacy had Nations; "the Commonwealth m3y seem under British imperialism's rule. to accomodate itself to ZANU's great innocuous", the paper says, "but that is not sufficient reason to remain After World War II, there was a victory. in a club which we think is for us Labour government fully dedicated to Today the Commonwealth groups nearly one talking shop too many". The Third preserving Britain's imperialist one-third of the world's states; most World's patience will not last for markets and sources of raw materials. of them from the Third World, but ever. The Commonwealth could pl3y To do this effectively under new cond including four 'second-world' countries some positive role, but time is rapidly itions~ some window-dressing seemed (that is, second-ranking industrialised running out for it. 7 GREECE: Andreas Papandreou is the new Prime Minister of Greece after his Party, the Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) _won 174 INTERNATIONAL NOTES seats out of 300 in the Greek general election. This enabled PASOK to form a government without having AUSTRALIA: The arrival of Queen to ally with the strongly pro-Soviet Elizabeth in Melbourne to attend revisionist party. PASOK was found the Comonwealth Summit (see' article ed in 197 4 and is promising to in this issue of "Class Struggle") nationalise some big business a nd provided supporters of the Irish carry out other reforms. It is people with a focus for protest activ strongly nationalist and in principle ity. 700 demonstrators stood. for is opposed to membership of NAT L three hours in pouring rain to make and the Common Market. Inflation "her arrival a memorable one. in Greece runs at 25%, the Common "Elizabrit" was visibly shaken by Market's highest, but wages can' t t he size and intensity of the demon:... keep pace. They are the lowest stration. In w.hat was regarded of any Common Market country, only as a calculated snub to the Queen 55% of those in the Republic of and Thatcher the pro-IRA film "The Ireland. Close to 40% of the popul Patriot Game" was screened by the ation lives from agriculture and Australia Film Institute in Melbourne they will be seriously hurt by prod as part of a special season of films uction cutbacks and fore1gn competit for the Commonwealth meeting. Afghan Guerrilla s s how a captured ion resulting from Greece's Common Soviet tank. Also, Australia's aborigines used ,v1.arket membership. So, the big the occasion to draw attention to S'.Iing to PASOK is essentially a vote AFGHAN I STAN: Reporters from the their plight and to their struggle. for change. Swedish communist paper "Gnistan", One Aboriginal leader said, "If you In the wake of the P ASOK victory, have uncovered conclusive evidence are going to support the oppressed both superpowers have blatantly of the use of nerve gas by the Soviet people in South Africa as we do ... interfered in Greece's internal Union in Afghanistan, in contravent..,. you should also support the oppress affairs, reflecting the strategic ion of international agreements sign ed black people in this country." importance of the country. Referring ed by them. 60 . year old Abdul Some interest was shown by Pacific to Papandreou' s opposition to US Ghaffar has lost all feelings in his Island nations. When Australia be nuclear warheads being based on arms, legs, head and chest. He suf-1 came a British penal colony in 1788, Greek soil, US Defence SecretaryJ fers from diarrhoea, lack of appetite, the Aboriginal population was Weinberger , said it was a "serious shivering and fainting spells. 300,000. Today it is 160,000. Infant matter" and called on the Greek His hair falls out in bunches. · He mortality among Aborigines ·ia three people to · pressurise their government claims to have been exposed to Soviet times greater than among other into changing its mind. The Soviet nerve gas three times. Examinat..:.. Australians. Union hailed PASOK' s victory, noting ions by experts have ruled out any its opposition to the USA. It called other possible cause, such as cancer. EAST TfMOR: In 1975 the Indonesean on Greece to leave NATO and conclude Before he had always been healthy, fascist regime illegally invaded and a bilateral defence treaty with the never ill. Now he is a bag of bones occupied the Portuguese colony of. Soviet Union whereby Greece would and cannot even control his bladder. East Timor and suppressed the ·not allow nuclear weapons to be There is no cure for him. He is people's just aspirations for national stored on its territory, in return dying slowly and painfully. A independence. Thus began a bitter for a Soviet promise never to use report on Abdul Ghaffar·-a.nd other and bloody struggle in which nuclear weapons against Greece in victims is being sent by medical FRETILIN is still heroically keeping any conflict . experts to the United Nations. alight the flame of resistance. On It is not clear exactly what October 7 this year Portugese TV course the new Greek government exposed details of a report which will follow . There are believed to has been kept secret over the past five years. The report reveals that be many