frontline - march 2013

7/30/2019 Frontline - March 2013

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Disgusting mass burial and disgraceful

deafening silence

Page 09

Neo - Liberal Capitalism

and the Lankan women

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http://www.socialistparty.com

Feature

2013 March- April Vol. 01 Issue 05 Donation Rs.20

A kidney disease which was found in certain areas of North-Central province is now spreading epidemically

all over the island.This very serious social problem is gradually engulng the entire country. We, as a leftist

movement have the responsibility of making a comprehensive political analysis of this problem.

The government has

already increased the fuel price

consequent to which price of

most of the goods went high.

furthermore it has noticed

that the electricity and water

charges also will be increased.This situation drastically affects

the basic requirements of the

people. Stagnant wages, price

increment of the food items,

cut off of the concessions in the

elds of transport, education,

health, energy etc will be

create a tense situation among

the workers paving way for

collective struggles.

However, these struggles

should not be coned to

trade unionism. By merely

claiming salary increments and

replacing another capitalist

regime is also not the solution

for this crisis.Therefore it a

challange to amulgamate allthe worker struggles and steer

them towards anti-system

struggle whereas the Center for

Workers Struggle has already

commenced promotions,

education programmes in that

effect. Center for Workers

Struggle expressed the fact that

they are in the process of taking

various measures to establish

the said work plan among the

workers in coming months.

Cost of living went high

According to the Center For Workers Strugle there is a

strong possibility of workers uprising against the booming

of the value of the goods and services in the country.

It was reported that the Revolutionary Students Union has

started its promotion activities in order to conquer the class

ideology among the student wings. At the beginning of March

they distributed leaets to uplift the awareness of the people and

also they will publish a wall newspaper inside universities in the

month of April starting a new dialogue among the students. They

have also started an awareness programme inside the hostels

regarding the existing political issues and the challenges of the

student community. Furthermore, Revolutionary Students Union is

prepared to organize cultural activities in order to educate students

in respect of socialism.

Revolutionary Students Unioncommenced its activities

"The only result of the three year process of

Lankan government after defeating LTTE is the

internationalization of the national crisis." says Front

Line Socialist Party. FLSP further says we don't

believe that Tamil people's problem will be resolved or

the democratic scope of Lanka will be widened by US

draft resolution which was adopted by UNHRC.

The aggrieved people had to raise their voice in a

place like Geneva as Lanka society has failed to build

up a social conversation on severe human tragedies of

the civil war. The whole society is responsible for that.

We as the left movement admit that we also responsible

for that.

The politburo of Front Line Socialist Party reveals

their position on passing UNHRC resolution against

Lanka issuing statement yesterday. "US draft resolution

against Lanka was adopted in UNHRC with 25 votes

yesterday. Although it is not clear what will be the

decisions of UNHRC, there are several issues on which

we should take in to consideration. Lankan government

has failed to take steps for real reconciliation among

Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims. In contrast enmity

and disunity prevailed among them. There is no

transparency even in the programs of building of the

physical living conditions of people who live in areas

shatteredby war. Not even international organizations

but main political parties of the opposition were not

allowed by the government to observe the lives of

displaced persons.

The tactic of the government was to continue the

moods and the remonstrance of war time. It resulted in

the constriction of the scope of the democratic scope

of the society.

Only 13 countries have reacted to the government's

propagation. The government has lost the trust of 33

countries who were longtime friends. We don't believe

that adoption of US draft resolution in UNHRC will

bring the justice for Tamils and broad the scope of the

democracy in the country. It is an error if we believe

the India or US has real need with them to solve theproblems of Tamils. As a result of this process Lanka

will confuse in global and political, economic web. It

will challenge the freedom of the people. Therefore a

political process to join hand in hand with all Sinhalese,

Tamils and Muslims for the peace and reconciliation

is necessary. We ask aggrieved Tamils not to believe

the tactics of global capitalism and we ask aggrieved

Sinhalese and Muslims to join hand in hand with

Tamils to solve their problems.

A Society With Love

"Free Women" commomerated International Women's Day with a protest march and a seminar

in Colombo with the theme " A society with love"

Frontline Socialist Party

FLSP is preparing to hold the may day with the contribution

of all the suppressed masses specialy workers, peasants, Students,

Firemen, youth etc. This time it is scheduled to cvelebrate the

mayday in an unprecedent manner and the it will consist of a march,

meeting and a cultural show. FLSP also announced that the May

Day should not be conned to a particular day and thus it is planned

to carry on various programms even after the 1st of May. There will

be many worker programmes prior to May Day, FLSP sources said.

FLSP to Celebrate

the May Day


2/12

2 Frontline/March - April 2013

The Frontline Socialist Party highlights the need of

establishing an intelligent political action against the

skyrocketing cost of living on a daily basis. The party

releasing a statement in relation to the recent increase

of oil prices said that it is difcult to walk away from

this crisis without having an own alternative strategy

by the suppressed people.

The statement further added:

This increase in oil price will result in the decrease

of the quality of life of the people who are already in

great difculties. When the prices of certain consumer

items go up, this will affect only on the people who

consume those items. However, increase in oil price

will result in increase of lot of other items. Especially,

the already increasing prices of food items including

vegetables will further go up. There is a possibility

of increasing public transport fares. From peoples

perspective, this is them getting from bad to worse.

This is not the rst or the last time this is happening.

This will continue to happen so. The lives of the lower

class people who eat two or less meals or in hunger

will continue to go into crisis. Increase in oil prices will

result in worsening the lives of shermen. We request

suppressed people not to accept this situation, or avoid

this situation or surrender to this situation. Under

circumstances in which the promises of fullling day to

day requirements of people given by the administrative

structures including the government are in breach, the

only solution that the suppressed people has is to walk

into alternative structures. As a result of this there is a

need to have an intelligent political action for social

victory against this difcult reality. We, therefore,

make a request to all the people who are distressed to

come together for an intelligent political action.

The Frontline Socialist Party has identied

some of the government ministers and

ofcers as economic assassins and they are

trying to escape responsibility. It also states

that the whole cabinet and the bureaucracy

are economic assassins. The party also

shows that the government policy itself is an

economic assassination policy.

Publicity secretary of the party, Comrade

Pubudu Jayagoda, stated this in a media

conference that was held on 18th of February.

Comrade Pubudu Jayagoda stated that as a

result of losing G.S.P. Plus tax concessions in

the last three years, the number of factories

closed was 186 and the number of people

lost jobs were over two hundred thousand.

Comrade Pubudu Jayagoda expressed his

views on the statement made by the Governor

of Central Bank about not obtaining loans

from the International Monetary Fund.

The newspapers have reported that as a

result of losing G.S.P. Plus tax concession,

186 garment factories were closed and

217,000 jobs were lost. But the government is

saying that the G.S.P. Plus is not necessary and

they do not want to accept the imperialistic

conditions. After the government request

to the International Monetary Fund to grant

loans to the government was refused the

government ministers and the Governor of

the Central Bank says that they do not need

loans with conditions and they do not take

loans from the International Monetary Fund.

