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| Proletarian issue 1 (August 2004) |
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| CPGB-ML founding conference |
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| The new party, at its founding conference on 3 July, passed the following resolutions. Unlike most so-called ‘left’-wing groups, we demand that our party not only pass resolutions of support, but actually put into practise real solidarity with those struggling on the front line against US and British imperialism.
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Victory to the Palestinian liberation movement
Recognising that it is the sharpening world capitalist overproduction crisis which lies at the root of the fascist warmongering now being conducted from Washington, London and Tel Aviv, and that the future progress of human society is best served by setbacks and defeats for the warmongers, Congress is heartened by the evidence around the world that popular forces are increasingly asserting their right to resist imperialism by any means necessary.
In particular, Congress salutes the heroism of the Palestinian liberation movement which, without the assistance of an army, navy, air force or sophisticated modern weaponry, and pitted against the most murderous imperialist oppression, has had the determination and resourcefulness to meet the latest Zionist onslaught with new and daring forms of struggle, taking the Intifada to fresh heights. It is thanks to this dauntless resistance that the Intifada has made enormous propaganda gains against Zionism, rousing unprecedented levels of dissent even within imperialist society itself (in Europe and even in the USA), whilst itself remaining united behind the immediate goal of ending the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Support the just struggle of the Korean people for independence and reunification
Since the end of the World War II, US imperialism has occupied the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. From June 1950 to July 1953, it, leading an alliance of other imperialist and satellite countries, waged a genocidal war against the Korean people in order to overthrow the revolutionary regime in the north – the DPRK. This war claimed the lives of 4 million Korean people in the north alone. Notwithstanding its armament and wealth, US imperialism was beaten in that war by the Korean people supported by the USSR and the People's Republic of China.
While being forced to sign the truce agreement with the DRPK, US imperialism has continued its hostile policy towards the DPRK, using the southern part of the Korean peninsula as a base for provocations and aggression against the north. To this end, it continues to station 37,000 American soldiers in the south and has installed 1,000 nuclear warheads in south Korea. In spite of all this, it has the temerity to demand that north Korea give up its nuclear programme – be it civilian or military – or be obliterated in a nuclear strike by the US. The DPRK has quite correctly and justly refused to give in to these threats and intimidation.
While in favour of nuclear disarmament, Congress firmly believes that such nuclear disarmament be universal and non-discriminatory. Imperialism, while arming itself to the teeth with the most sophisticated weaponry, both nuclear and conventional, is demanding that the oppressed nations and peoples disarm themselves. The consequences of such disarmament by them are best illustrated by the predatory war being waged by Anglo-American imperialism against the people of Iraq. Had Iraq been possessed of nuclear weapons, would Anglo-American imperialism have so easily resorted to aggression against it?
In view of the foregoing, the DPRK is determined to maintain their armed vigilance against US imperialism and its aggressive designs. This stance of the DPRK is just and has the full support of Congress.
Finally, Congress instructs the incoming Central Committee to establish close fraternal relations with the Workers Party of Korea and to mobilise the working class in Britain in support of the just struggle of the Korean people for national independence and reunification of their country – free from US imperialist occupation.
Support the heroic resistance of the Iraqi people
In its attempt to dominate the Middle East and monopolise its fabulous oil reserves, Anglo-American imperialism, under the fraudulent guise of ridding Iraq of its non-existent weapons of mass destruction, launched an aggressive predatory war against Iraq, hoping to achieve a quick and easy victory. Instead it finds itself engulfed by the raging fires of the Iraqi people's resistance.
While condemning in most resolute terms the war of aggression waged by Anglo-American imperialism, Congress salutes the heroic resistance of the Iraqi people against the occupation regime and its puppet 'interim government'. With dauntless courage and self sacrificing heroism, the Iraqi people continue to deliver serious blows against a disproportionately powerful enemy in terms of armaments and resources. Their resistance, which has surprised even their friends, continues to put the fear of God into the occupying troops. On average, there are 60 attacks by the resistance against the imperialist soldiery and its local quislings every day. The cities of Fallujah and Najaf have become symbols of Iraqi national resistance. With each passing day, the resistance assumes wider and more extensive proportions.
Congress fully supports the struggle of the Iraqi people for national liberation, for "the revolutionary movement in the advanced countries would actually be a sheer fraud if, in their struggle against capital, the workers of Europe and America were not closely and completely united with the hundreds upon hundreds of millions of 'colonial' slaves who are oppressed by capital" (Lenin). Congress instructs the incoming Central Committee to do everything in its power to frustrate the Anglo-American imperialist war against Iraq. With this in mind, Congress instructs the Central Committee to mobilise working people to refuse to co-operate with this unjust war and to take such action as they are able to prevent our ruling class waging it.