tendencies in PASOK, some .BANGLADESH: "Class Struggle" has it was none other than the then looking to the social democratic received the sad news that Comrade Portugese government which actually parties of Western Europe, others Nagen Sarkar, General Secretary encouraged the Indonesian fascists' more to the Soviet bloc. A powerful of the Communist Party of Bangladesh criminal aims. That government was positive current identifies itself with (Marxist-Leninist), and one of the strongly influenced by the ultra non-alignment, the Third World, greatest Bangladeshi communist Greece's Mediterranean neighbours leaders passed away on October 13. Brezhnevite 'Communist' Party of and nationalist forces in the Middle Although aged 83 and having been Portugal. East like the PLO and the Arab ill for some time, he was active Ba' ath Soc i alist Party in Iraq. in the struggle to the end. Becoming CHINA/PALESTINE: Vasser Arafat, involved in politics in his school Chairman of the Palestine Liberation days, he was a peasant organiser Organisation (PLO) recently paid for many years and a prominent an official visit to China. Socialist leader of the anti-British liberation China has consistently supported ALGERIA: The British Gas Corporat struggle. 35 years of his life were ion has stopped buying liquefied the struggles of the Palestinian spent in prison: 16 under British people. Chinese Communist Party natural gas (LNG) from Algeria, rule and 18 years during Pakistani rather than agree to a reasonable Chairman, Hu Yaobang told Arafat, rule. He fought revisionism and "We will support you as long as price in new contract negotiations. helped to re-organise a Marxist France and Italy, two of Algeria's you fight." He said that the Palest Leninist Party in 1967. Thereafter inian people's just struggle has main customers, are also participat- he always fought for the Marxist ing in this anti Third World greatly inspired the · oppressed Leninists to keep to the road of nations and peoples around the world, campaign. A 15 year contract revolution. A true patriot, he between British gas and Sonatrach, Deng Xiaoping said, "You are at vigourously opposed Soviet social the forefront of the struggle for the Algerian oil and gas coinpa.1y, imperialism. Many different political expired late last year and the two national liberation. 'lou are our force's in Bangladesh paid tribute comrades-in-arms. We have all along ·sides then concluded a nine-month to Comrade Nagen Sarkar. A number interim agreement so that negotiat supported the Palestin~an people of them noted his work to unite all in their fight for liberation ions on a new long term agreement genuine left forces. ·This work must could take place. Algeria wants you are bound to win victory." continue, they said. The leading Arafat replied, "We shall n~ver for the price of its LNG to be at parity patriotic newspaper, "Holiday", said with the price of crude oil. The get the Chinese people's support in an editorial, "His deep rooted to us in our struggle." According , price that the Third World must pay affection for the peasant masses · often for its imports from the developed to the radio station, "Voice .:>f earned him the wrath of the feudal countries is constantly increasing, Palestine", .. Arafat, in talks with oppressors, British . imperialists and Chinese For~ign Minister, Huang Hua so the raw material producing Third subsequently the Pakistani oligarchs.!' World countries are entirely justif praised the long standing relations ied in seeking fairer prices for their The Revolutionary Communist. between the PLO and China and· exports, in order to be able to League of Britain salutes the memory tha.nked China f<>r its diplomatic, develop their national economies. of Comrade Nagen Sarker! political, mil_itary and material aid. 8 ((The Creation of World Poverty))
Book Review "THE CREATION OF WORLD POVERTY" Contributed
The pet animals of North America eat more meat than all the people of the South Asian subcontinent. Another absurd statistic? Is it something you half remember from a nightmare? Yes, it is something you heard in a nightmare the nightmare of a world domina ted by Imperialism. Every year, every week, every day the total quantity of meat eaten by the pets of North America is greater than all the meat eaten by more than 800 million people in the South manufactured goods. Capita lists summit between the heads of state Asian continent. l t is part of a will always seek to invest in areas of rich and poor countries in Mexico nightmare, and it is true. where the highest profit margins is being held as "Class Struggle" The basic facts of the world econ are to be found. goes to print. Just the fact that the Mexico summit took place at all omy are JUSt as stark. 