The analogy of this is the Lankan story of the

fox saying that the grapes were bitter when it

couldnt pick them. G.S.P. tax concession and

G.S.P. Plus are two different things. G.S.P. is

the common rule on restraint of trade. This

was commenced in 1968 by a resolution of

the United Nations Conference on Trade and

Development. This concession was available

to Lanka since 1974. G.S.P. Plus is a special

tax concession. This was commenced after

the Tsunami in 2004.

Under this arrangement,

Lanka can export goods

with a 12.5% tariff

concession. As a result

of this, the Lankan

garment industry receive

a massive advantage.

Approximately, one

million families directly

and indirectly live on the

garment industry.

The government is

now saying that they do not want to receive

G.S.P. Plus based on various conditions.

What are these conditions? Actually, they

are not conditions. Lanka became signatory

to 27 conventions of the United Nations

in order to obtain these concessions. It is

necessary to implement those Conventions

in the country. America refused to give the

G.S.P. Plus tax concessions, as Lanka did

not comply with international Labor laws.

European Union refused due to issues of good

administration. The government says that this

is an imperialistic inuence. The analogy is

the report of the Lessons Learnt Commission.

When the United Nations Secretary announced

that they were going to appoint a Committee,

the government said that there were going

to appoint one. That is how the Lessons

Learnt and Reconciliation Commission

was established. The Commission then

made recommendations. The government

published the report as its own. Then it was

not an imperialistic inuence. This request

is to implement the Conventions that the

government became

signatory to.

The government is

not implementing the

factors that are related

to the rights of workers,

rights of the people and

the issues in relation

to the democracy.

The government,

however, implement the

imperialistic economic

conditions without

any hesitation. The government is trying to

privatise education, bringing legislation to

privatise water resources, bringing legislation

in relation to so called Private Sector Pension

Act on the conditions imposed by imperialists

including the International Monetary Fund.

The government does not say that they are

conditions.

America and the countries in the European

Union have conventions in relation to good

administration and human rights. The human

right network in those countries is strong.

The people in those countries inuence their

governments not to give concessions to

the countries that violate human rights and

workers rights. Lanka lost a quota in relation

to a uniform of athletes who participated in

the Olympics as a result of non-compliance

of rules in the Conventions of International

Labour Organisation.

While the government is claiming that

they do not obtain loans from the International

Monetary Fund, they obtain loans from

commercial banks at a higher interest rate.

The president, presenting the budget report

said that the budget decit was 507 billion

and he said that the plan was to obtain loans

to cover the decit. Our question is how

this government is going to cover the decit

without obtaining loans? The government is

now obtaining loans from commercial banks

at a higher interest rate.

In the meantime, minister Weerawansha

says about economic assassins. What we

say is that this whole cabinet and the entire

bureaucracy is an economic assassination.

Governments economic policy is a policy

that assassinates the economy. There is a

saying that a victory has hundred fathers but

defeat is illegitimate. This economic break

down is the responsibility of everyone.

The attempt is to hide the current economic

breakdown and demonstrate a false anti

imperialism. The government is asking the

people to be hungry to be anti imperialistic.

The government is asking people to tolerate

abductions, assassinations and breaches

of democratic rights in order to be anti

imperialistic. We ask people to understand the

politics behind this.

This media conference was also attended

Comrade Ranjith Piyathilake, the joint

secretary of the Workers Struggle Centre.

While the Movement for

Peoples Struggle is denouncing

the shooting of Sunday Leader

journalist, we make a request

to the people to get together to

protect media freedom, human

rights and democracy in the

country.

This was contained in an

announcement made by the

movements national organizer,

Member of Parliament,

Comrade Ajith Kumara. The

announcement further stated as

follows.On 16/02/2012 at 12.20 in

the morning, The Sunday Leader

journalist Shoukat Ali was the

victim of a shooting incidence.

He was seriously injured as a

result of the shooting occurred

while he was in his house.

The reasonable suspicion

goes in the direction of the

government in this shooting

incident. Depending on the

nature of interference of the

police in relation to this shooting

incident in the coming days will

indicate whether that suspicion

has a proper basis.

Previously, the Chief Editor

of Sunday Leader newspaper,

Lasantha Wickramatunge, was

assassinated and since 2009 in

the last few years, number of

journalists were assassinated. As

a result of not being in line with

government stand, a number

of journalists were assaulted

and some had to go overseas to

protect their lives. A few days

ago, the Circulation Manager

of Yaal Thinakkural newspaper

that was published in Jaffna wasassaulted and his motorbike

was then set alight. There

are no proper investigations

conducted in relation to these

incidents. That is not because

that the police is inefcient

but because the government

political authorities are behind

these incidents.

The Movement for Peoples

Struggle denounces the assault

of Mr Shaucat Ali and request

people to get together in order

to protect media freedom,

democracy and human rights in

the country.

Shooting of Mr Shaukat

Ali denounced

The court proceedings in relation to the abduction

of Comrade Lalith Kumar Weeraraj, District Organiser,

and Comrade Kugan Muruganandan, Operative, of

Movement for Peoples Struggle went on trial before

Magistrate Court, Jaffna, on 12 February.

Comrade Dimuthu Attigala, Polit-bureau Member

of Frontline Socialist Party, gave evidence before court.

This was the rst time a person who had been abducted

has given evidence in a court case that is involved an

abduction. After giving evidence, Comrade Atygala

expressed her views to the media.

It was established by various factors that my

abduction on the 6th of April was executed by peoplewho has connections with government defence units. It

was established especially in the light of the questions

they asked. The same day I was abducted, Comrade

Kumar Gunaratnam was also abducted. They have

taken steps to send him immediately to Australia.

This indicates that the people who abducted us have

connections with the government. They constantly

questioned me about the politics Lalith and Kugan

did in the North. They mentioned several times about

Lalith and Kugan. They also said that Lalith and Kugan

were still alive and I could soon see them. It is therefore

clear that the people who abducted Lalith and Kugan

and who abducted me were the same group of people

who have connections with government defence units.I stated these facts before the court.

Dimuthu states giving evidence

They said that Lalith & Kugan would come


Lets Build up Peoples Action Against

Skyrocketing Cost of Living


In the meantime, minister

Weerawansha says about

economic assassinators. What

we say is that this whole cabinet

and the entire bureaucracy is

an economic assassination.

Governments economic policy

is a policy that assassinates the

economy.