Oppose imperialist designs on socialist Cuba
Ever since the revolution which overthrew the hated Batista regime, Cuba has been a thorn in the side of imperialism – US imperialism in particular. With each step of progress that Cuba makes in carving out for her people a life of independence, dignity, culture and prosperity, imperialism redoubles its efforts to stifle the Cuban Revolution, which by its sheer existence is a beacon of hope for all the countries of Latin America.
In the most difficult of circumstances in which the Cuban Revolution has had to survive, especially since the demise of the USSR, the Cuban people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba, have displayed tremendous ingenuity, perseverance, courage and heroism in the defence of their revolutionary gains. In the most difficult of conditions, Cuba continues to provide genuinely excellent education and health facilities to its people who enjoy a life expectancy comparable to that of the rich imperialist countries. Instead of being praised for these achievements, Cuba has become a target for imperialist blockade and military threats. However, the Cuban people, defying these difficulties and threats, continue to defend and advance with grim determination the gains of the Cuban Revolution.
Congress salutes the Cuban people for their courageous defence of their Revolution in defiance of imperialist blockade and military provocations, and instructs the incoming Central Committee to forge close ties of friendship with the Cuban people by supporting their just struggle for independence, peace and socialism.
Hands off Afghanistan
Using the events of 11 September 2001 in New York and Washington as a flimsy pretext, US imperialism invaded Afghanistan and has since then been waging a devastating war against its people. Fought in the name of 'the war on terrorism', it is actually a predatory war for the control of the oil riches of the region stretching from the Middle East to the Central Asian Republics of the former Soviet Union – all a part of American imperialism's design for world domination. Afghanistan, while possessing no oil of its own, occupies a geo-strategic position of great importance in the context of transporting oil, as well as providing bases for military control of the region.
The Afghan people, far from welcoming the imperialist aggressors, have, ever since the invasion, been putting up stiff resistance against the occupation forces and the puppet Karzai regime, whose authority does not extend beyond the four walls of the presidential palace in Kabul. Although the events in Afghanistan are somewhat overshadowed by the happenings in Iraq, the fact remains that the imperialist forces are in deep trouble in Afghanistan, with the resistance attacking the aggressor troops with increasing frequency.
Congress fully supports the resistance of the Afghan people against their tormentors and occupiers and demands the immediate withdrawal of the imperialist forces, leaving the Afghan people to determine their own affairs without outside interference.
Support Zimbabwe's land reform
Over the past few years imperialist countries and their agencies, ranging from the governments of the leading imperialist countries, in particular those of Britain and the US, to the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other sharks of world imperialist finance capital, have done their best to sabotage the economy of Zimbabwe. This sabotage has been accompanied by a ceaseless campaign of lies, slander and innuendo, conducted by the imperialist print and electronic media with the aim of maligning and demonising the Zimbabwean regime in general and ZANU(PF) and President Robert Mugabe in particular. They have done everything to interfere in the internal affairs of Zimbabwe. They have created, funded and supported a clique of traitors who would sell the hard-won independence of Zimbabwe for a fistful of dollars, with the sole purpose of replacing the Zimbabwean regime with a puppet government at imperialism's beck and call.
It is not difficult to see the reasons behind these outrageous acts of imperialism, which are in violation of all rules of international law and standards of justice. Zimbabwe has upset imperialism by its opposition to the IMF/World Bank diktat, its fraternal support to the Kabila regime in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and, most of all, by its commitment to, and execution of, the land redistribution programme in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe has successfully expropriated the colonial settlers who had stolen the land from the people of Zimbabwe and returned in to its rightful owners, the Zimbabwean people. For this, the Zimbabwean regime and the people of Zimbabwe deserve credit and appreciation by the whole of progressive humanity – not the condemnation that imperialism seeks to heap on them.
Congress fully supports and applauds the radical land resettlement programme in Zimbabwe and instructs the Central Committee to wage a vigorous campaign against imperialist lies and slanders aimed at painting the land resettlement programme and the Zimbabwean regime in the darkest colours.
Britain out of Ireland now
This founding conference of the CPGB-ML unreservedly supports the right of national self-determination of the Irish people and the reunification of their country. The question of the emancipation of the Irish people from British colonialist and imperialist occupation is not merely a matter of humanitarian sentiment, but is in the direct interest of the emancipation of the British working class itself, for, as Karl Marx said, “no nation which oppresses another can itself be free”.
Notwithstanding an army of occupation of several thousand British soldiers, and the subjection of the nationalist population to systematic discrimination, oppression and torture, British imperialism has been unable to defeat the nationalist armed resistance or to undermine their will. British imperialism cannot forever subdue the Irish people – by their centuries-old resistance, they have given ample proof of their right to nationhood, national existence and national self-determination.
This congress demands that the British government removes its army from the six counties and allows the Irish people to determine their own future.
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