500 million Countries like Brazil are espec is a victory for the fhird World, people on this planet are severely ially favoured by imperialist compan but the proposals in front of it w~re malnourished today, although the ies for this sort of development reformist ones muffled in the lang Third World was self sufficient in because of their rock bottom wages, uage of international diplomacy. food before the era of colonialism. their lack of social welfare taxes, They were based on the Brandt report As for unemployment we in Britain and their violent suppression of and essentially represent an attempt think 3 million is a terrible figure, trade union activity. If these cond at creating "imperialism with a but 300 mlllion are out of work in itions persist, workers in British h un.e> n face". the world, mostly in countries in manufacturing will be forced either which Cl welfare state is an undreamt to accept drastic wage cuts or be THE ALTEt If he had died at the end of 1973, Anwar Sadat of E¥;tPt would have been remembered in the Arab world as the~~~~~&;:=::;~~~ president who loosened the Soviet hold c---"""""'"'~~ on Egypt and 1ed his country into a wGr with Israel in which the Egyptian urmy won some great victories. As it was, news of his death was greeted with open jubilation in most Arab countries. Even Arab countries which have close relations with the US (as Sadat did) only wrote rather CHAO SUDAN muted and formal statements of regret. s·J Is the Opposition Soviet-inspired In Egypt itself, there couldn't be ( Is the opposition Soviet-inspired? a starker contrast than that between ' l_.l_i:===~M~~rs~=~~!..::::~~~~~~~3 Sudat's funeral and that of his nation- Some undoubtedly_ is, but the vast alist predecessor, Nasser. When the majority consists of forces who are latter died, millions of ordinary opposed to Sadat' s betrayal of Palest Egyptians flocked to Cairo and virt state there, and the Arab masses ine, 6is repression and J -~ ruinous ually took over his funeral. Sadat' s support them; Israel, for its part, economic policies and who are -,o ones funeral was an affair for foreign dign has pursued an expansionist policy, stooges. The Soviet Union, however, itaries, top members of the government repressed those Palestinians under did help to worsen Sadat's position; and armed forces, and thousands of its rule, co.1tinued to dispossess them during the October 1973 war it withheld soldiers brought in to keep ordinary of their land and used them as cheap important spare parts from the Egyptian citizens away, in case they became labour. Consequently, any Arab regime army and so weakened it in the face violent . One British bourgeois commen which has been seen as moving towards of the Israeli counter attack, so that tator said that there were more ex a deal with Israel, or just being too the war ended less favourably then American presidents present than ordin friendly with Israel's friend~, has it might have. It has also refused :J.ry Egyptians! been regarded by nationalists, progres to re-schedule Egypt's crushing debt Economic and Social Crisis sives and the masses as treasonous. repayments to it, thus inflicting_ greater hardships on the Egyptian Sadat went further than any other The reasons for this are not hard people. to find, Inside Egypt, the past ten Arab leader had. His betrayal of the years has seen a widening of the gap Palestinian cause and the worsening Sadat' s subservience to the USA between rich and poor. Private capit internal situation· combined to fuel and friendship w·i th Isreal, and his alists have been given more freedom an upsurge of opposition in many Labelling of all opposition forces of ope ration; top officials in govern quarters. Sadat' s reply was to brand as "pro-Soviet" actually served the ment and the state sector, as well all opposition as "Soviet-inspired", Soviet Union's interests - after all, :1s the upper ranks of the army, have and clamp down on it. Strik~ workers, reason some, if someone like Sadat steadily gained larger and larger Muslim fundamentalists, Egypt's Christ opposes the Soviet Union it can't be incomes. For workers and peasants ian minority, feminists (including so bad! :1nd other elements of the masses though Nawal El-Saadawi, writer of "The Hidden There is a danger that the Soviet things have gone from bad to worse. Face of Eve"), and members of the legal imperialists will try to take advantage Subsidies which used to be given to (but· anti-Camp David) opposition were of Sadat's death to boost their own keep down the price of staple foods among those jailed and subjected to influence in Egypt. But while being h::~ve been withdrawn; rents have been state repression in the weeks before. aware of that, revolutionaries and ::~llowed to climb. In Nasser's day, Sadat's assassination. But opposition progressives in Britain must sympathise university graduates were guaranteed exists in the armed forces and, as with the Arab masses for whom the kill jobs; this is no longer the case. Infl the assassination proved, it extends ing of Sadat was the execution of a ation is running at 50%, but wage rises high up in the army. traitor and a tyrant. lag way behind price increases. Naturally, this has fuelled popular CHINA - FOR REUNIFICATION. discontent. within a couple of years of the victorious crossing of the Suez Socialist China celebrated two im canal in 1973, workers in Cairo took portant anniversaries in October. to the streets crying, "Sadat, Hero October 1 