Movement for Peoples Struggle


3/12


Without doubt, inmany ways it can beeasily understood

that the present Lankanregime is, as a Bonapartistgovernment. It would be wrong

if this generalization was beingmade only by considering themere similarities in an abstractmanner, without consideringthe historical and objectiverealities with the situationin France in1849 and thegovernment installed in Russiaafter the bourgeois democraticrevolution in February 1917,which Lenin explained as aBonapartist regime in everyrespect. However, there aresome signicant similaritiesin terms of qualitative featureswhich can be recognized bycomparing these historical

circumstances with the presentRajapaksha regime.Without having a single

solution for the deterioratingeconomy, the present regimeis using ethnic, religious andall forms of identity crisesto subjugate and allure themasses. On one hand, theregime inuences all sorts ofchauvinist tendencies to divertthe masses from the classstruggle. On the other hand anunprecedented developmentof anti-democratic and illegalmeasures have been takenagainst workers, peasants,

students, women and everystrata of the society to suppressthe masses as the ultimatum.It is being done not only byconcentrating the whole powertowards the family cliquebut also appointing relatives,friends, henchmen,gureheadsand puppets to allpower centres includingeconomic institutions,media installations, foreignrelations as well as all threearmed forces and the policedepartment. After installinga military rule in North andEast, the entire society hasgradually been militarising,and it has been signied by theintroduction of the compulsorymilitary training for the rstyear university students,now being followed by theschool principlals. It is worthremembering, "disciplinethroughout the society" wasa slogan for the Nazis andFascists too, at the beginningof their disastrous politicaljourney at the crucial junctureof their economically collapsedcountries. Constitutionalamendments have been takingplace occasionally and thejudiciary becoming a tool ofconstitutional dictatorship isone of the main features underthe present regime. Whileexplaining and comparingthe temporary governmentof Russia in 1917 with theBonapartist nature, Leninstated what is Bonapartism:

"The manoeuvring of

state power, which leans on

(Collected Works- 25

page - 224)

After defeating LTTE in2009 May, the Rajapaksharegime has been enjoying the"comfort" of the rightist natureinjected to the society by thethree decades long war by not

allowing itself to lose the gripof chauvinist elements butinuencing them. It has alsobeen welcoming and blendingall forms of backward Asiaticideologies among the societyto divert the masses from theclass struggle. For the lastthree and a half years sincethe war ended, periodically the"war crime" allegation is beingpointed against the Rajapaksharegime by most of the westernimperialist powers includingthe United Nations. It is a well-known fact that the regime hasan increasing understanding

with all imperialist forcesconsisting of most of thewestern powers, principallybecause they do not have muchcontradiction in terms of neo-liberal policies. Even thoughRajapaksha tries to manoeuvrethe geo-political contradictionsin the region between India,China and Pakistan for the

sake of his agenda, the ultimateresult is that he himself and thecountry has been manipulatedby the imperialist forces. Thetimetable approach of thewestern powers including

United Nations at the annualGeneva summit is being usedby Rajapaksha himself tomaintain the so-called patrioticslogans to deceive the masses.Whenever the war crimeissue or the implementationof LLRC is being raised,Rajapaksha himself and hisnationalist elements tries todeceive and allure the masses.It seems that these are hismuch awaited interventions so

he can use all his "patriotism"

to extend his political life foranother day.

"....in which fancy phrases

about saving the countryare particularly fashionable

(concealing the desire to save

the imperialist programme

of the bourgeoisie), and you

have a perfect picture of the

socio-political setting for

Bonapartism"

-Lenin (Collected Works

page - 224)

the military clique (on the

worst elements of the army)

for support, between two

hostile classes and forces

which more or less balance

each other out" -Lenin

(collected works 25 page-

223 )

When Lenin explained theobjective realities of Russia in1917 June, the class strugglehad elevated towards a dualpower situation. Far differentto the above mentionedRussian experience is thepresent Lankan class struggle,which has been receding inthe recent past for a numberof national reasons, apart fromthe global circumstances,.Apart from other reasons, dueto national question followedby the three decades longnationalistic war, the societyhas deviated from the class

struggle towards ultra rightistnationalistic tendencies. This isnot only because of the Sinhalaand Tamil chauvinist forcesbut also the policies adoptedby the so-called left as theyabandoned the leftist programand fell into the nationalisticabyss. Even though the classstruggle has not elevated

similar to the situation inRussia in 1917, the presentregime tries to aggregate themasses representing all classesby using so-called patrioticslogans and deception. It isbeing used to manoeuvre theregional contradictions as well.

On the other hand, similar tothe Kerensky government, theRajapaksha regime too, tries tobalance different class forces

out by making a number ofbroken promises.

"...only by a Bonapartist

government capable

of making the most

unscrupulous promises to all

classes without keeping any

of them"- Lenin

It is worth remembering,

"discipline throughout the

society" was a slogan for

the Nazis and Fascists too,

at the beginning of their

disastrous political journey

at the crucial juncture

of their economically

collapsed countries.

The timetable approach

of the western powers

including UnitedNations at the annual

Geneva summit

is being used by

Rajapaksha himself to

maintain the so-called

patriotic slogans to

deceive the masses.


4/12


The government of United

States the intendion announced

for second year move of a

resolution against Lanka at the

March 2013 session of the Geneva

United Nation Human Rights

Council (UNHRC) for failing

to pursue those responsible for

abuses as government forces

were crushing the LTTE in

2009. US Deputy AssistantSecretary of State James Moore

told reporters in Colombo: "The

U.S. and the other 23 members

of the UNHRC who voted for

that resolution in 2012 believe

that the government of Lanka

needs to full its commitments

made to its own people." He

thus makes it clear that the US

is not satised with the progress

and implementation of the

Lessons Learned Reconciliation

Commission (LLRC). But

Washington also raised concerns

about the removal of Lanka's

chief justice. The US Deputy

Assistant Secretary of Defensesaid in Geneva: "It is safe to

say that the impeachment of the

chief justice also contributed to

the decision to ensure that the

record (against Lanka) stays

fresh in Geneva." It now seems

certain that India will support

the US resolution against

Lanka, after the Press Trust of

India quoted India's Minister

of State V. Narayanasamy as

saying India would "support any

resolution brought against the

island nation" as a way of getting

powers for Lankan Tamils.

The Lankan

Government reacted adversely

to the U.S. move. In hisIndependence Day speech

at Trincomalee, President

Rajapakse said "The UN Charter

gives no powers to interfere in

internal affairs of countries",

and quoted Article 2 of the UN

charter. On the other hand the

Tamil National Alliance (TNA),

which speaks for the interests of

USmoves resolutionagainst Lanka

the Tamil bourgeoisie, said that

"stern action" by the UNHRC

is "absolutely necessary". The

TNA position was supported by

Nava Sama Samaja Party leader

Wickramabahu Karunaratne

who appeared alongside TNA

leaders at a Colombo press

conference to endorse their call

for the devolution of power to

the North and East.

But when the United

States or its junior ally Britain

raises concerns of human

rights or democracy against

any country, their statementscannot be taken at face value.

For the United States is the

national state which, more than

any other, speaks and acts in

the interests of the imperialist

system. For more than fty

years the US has used human

rights and democracy as pretexts

for their real agenda, which

is to strengthen imperialism.

Imperialism does not mean the

overt political interference by

large countries in the internal

affair of small ones. Imperialism

is essentially an economic

concept, a variant of capitalism.

In the simplest possible terms,

imperialism can be dened as themonopoly stage of capitalism:

"imperialism is capitalism

at that stage of development

at which the dominance of

monopolies and nancial capital

is established; in which the

export of capital has acquired

pronounced importance." (Lenin

Imperialism, the highest stage

of capitalism)

Although Lanka does

have big problems with human

rights, the US and its allies are

not really concerned with that.

This is proved by the fact that

the US only raises human rights

and democracy concerns with

countries (e.g. the USSR, Iran,

Libya, China, North Korea) that

are not sufciently supporting

the imperialist system of which

the US state plays the central

role. It never raises such

concerns about the undemocratic

internal affairs of its satellites(e.g. Bahrein, Qatar, Saudi

Arabia, Israel). Furthermore, the

US's resolution is without doubt

part of a concerted western

move against Lanka. Britain is

already invoking what it calls

"Commonwealth values" while

Canada is refusing to attend the

next CHOGM summit if it is

held in Lanka.

It would be absurd

to expect the world political

leaders of imperialism do

deliver genuine human rights

or democracy to Lanka.

Imperialist intervention will

not give the Tamils or anyone

else full democratic rights. Itcan only give them bourgeois

democracy, which, as Lenin

warned, is "a paradise for the

rich and a snare and deception

for the exploited, for the poor".

That may be good enough for

the TNA or the UNP, which have

no higher aims than bourgeois

democracy, but it would be

opportunism for any socialist

party to call for imperialist

intervention in Lanka's internal

affairs. Genuine human rights

and democracy will only be

achieved through the political

and economic struggle of the

united Lankan working class,

comprising all the nationalities.

On the other hand it would

also be opportunism to support

the Rajapakse Government on

the grounds that it is resisting

imperialist interference. We have

seen from the Government's

co-operation with the IMF andthe World Bank that it has no

contradiction with imperialism.

There are no bourgeois forces

in Lanka that are opposed to

imperialism, and therefore to

support the Lankan bourgeois

state against imperialism makes

no sense at all.

New Delhi's support

for the US move is a product of

the Tamil Nadu government's

backing for Tamil separatism

in Lanka, and on a deeper level

of India's increasing integration

into the world imperialist system.

The ruling Congress Party is

worried about the destabilizing

effect of the Lankan issue in thesouthern Indian state of Tamil

Nadu, which sends 39 MPs to the

540-member Indian parliament,

which could be a crucial

contingent in the formation of

the next coalition government

in New Delhi following the next

elections. More fundamentally,

the Indian government seems to

be abandoning the non-aligned

economic nationalism of an

earlier period, and is drawing

ever closer to US positions on

world politics, especially as

regards Chinese inuence in

South Asia.

The UN Human

Rights Council is itself a body

which is highly susceptible to

the inuence of the leadingimperialist countries. 80 per

cent of its funding comes

from the United States and its

satellites, which means that the

key positions in the UNHRC

are mostly held by those who

have served in the diplomatic

services of such countries. In

this environment the UNHRC's

activities will never be impartial,

especially when dealing with

poorer countries like Lanka.

The question remains of the

U.S.' real motives in launching

this diplomatic offensive

against Lanka. In his November

2011 speech to the Australianparliament, President Obama

emphasised that the United

States intends to maintain and

strengthen its military presence

in the Asia Pacic region: " I have

directed my national security

team to make our presence and

mission in the Asia Pacic a top

priority." Obama has variously

termed the US strategy as a

"return to the Pacic" and a

"pivot to the Pacic", but most

pundits have agreed that it is a

strategy aimed at containing

the rise of China's inuence

in the region. The Obama

Administration has claimed

that it is necessary to counterthe long term, large expansion

of China's military and its more

assertive behaviour regarding

its contested maritime claims

in the South and East China

Seas. The Chinese Government

on the other hand sees Obama's

strategy as old-style Cold War

The warm relations that exist between Lanka and Chinaare likely to be of concern to the US government. Lanka isseeking foreign direct investment while China is looking toincrease its overseas investment. The result is that China isinvolved in almost all the large-scale projects that are under

construction in Lanka.

to page 11


5/12


Frontline:- You issued

a statement to the public

saying that you will work as

an Independent member in

the Parliament. What was

the reason behind it?

Com. Ajith Kumara:-When I was with Peoples

Liberation Front we, as JVP

members, always struggled

against bureaucracy within

the Party and as a result of

that struggle JVP was split

between the bureaucratic

layer and the members of the

Party.

I was with the members of

the Party. Then I acted as part

of the Democratic National

Alliance, but unfortunately,

some of their members of

Parliament (such as Mr

Anura Dissanayake) did not

act representing the working

classs interest but for their

own agenda by disregarding

our common objectives as a

progressive Party.

After this, I decided to

actively take part with the

Movement for Peoples

Struggle and currently I

am serving as a National

Organiser for MPS.

During my time in

the parliament I have

noticed direct and indirect

collaboration with the current

government by members

of the so called left in the

parliament.

I have been prevented by

DNA parliament group leader

from expressing my view

concerning budget proposals.

I was subjected to violation of

parliamentary rights.

Those are some of many

incidents that have occurred

in parliament.

Frontline:- You lodged

a complaint to the Supreme

Court against the proposed

Criminal Procedure Code.

Do you think you can stop

oppressive laws by simply

going to the courts?

Com. Ajith Kumara:-

First I should reafrm that

the courts, parliament and the

executive power work hand

in hand, therefore working

people cannot depend on these

institutions. But still, I decided

to go to Court as a part of our

strategy to show to the masses

that these institutions are onlyserving themselves.

I managed to drag out

the special provisions of the

Code of Criminal Procedure

Bill for several months but

while we follow this strategy, I

dont believe for a minute that

without changing the system,

without understanding the real

cause, we will ever win this

struggle.

Even when the so called

divinaguma was brought into

the parliament during workers'

struggles the judiciary never

challenged the governmentsdecision. They are operating

within the current system.

However, we have managed

to develop a dialogue in society

as a result of our actions in the

court.

The current rulers want to

get everything by oppressing

masses and they are not

current so called opposition

within the parliament as well as

the old left are systematically

collaborating within the system

and the current constitution isthere to protect these parties and

the government clearly dened

as opposition/government

party.

From time to time, the

ordinary public will see

conicts within these parties

but out of these conicts the

people are not the winners.

The current government and

the opposition within the

parliament are controlled by the

dominant economic class. It is

important that we understand

this reality.

We witnessed over theyears that through the same

parliament they managed to

pass draconian laws which our

people still suffer from as a

result. What this system has

done over the years is have a

few protests and then accept

and abide by the new laws.

We totally oppose this

behaviour by the so called

opposition in the parliament

and we are now building up

our strength by educating

people from the grass roots

level.

Frontline:- You have

opposed to the bill to amend

the 2005 Convention onSuppression of Terrorist

Financing Act, what is your

view on this decision? Are

you in the parliament simply

to oppose everything?

Com. Ajith Kumara:-

As you know, the current

political system is heading

into a disaster day by day.