was the 32nd anniversary of the Crossing! Give us bread!" Waves of the founding of the People's of strikes have followed over the years Republic of China, and October 10 was since then. It is believed that the 70th anniversary of the democratic Marxist-Leninists are very active in revolution, led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, these struggles. that overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established a republic. Betrayal On the occasion of these annivers But the thing which aroused the aries, China has made major appeals deepest hostility to Sadat all over to the authorities in Taiwan, calling the Arab world was the Camp David on them to enter into negotiations Accords with Israel and all that to peacefully reunify the country and followed from them. Israel was establ thus carry forward the work begun by ished in Palestine by Jewish colonists Dr. Sun, who is regarded by all Chinese from various parts of the world; with as a great national hero. China has At one stage, Sun Vat-sen, the leader of China 1.s imperialist support. Since it was stated that Taiwan's autonomy and democratic revolution, carried out his work already inhabited by the Palestinian present system will be respected and in London. Once the Chine~e Legation kidnapped Arabs, the only way a Jewish state she will not force any arbitrary him with the intention of smuggling him back could be set up was by the expulsion changes onto the island. Chinese to china for execution. Sun Vat-sen regained of Palestinians from their land by Communist Party Chairman, Hu Yaobang his freedom by his own efforts and with the terror. Israel was established on has invited the Taiwan leaoers to the help of many. progressive British p-eople. A new Palestinian soil, and as a result three mainland either for talks, or simply play being performed in China "Sun Vat-sen 1 s fifths of the Palestinians were turned for a visit. Comrade Ye Jianying, London encounter with danger" recalls this into refugees, excluded from their Chairman of China Is National People s histl>rical episode. The Ch.inese magazine "Beijing own country. This is the basic cause Congress said, "China's reunification Review" said that the play, "depicts the fine of the conflict between Israel and and prosperity is in the vital interest quality of the British people and the friendship the Arab nation; the Palestinians are of the Chinese people of all national between Sun Vat-sen and his foreign friends. determined to return to their homeland ities (and) in the interest ·of Photo shows Sun .being gr-eeted on his release, and establish a democratic secular peace in the Far East arid the world." by British frtinds, on the stage in Beijing. 10 place the blame W• f re it belong& - on British im p erialism, whose occu pation of Ireland is the sole cause the mobilisation of the masses." of the present war . For the well-heeled actors and act-· BRITISH IMPERIALISM, GET OUT OF resses who populate the upper eche IRELAND ! lons of the WRP to describe the Irish nationalists, who are based solidly amongst the poorest and most op ressed working people of Ireland, as "middle class" is simply laughable. Their claim that the IRA reject mobi lising the masses misses a number of points: who is it who turns out by the thousand to march in support of the prisoners and the national struggle? Who elected Bobby Sands and Owen Carron to Westminster and No wonder trotskyites have never Kieran Doherty and Paddy Agnew led a single revolution to victory to the Free State Dail? Who has anywhere in the world. built hundreds of H-Block/ Armagh Committees throughout the 32-counties It is also interesting to note of Ireland? How is the military that neither the CPGB or the WRP struggle sustained in the face of played any part in the campaign British occupation and repression, in Britain in solidarity with the if not with the support of the hunger strikers. But if the anti people? imperialist struggle is at a safe distance these organisations can "Newsline" also stated, be very vocal in their "support", "The ·WRP is opposed to the for example the WI\P on Palestine shooting or bombing of generals or and the CPGB on South Africa. The Irish guards under conditions where tactics used by Irish patriots are 'the working class do not yet ap- not vastly different from those used preciate the reactionary role of the by Palestinian or South African free army in this country." dom fighters. In other words, tl:le oppressed THE COMMUNIST STANDPOINT people and nations must keep their Genuine communists in Britain heads down, must not rise in strug extend uncooditional support to the ~le until such time as the working Irish liberation struggle, and to class of the ii.l1)erialist countries its Republican leadership. The y have reached an equally high politi regard the liberation of Ireland as cal level. · This monstrously racist a necessary pre-condition for revolu logic would not only condemn the tionary advance in Britain, and oppress ed to years more of suffering, they support the right of the Iris h it would setback the struggle of people to determine whatever tac ti cs the 'working class in the imperialist may be necess ary i n their fi g ht. countries themselves, by depriving LiKe the Republican movement, Brit them of the posftive examples of ish communists regret the fact .