In the parliament, these

capitalist parties simply want

to protect the system by

introducing oppressive laws

in the parliament.

We oppose everything

introduced in the parliament

simply because they neverhave anything positive for the

people.

I ask you the same question

in return: what are the positive

steps they put forward in the

parliament recently? The

answer is nothing. What we

see in parliament is a dream

world and they try to show

colourful theatre to blind the

people. Therefore, we have

a struggle on our hand to

release the oppressed from

this neo liberalism.

We believe our struggle

is surging higher and higher.

This government only tries

to oppress the masses by

branding them as terrorists

but the current political

parties couldnt use even

parliament to raise awareness

of this injustice. Therefore,

unlike other parties, we wont

hesitant to introduce draconian

laws to oppressed masses. We

dont see any difference with

parliament, the judiciary and

the current system and that isthe main reason we need to

work hard to change this entire

capitalist system.

Frontline:- When the

government tries to change

these laws, how can you

analyse the quietness of the

capitalist parties and other

parties in the parliament?

Com. Ajith Kumara:- The

The present political system

is heading to the disaster day by dayComrade Ajith KumaraNational Organizer of Movement for Peoples' Struggle

We totally oppose this

behaviour by the so

called opposition in the

parliament and we are

now building up our

strength by educating

people from the grass

roots level. to page 11

Interview for Frontline with member of parliament

comrade Ajith Kumara, regarding the current

political situation in Lanka


6/12


A kidney disease which was

found in certain areas of the

district of Anuradhapura is now

spreading epidemically to other

districts such as Polonnaruwa,

Vavunia, Ampara,

Trincomalee, Batticaloa and

Moneragala. Therefore this

problem, which has developedinto a very serious social

problem is gradually engulng

the entire country. We, as a

leftist movement have the

responsibility of making

a comprehensive political

analysis of this as well as

organizing the people and

ghting against this menace.

The present discussion is an

initiation into such a course of

action.

Attention was originally

focused on the disease which

leads to kidney failure when

70 farmers within the Padaviya

division of Anuradhapura

district were reported in 1992

to be suffering from a kidney

disease, of whom 17 died

within that year. By end of

the year 2012, 11,212 kidney

patients from the Anuradhapura

district and 2,957 patients

from Polonnaruwa district

had been reported. According

to the records kept at the

Anuradhapura general hospital,

1811 patients who had received

treatment from that hospital for

the kidney disease had died

during the nine year period

from 2003 to 2012. That meansthat in the Anuradhapura

district alone, approximately

201 patients per year, in other

words, one patient per every

two days dies due to this disease

named as "Chronic Kidney

Disease" (CKD). Now this

situation is gradually spreading

to other districts mentioned

above. According to the reports

released by the Ministry of

Health in January 2013, about

15% of the population of

Anuradhapura district suffers

from CKD. Health authorities

examined 10,608 individuals

towards the end of the year

2012 in Anuradhapura, ofwhich 1414 individuals were

found to have contracted the

disease. Up to that point they

were unaware that they had an

illness. This as a percentage is

13%. This is a ne example to

demonstrate how rapidly the

CKD is spreading.

The World Health

Organization (WHO)

appointed a special research

team to investigate the mystery

kidney disease spreading in

many areas of Lanka, for

which no cause has yet been

identied. Even up to the point,

the government and health

authorities of Lanka, while not

making necessary interventions

in respect of the kidney disease

which was destroying the lives

of the peasants, had not at least

allocated funds for research

on the disease. The research

team appointed by the WHO

has issued its rst report dated

6-8 June 2011, its second

report dated 5-7 October 2011

and its third report in January

2012. According to the said

reports, 15% of the population

of the North Central Province

aged between 15 to 70 yearsfaces kidney failure due to

unidentied cause. Males

aged over 40 years are the

most vulnerable. While the

disease is common among

farmers the vast majority

of patients are those who

had engaged in agriculture

for over 10 years. Upon the

examination of urine samples

of 496 patients, the WHO

found that the concentration

of cadmium and arsenic is

56% and 63% of the samples

exceeded danger limits. One

or both of these poisonous

elements were found in 88%

of the urine samples tested. Ithas been found out that arsenic

over and above the acceptable

limits is present in the head

hair of 90% and in the nger

nails of 94% of the population

in agricultural areas. It is clear

that this presence of poisonous

chemicals in the bodies of

peasants is a phenomenon

directly connected to the

weedicides, insecticides and

other chemical substances used

for agriculture.

The changes made by the

imperialists in the eld of

agriculture named 'the Green

Revolution' arrived in Lanka

too when neo liberal reforms

began in Lanka in the laterstages of the 1970s. What was

done by the 'green revolution'

was the destruction of the

then existing environment-

friendly agricultural practices

and the independence enjoyed

by farmers in obtaining seeds

and other agricultural inputs

thereby making agriculture

entirely a prey of multinational

Health authorities

examined 10,608

individuals towards the

end of the year 2012 in

Anuradhapura, of which1414 individuals were

found to have contracted

the disease. Up to that

point they were unaware

that they had an illness.

This as a percentage is

13%.


7/12


corporations. Accordingly,

massive competition sprang up

among companies in respect

of agro-chemicals. Due to the

said competition companies

competed with each other

to introduce more and more

poisonous agro-chemicals.

Instances of various pests and

diseases being introducedby various companies

emerged from countries in the

continents of Africa, Asia and

Latin America by the 1980s.

Lanka also became a victim

of this situation and today the

farmers have to pay with their

lives to increase the prots of

multi-national companies. The

CKD is another symptom of

the disease of capitalism which

has prot as its sole aim and is

involved in the accumulation

of capital with no regard for the

environment and human lives.

Danger to the lives of the

peasantry is heightened not

only by imperialism which has

spread its octopus like tentacles

to the agricultural sector as it

has to every other sector but

also by the backwardness of

the super-imposed capitalism

in Lanka. The failure of the

government to prepare a

legal framework regarding

the quality of agro-chemicals,

even though it is obvious

that there is a clear nexus

between the tendency towards

accumulation of poisonous

heavy metals in the eco-

system and the kidney diseasespreading in these areas, is an

example of the backwardness

of the rulers of Lanka. On

the other hand it is clear that

the cause of kidney disease is

unsafe drinking water. Heavy

metals such as arsenic and

cadmium are ingested mainly

with drinking water. Presently

these farmers obtain water

for drinking from wells dug

in their home gardens. They

are situated in agricultural

lands and the probability that

agro-chemicals are present in

underground water is high.

Though the right for access tosafe drinking water is a basic

human right, the rulers have

failed to ensure that right to

the people of Lanka. The urban

population of Lanka has been

provided with pipe-borne water

trough water supply projects.

However, the attention of the

rulers has not been directed

towards initiating a similar

project for the people of the

area where thousands have

died, and the lives of thousands

more are endangered due to the

unavailability of safe drinking

water. Today the people of

areas struck by the CKD are

compelled to struggle for safe

drinking water. The people whoare terried by the disease are

presently purchasing water at a

high price. People who are no

means to do so are condemned

to use unsafe water.

The other most serious

issue of health facilities, state

hospitals do not have even the

basic facilities necessary in

respect of the kidney ailment.

Only the main hospitals have

the facilities even to check

whether the disease has been

contracted. One example

for this is the Rural Hospital

situated at Padaviya which

is one of the areas where the

disease is most rampant. If one

takes the Dehiaththakandiya

area as another example,

the base hospitals of both

Dehiaththakandiya and

Mahiyanganaya which are

adjacent to the area both do

not have diagnostic facilities.

People have to travel over one

hundred kilometers to either

the General Hospital in Ampara

or the General Hospital of

Kandy in order to get the

diagnostic tests performed free

of charge. The other alternative

is to pay for the service.Such is the reality of the free

health service which is said

to be available in Lanka. The

situation is not much different

in respect of treatment too. As

reported on 12th November

2012 in the government's own

'Dinamina" newspaper, 11 out

of 23 Hymodialysis machines

at Anuradhapura General

Hospital used for dialyzing the

kidney patients are out of order.

In addition to these, six more

machines become out of order

from time to time. Even in the

district of Anuradhapura where

the disease is most intense,it is not possible to treat even

half the patients who come for

the said treatment. Therefore

patients are compelled to pay

for various tests, drugs and

other treatments. Those who

cannot afford to do so can

only die. Not a single capitalist

government which has come

to power so far in Lanka has

taken steps to develop the

health service even for the sake

of saving the lives of patients.

What do the policies of

capitalist governments tell us,the policies which have failed

so far to conduct a formal

investigation in respect of a

disease which has claimed the

lives of thousands for a period

of over a decade, which do not

ensure the right of the people of

Rajarata area for safe potable

water, which do not provide

free health facilities for patients

who are in danger, which do

not take even the minimum

steps necessary maintaining the

standards of agro - chemicals,

and which do not pay attention

The other mostserious issue ofhealth facilities, statehospitals do not haveeven the basic facilitiesnecessary in respect ofthe kidney ailment.

to page 11


8/12


Yet another 08th of March

has passed. One Hundred and

Two years have elapsed since

the inaugural celebration ofthe International Women's'

Day as proposed to the Second

International in 1910 by

the German Socialist, Clara

Zetkin. During the last 102

years the women's' day has

been celebrated by various

organization under various

interpretations in various

wineries across the world.

However, would one be

satised that it has progressed

beyond being a mere day of

calibrations and succeeded in

uplifting the living standards of

oppressed women all over theworld?

While celebrating women's

day m' 2012, it is worthwhile to

inquire in to the tragic situation

to which women's living

standards hare descended under

the present neo - liberalist

socio - economic set up instead

of progressing rapidly in the

struggle which women had

begun at the inaugural stages,

the major share of work is being

done all over the world by thewomen. She is the one who

accomplishes specic tasks

of labour in her employment

as well as being one who

expends unlimited labour in

the household which is not

valued. It is no exaggeration

to say that she accounts for the

mayor share of labour activity

in the world economy. For an

example, women supply 70%

of the world agricultural labour.

However 60% of all these

who suffer from starvation

in the world are also women,

further evidence of the extent

of the social inequality and

oppression to which women

have been subjected is supplied

by the fact of 2/3 rds. of the

illiterate population being

women, and the incidents of

sexual harassment and murder

heard dewily. Statistics are

unnecessary for understanding

that not even the basic human

rights of women, lave alone

there social rights are severed

in a world which is boasted to

be developing rapidly.

Confronted be another

celebration of the international

women's day, we are these

completed to once again

stress the very necessity for

international women's' day

proposed by comrade Clara

Zetkin. She proposed to the

socialist second internationalthe necessity of nominating one

common day for women for the

proposed of focusing attention

on the necessity of writing

to defeat the oppression and

social injustice experienced by

women. Though that proposal

was very correct, it has not been

possible even after 102 years

to take the struggle to uplift

the social states of women

on a more favourable path

and to carry the entire world

towards a change of attitude

in respect of women. It is been

conformed repeatedly that it isimpossible to end the operation

and integrality experienced by

women by anything short of a

change of the social system

Even as Lankan women,

this tragedy which we are

experiencing is massive. It is

not an exaggeration to say that

women of Lanka have become

the most oppressed prey of the

destruction brought upon the

country by rulers who took

over the reins vowing to make

Lanka the wonder of Asia. The

present rulers, who have begun

playing the second innings of

the neo-liberal capitalism more

successfully, are progressing

successfully in the game of

making women an easy prey of

the social system.

Women are the cheapest

and easiest prey of exploitationin the labour market of Lanka.

They are the more active labour

in the Middle-Eastern slavery

and in the garment sector.

That is the very large segment

of the Lankan economy. But

sufcient attention has never

been focussed on how cheaply

and oppressively their labour is

being exploited. A high number

of those who are sent to the

Middle-East as housemaids

are faced with danger to their

lives as well as barbaric labour

and sexual exploitation. The

number of women who die,

Become victims of harassment,

return having lost their limbs or

diseased or are stranded abroad

is very high. Rizana Nafeek

paid with her life for the since

of rulers of this country, who

were not humane enough as to

do even the minimum justice by

the billions in foreign exchange

which they are amassing for

their luxurious comfort. There

is no doubt what so ever that

the authorities do not even have

correct statistics regarding

women who similarly losetheir lives or become injured.

Hundreds of Thousands of

women are expending labour

for a pittance in the zones for

exploitation named Free Trade

Zones including those situated

at Katunayake and Biyagama

and in garment factories

dispersed throughout the

country. They, who are denied

maternity leave, rest and basic

human rights get overtime

service shifts only to satisfy

capitalists need to meet targets.

These young women nd

themselves thrown in to the

re from the frying pan as they

are compelled to return empty-

handed to their home towns

and villages since the garment

factories are shutting down one

after the other due to the loss of

garment quota brought about

by the idiocy of the rulers.

However, they are denied to the

right to raise even a whimper

against the injustice befallen

them or to struggle for worker

rights. Could one margin that

the rulers of this wonderland

will ever accept responsibility

for the lives of such women

who have been dehumanizedby being compelled to struggle

to make ends meet rather than

struggle for workers rights, by

lack of rest and recreation and

denied their lives being cruelly

victimized by capitalism.

The situation of the women

International Women's' Day

Neo - Liberal Capitalism

and the Lankan Women

To page 11

Even as Lankan women, this tragedy whichwe are experiencing is massive. It is not anexaggeration to say that women of Lankahave become the most oppressed prey of thedestruction brought upon the country by rulerswho took over the reins vowing to make Lankathe wonder of Asia.


9/12


The skeletal remains that

were found at the Matale District

Hospital compound have shocked

the whole country and raised the

question about the identity of

these hundreds of skeletons, and

how such a dreadful act could

have happened in a civilized

society such as ours. According

to the Judicial Medical Ofcer,

around 90 skeletons were foundand this brings to the memory

the ndings of mass graves in

Chemmini and Sooriyakanda in

the past.