-Ht-at the higher level of resistance waged innocent c i v i l i an s rn a y b e k i l l e d by the oppressed nations and peoples, or inJured in the wa r. But t hey TROOPS OUT c·oNFERENCE icip:J.ted, in t h e impc' t'Lllist o pp t·c:i::; '=:;i o n o f I re l:J.nd. By a memb e r of the Troops Out Mov e me nt in the L:J.bour Party. Th e m:J.j o ri t y Prospe cts f or TOM :J.rc g o o d. It of de leg:J.te s r e jected t hi s id ·~ a. They About 60 people r e p resen t ing is the 1-:::ad i ng I r i sh sol id:J ri ty g r o up we lcomed the fact that the bi-p:J.rtisa n bra nches all over the country attende d in t his cou n t r y :t!i d t he coll :::c tivc: policy is under pressure and th :J. t the recent conference of the Troops o r g:J. niser for m:J.ny o f th·~ h::1rd c st wot'k Ireland h3d become an issue 1n some Out Movement (TOM). The conference ing indivi<..lu:J ls :md groups. The m:1in parts of the Labour Party. But t h e y decided to continue building support t ::1 s k n ow is to build :J. n e ffec tive recognise d how limite d real progre s s for its two demands of Troops Out Now, n:Jtional c::t mpaign. In the: p : ti::; t, TOM had been. Th e b e st w:J.y to a ss i s t a ny and Self Determination for the Irish h::1s been we ok in functioning ··s ::t genuine anti-impe rialists who might people as a whole, on a clear cut anti nationol mov <: mc nt. No w the :J c tivi.sts b e in the Labour Party 1s t o build imperialist basis. Key targe t areas are more uni l ::: d :md :::1 n:.~tional c:Jmp:Jign ::1 strong, disciplined and independe nt were considered to be the national c:Jn be plonnc d th :.~ t will consolid:.~t c .campaign which in time can exe rt r e al minorities and liberation movements, TOM os the core of the solid:J.rity move rank and file working class activists pressure on the Labour P:J.rty, ::1 p :J.-r t y me nt and give c ohc r c nc·.:: cmd dir:::cti o 1 ~ and the Irish community. With the se that participates and has always part - to l oco l wo rk. groups as the core, leadership can be given to an eventual broader campaign for British withdrawal. The intensity of the struggle in TH E TROOPS Ireland is forcing various political OU T MOVEMENT forces in Britain to move towards a The Troops Out Movement is a movement in England, Scotland and Wales Troops Out position of one kind or ...... mad~ up of people who believe that the cause of the 'troubles' in the north of Ireland is the continuing British presence there, both mili another. But many are not consistent tary and cconom1c. We believe that British troops are in Ireland or seek solutions that would leave not as a peace keeping force, but in order to maintain British rule, and that their presence is the most serious obstacle to Loyalist domination in the six countie s any progre\S towards peace. For over ten years the troops intact. This is why the stand taken have been occupying a part of Ireland, coercing and oppressing ~y TOM is so welcome it is very the nationalist people, maintaining the division of Ireland and ensurin~ that its people cannot unite to determine the-i r own important to build TOM as the leade r future . ship of the Irish solidarity movement, We have been working as an organisation for immediate British a leadership that can give direction withdrawal since the early 1970s. We now have over 40 branches in England. Scotland and Wales . These branches, working locally in what to the campaign and not be blown off ever ways circumstances allow. are the backbone of the TOM. Membership, or affiliation, is course by fake 'solutions'. open to any individual or gro up supporting the demands: TROOPS OlJf NOW An example of this perspective in SELF-DETERMINATION FOR THE IRISH PEOPLE AS A WHOLE action was given at the conference. Supporters of the Trotskyite IMG were arguing that TOM should put its main effort into a withdrawal campaign based 11 Attacks ~n Military Targets I.R.A. BRING THE WAR TO BRITAIN The IRA have claimed respons ibility for two bomb attacks on rr ·il i tary targets in recent weeks in London. The last IRA action in Britain was the bombing of the Ux bridge RAF barracks in West London in ] anuary. It had been widely speculated that, with the ending of the hunger strike in the H-Blocks after the murder of ten hunger strik ers and with the IRA considerably strengthened, a new military cam paign in Britain would take place. The first attack, on Saturday, October lOth, was on a busload of Irish Guards returning from the Tow er of London. It took place right outside Chelsea Barracks. The shrapnel bomb which was packed into a van was detonated by remote control by an IRA volunteer as the bus containing 23 British soldiers Van parked here passed by. 22 of them were injured, overnight nine seriously, including one critic ally. Very unfortunately, two inno cent civilians were also killed and seventeen others suffered, mostly