Undoubtedly this will be the

biggest mass grave ever found

in the history of Lanka whereas

the whole society is still keeping

a deafening silence from which

Disgusting mass burialand Disgraceful Deafening Silencecan be inferred the fact that now

this is an inactive and lethargic

society. Whatever interpretations

to be given to these skeletons the

possibility of the graves being

connected to the horror period

of 1988-89 are strong. At that

time, the most violent killings

took place in the Southern

Province, central province

specially in the Kandy andMatale Districts. The victims of

the said period conrm the fact

that there were army camps and

torture chambers in the District

Hospital, Vijaya College, the

site where the Matale Rest

House and Koombiyangoda

Temple are situated, as well as

several other places in Matale.

It is also reported that the

Gajaba Regiment of the army

was in charge of the area at

the time. Vijaya College is 100

metres from the Matale District

Hospital and the Matale Police

was stationed nearby.It was plain that the bodies

had been buried without any

respect for human kind. In most

of bodies the heads were found

separately. There are no female

or child bodies which prove the

fact that it was not a consequence

of any natural disaster or

of contagious diseases. It is

possible, this was a horror

chamber that buried its inmates

in mass graves and most of the

people who were responsible for

this mass grave are still at large.

It is pertinent to note during the

1971 insurrection, there were

no mass murders. Therefore, we

are convinced that these skeletal

remains are of those who

were killed during the period1988/89, when state terrorism

was at its height. Revealing

the companionship between

carpet though this incident was

occurred under UNP regime. We

must insist that those responsible

be brought to justice. Those

who are responsible for the

murders are now holding high

positions in this government. If

the government is not doing a

thorough investigation of this

matter, the government has to

take responsibility for thesekillings.

Another important factor to

be analyzed is the reactions of

international community and

other leading NGOs to this

incident. If this compound was

found in North or East area

that might compel them to pass

even international resolutions.

But international human rights

organizations are still remain

silent to comment on this mass

grave. It substantiates the fact

that in order to promote neo-

liberal economic agenda the

racial issues are very importantthan these issues whereby they

are scared to represent the rights

of the people who fought against

the capitalist system.

The UNP regime and its

successors are answerable

for these mass graves and the

Mahinda Rajapaksha regime

also cannot get rid of this issue by

remaining silent. According to

the sources during the 1988/1989

period the Gajaba Regiment had

control over the Matale area and

they maintained all the torture

camps. Major Gunatilake, Major

Gotabhaya Rajapaksha (present

Defence Secretary) and Mohan

Wimalasuriya commanded

the regiment and Mahinda

Balasuriya (former IGP) was

the head of the Matale Police

region. Therefore the liabilities

are shifted to the Mahinda

Rajapaksha regime and its

loyal ofcials in respect of this

mass grave because most of the

ofcers who are paying a major

role in the present regime played

the same kind of role under UNP

regime in 1988/1989 period.

These youth lost their

valuable lives because they

had dreamed about a better

world by toppling this horrible

system. We render our salute

to them and at the same time

their unconcluded duty has been

shifted to the present generation.

Though some people and parties

betrayed their noble motive theleftist movement of the country

was able to safeguard the

principles protected by them till

their death. We have to promise

them that the battle taken by us

from them will not be handed

over the next generation and that

we will conquer the world that

they had dreamed of.

two capitalist parties UNP

and the SLFP in issues which

affects the system, the present

government led by the SLFP

is trying to keep this under the

It was plain that the

bodies had been buried

without any respect for

human kind. In most of

bodies the heads were

found separately. There

are no female or child

bodies which prove

the fact that it was not

a consequence of anynatural disaster or of

contagious diseases.

These youth lost their

valuable lives because

they had dreamed

about a better world by

toppling this horrible

system. We render our

salute to them and at

the same time theirunconcluded duty has

been shifted to the

present generation.


10/12


cont. page 11

North Koreas continued

work on its nuclear and missile

programs seriously undermines

regional and international

peace and security, and

threatens the security of a

number of countries, including

the United States.

US envoy to the United

Nations, Susan Rice

Theres nothing quite like

the foreign policy outbursts ofthe United States government.

The bravado always astounds.

In just one short sentence, the

Obama administration not

only accuse North Korea of a

diabolic plan to use its nuclear

program to terrorize the

world, but also presents itself

as a country that is willing to

brave these threats in order to

safeguard international peace.

And it seems they are not

alone: after the UN Security

Councils emergency meeting

on 12 February which took

place only 12 hours after North

Koreas most recent nucleartest the entire 15 member

Security Council joined the

United States and pledged

to take signicant action

against North Korea. The UN's

expertise on nuclear weapons

should not be underestimated

in 2012 it was estimated

that the current 15 member

Security Council has 17,055

nuclear weapons between

them; 16,965 of which are the

property of the ve Permanent

Security Council Members

(France, United Kingdom,

China, Russia and the USA).

We can only hope that the

extensive nuclear armouries of

these countries do not conict

with their duty as Permanent

Security Council members to

safeguard international peace.

Undeterred by these

apparent contradictions, the

United States have ruled that

North Korea's nuclear program

is a "global threat". This is

despite the well known fact

that the North Koreans are not

currently able to engineer a

miniaturized nuclear device

small enough to be tted to

a missile, and futhermore,

only have enough plutonium

and uranium supplies for 4-8

nuclear weapons. The fact that

the US currently own 4,950

active nuclear weapons is keptquiet. Such self-righteous and

partisan declarations of the

US government are a clear

example that there are two

standards in world politics:

one that applies to the United

States and its growing pool of

allies and lackeys, and another

that applies to everyone else.

North Korea or the

Democratic People Republic of

Korea (DPRK) as it is ofcially

known is no stranger to

international criticism. Ever

since the DPRK withdrew from

the Nuclear Non-Proliferation

Treaty in 1993, the nuclear

ambitions of the DPRK have

been well known and ercely

criticised. Under former leader

Kim Jong-Il these ambitions

were nally realised with

their rst nuclear test in

2006, followed by another in

2009. Widespread economic

sanctions followed each ofthese tests, adding to an already

vast and comprehensive array.

While the US and the UN

Security Council would like

you to believe that these nuclear

tests were the actions of a

war-mongering North Korean

regime, a closer inspection

reveals the exact opposite.

Contrary to the popular

image of North Koreans as

crazed and belligerent, the

DPRK's nuclear program is a

direct response to 60 years of

hostile US foreign policy. The

Korean War of 1950-53, in

which over 350,000 American

soldiers were sent to the

Korean Peninsula to assist the

South's conquest of the North,

marked only the beginning of

the DPRKs long and painful

relationship with the US. The

fact that the US still refuses to

sign a peace treaty only an

armistice was ever signed is

quite appropriate considering

the erce attitude shown by

successive US administrations

toward the DPRK.