slight, injuries. Joining the marines in 1946, as After the first bomb, the "Morn Commenting on the operation, an officer of 42 Commando, he played ing Star", paper of the revisionist "An Phoblacht/Republican News" said, an active part in British imperial CPGB, descibed it as "particularly 1 "Despite two regrettable civilian ism s brutal war against the Malayan brutal and vicious". lt went on fatalities and seventeen other ... people. He took par:t in the invasion to r epeat its treacherous call for civilian injuries, the attack was of Egypt in 1956, ~wice fought again the IRA to lay down its arms. acclaimed by the republican people st the Cypriot patriots arid tn 1971 After the second bomb, "Newc; throughout the beleaguered national did two "tours of duty" in-northern line", paper of the trotskyite WRP, ist ghettoes and countryside in the Ireland with the 45 tommando of described the Irish national movement occupied six counties, as part of the Royal Marines, who are at pres as "middle class" and said that they the very necessary extension of the ent in West Belfast. The "Sunday were "rejecting any programme for war outside of the North, particular Express" commented, "Much of his service life has ly into the very heart of the imper been bound up with the fight against ialist monster: London." r------, terrorists." In its statement claiming re Translated into more truthful Friday Octo15er 30. sponsibility, the IRA said, language this means that Pringle International Liberation Day. "The attack is attributable to is a man who has devoted his life Third World countries unite against imperialism, the state of war which exists be to defending the brutal oppression colonialism, racism •. Exhibition of revolutionary tween the British government who and blood-sucking exploitation of art. Open all day. Contributions from: Argentina, occupy Ireland, and the Irish people British imperialism around the world, Bolivia, Chile, El Salvador, Guatamala, Lebanon, who strike out though the IRA. and to trampling on the oppressed Na11ibia, Nicaragua, Palestine, West Sahara, when they dare to rise up. South Africa, the A11erican Indian ,.!ovement and "We await the hypocrisy which ~lsewhere. will undoubtedly follow from British Pringle 1 s address was listed Solidarity evening at 7 .30pm: Choir of the ANC political leaders whose attitude to in "Whc 1 s Who" and the telephone South Afr'ica. Dance and drum group of the directory, which prompted some news Irish victims of their violence in American Indian t1ovement. Folk groups from papers to call for a review of sec our country only strengthens our Palestine, Bolivia, Lebanon, El Salvador, Chile urity procedures. But the "Daily conviction in our cause ·and methods." and Malta. Speakers from El Salvador, Namibia, Mail" quoted an unnamed Deputy South Africa and Palestine liberation move111ents. The IRA prediction was quite Chief of Staff as saying, accurate. Margaret Thatcher led "One can 1 t live in a hole in the anti-Irish abuse with typically Kensington Town Hall, Hornton St, London W 8. racist remarks about "sub humans", the ground. If the IRA want to get you, they will." Tickets £1.50. whilst pretending to have human Organised by the Committee for International feelings when visiting the injured This unusually rev:ealing state Liberation Day. in hospital. London police chiefs ment shows that in reality the Brit called on anybody who had recently ish Army recognises the IRA as a Sunday No·vember 29. rented accomodation to anyone with skilled and competent guerilla army Manchester Martyrs Memorial March. Assemble 2pm, St Patrick's Church, Oldham Rd., an Irish accent · to contact the police. whose abilities are not to be lightly Manchester. March to rally at Mostyn cemetery. IMPERIALIST CHIEF ATTACKED dismissed and whom they have no strategy for defeating. Talk of the Organised by Sinn Fein (Britain). Exactly one week later, the IRA being "on the verge of defeat" Friday, Saturday, Sunday December 11, 12, 13. IRA struck again, this time in South or "playing its last card" is strictly Memorial weekend for Charles Parker. Lonoan when a booby trap bomb ex for public propaganda purposes·. Working class folk music and socialist theatre. ploded injuring Sir Steuart Pringle, Performers include Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, Commandant-General of the Royal CHAUVINISTS EMERGE FROM WOODWORK and Banner Theatre Group. Marines. Pringle 1 s right leg had Predictably, the IRA campaign Digbeth Civic Hall, Birmingham. to be amputated below the knee. in Britain has forced the chauvinists Concert tour of England by El Salvador folk The highest ranking serving of the British 'left 1 out of the wood officer in the British Army to be work where they hid themselves when group, Banda Tepeuari. Details from El Salvador attacked by Irish patriots since the young Republican freedom fighters Solidarity Campaign on 01 - 359-2270. present stage of the war began in were being starved to death in Long . Concerts in London, Brighton, Liverpool, Bradford:.· 1969, Pringle was a prize catch. Kesh. Sheffield, Leeds, York, Oxford, Norwich.