The DPRKs withdrawal

from the Nuclear Non-

Proliferation Treaty in

1993 encapsulates how US

policy has effectively led to

a nuclear North Korea. In

February 1993, Lee Butler,

then the head of US StrategicCommand, announced that the

United States was retargeting

hydrogen bombs aimed at the

former USSR on North Korea.

One month later, North Korea

withdrew from the Nuclear

Non-Proliferation Treaty.

From the perspective of the

North Koreans, it was clear

that without the protection of

the former USSR an effective

deterrent to US bullying was

needed. Here we arrive at the

million dollar question is the

North Korean nuclear program

necessary to maintain their

independence and sovereignty?

A common retort to this

question is that any increase in

the global stockpiles of nuclear

weaponry should be opposed as

it ultimately increases the risks

of war. Recent history tells us

that the reverse is true. Former

Libyan leader Muammar

Gaddas elimination of all

Libyan nuclear weapons in

2003 did not decrease the risks

of war it paved the way for

it. Similarly, Iraqs removal of

its nuclear arsenal in the early

2000s did not prevent a US

invasion, but instead made it

more likely. Clearly, as long as

the US has nuclear weapons,

every country that actively

resists US inuence without

any means of defendingthemselves is at risk. From these

facts, in conjunction with the

constant US military presence

in neighbouring Japan and

South Korea which currently

includes 22,294 soldiers, 4014

warships, 21,213 warplanes

and over 17 thousand marines

it should come as no surprise

that new DPRK leader Kim

Jong-un concluded that an

effective deterrent to US

aggression is necessary.

Considering that the US

military is by far the largest

in the world, the Obama

administrations claim that the

North Korean nuclear program

is a threat to the United States,

to regional stability, and to

global security is absurd.

If the DPRK were to attack

unprovoked, as the US and their

allies allege, the DPRK would

not stand a chance against the

might of the US military. After

all, the US military spent 1.415

Such self-righteous and

partisan declarations of

the US government are a

clear example that there

are two standards in world

politics: one that applies

to the United States and its

growing pool of allies and

lackeys, and another thatapplies to everyone else.


11/12


North korea From page 10

Chronic kidney disease From page 07

International Women's

From page 08

trillion dollars on its military budget in 2012, compared to the

DPRKs annual military budget of approximately 6 billion. The

United States are only too aware of this fact they consistently

threaten the DPRK with their massive military might safe in

the knowledge that a pre-emptive strike by the DPRK would be

suicidal.

While the US consistently play on their obvious military

supremacy as shown with their regular war games held with

South Korea in the Sea of Japan that brazenly rehearse an

amphibious invasion the centerpiece of US foreign policy is to

cripple the DPRKs socialist economy. For six decades, the US

have imposed harsh economic sanctions on the DPRK. Within

the Obama administration this policy is known as strategic

patience essentially meaning they will besiege the DPRK

economy with constant sanctions until it cracks under the weight.

One of the United States constant criticisms of the DPRK

that they deliberately starve their population in order to allocate

more resources to the military is closely related to this ruthless

campaign of sanctions. Former President George W. Bush sums

up the attitude of the US perfectly, stating he was determined to

squeeze North Korea with every nancial sanction possible until

its economy collapsed, regardless of the costs to the North Koreanpeople. With DPRK trade restricted in every imaginable way

there simply isn't enough space to list them all the North Koreans

have effectively been forced to become self-sufcient, which, for

a country as small as the DPRK, has many potential problems.

Only China deals openly with the DPRK, selling them invaluable

supplies of oil and foodstuffs. In fact, the sanctions imposed on the

DPRK are so vast that the US is barely able to impose anymore.

As the New York Times reported in 2013, there are few sanctions

left to apply. The arrogant statements of the US such as the

one that began this article should be viewed within this context.

Portraying the DPRK as a global threat is the last refuge of a

desperate giant.

For the US, whether the DPRK is a global threat is beside the

point the fact is that the US will never let a socialist economy

operate freely in a world dominated by US capital. The United

Sates 53-year trade embargo imposed on socialist Cuba a

country with no nuclear program clearly demonstrates this. By

forcing the DPRK into a corner with constant aggressive rhetoric

and sanctions, the US has given the North Koreans two choices:

either political independence, with all the economic and military

threats that come with it; or submit themselves to every whim and

desire of US capitalism. Which would you choose?

Comrade Ajith Kumara, National Organizer

of Peoples Struggle Movement and the Memberof Parliament, is requesting the government to

dene terrorism and go in front of a mirror to see

their own image.

He said this on the 7th of February attending

a media conference organized by the Movement

for Peoples Struggle regarding Convention

on Suppression of Terrorist Financing Bill.

Comrade Ranjith Piyathilake, Joint Secretary of

the Peoples Struggle Movement and Comrade

Jaminda Siriwardane of Revolutionary Students

Union, also attended the media conference.

He also pointed out that that bill gives the

legal right to the government to identify anyone

who works against the government as a terrorist

and arrest. Comrade Ajith Kumara, Member of

Parliament, also expressed his views in the mediaconference.

Who is the person who gives the interpretation

at the right time? Is that Mahinda, Gotabha,

Attorney General or the Inspector General of

Police? We ask the government to dene the

word terrorists and go in front of a mirror to

see their own image. Neither the United Nations

nor America has dened that word because they

containment in that the US wants to convince all China's neighbours

that their region needs Washington's protection and presence to

counter the rise and so-called "threat" posed by China.

The warm relations that exist between Lanka and China

are likely to be of concern to the US government. Lanka is seeking

foreign direct investment while China is looking to increase its

overseas investment. The result is that China is involved in almost

all the large-scale projects that are under construction in Lanka.

Wu Bangguo, the chairman of China's National People's CongressStanding Committee visited Lanka last year and signed 16 economic

co-operation agreements with Lanka. China is already the major

supplier of arms to Lanka. While the US wants to undermine China's

growing inuence in the region, India is concerned about China's

"string of pearls" a succession of Chinese built ports, including

Hambantota, which is said to be surrounding them. It is on this level of

geo-political imperialist rivalry with China that the US govt. is most

likely to be now interested in the small island nation, but it prefers to

speak the hypocritical rhetoric of human rights and democracy.

be silent on these issues.

Frontline:- There are different political fronts that have been

initiated by several political parties. How do you understand

these developments?

Com. Ajith Kumara:- Everybody in the current political climate

wants to form so called political fronts against the government

but none of them have a clear political vision and policy as an

alternative. They openly say this is a common front to defeat the

government. We dont believe this strategy will work, so we will

continue to work against this government with a clear objective,

vision and with socialist policies as an alternative. We ask the

masses to rally around the FLSP to go forward.

in the estate sector is also very

unfortunate. They also have

been dehumanized by stupidity,

malnutrition, racist pressure

as well as by the realities of

being women. Would anyone

accept the social responsibility

for the failure to make them

sufciently aware to ght

against oppression in a context

where they are oblivious of

the oppression which they

are undergoing due to the

underage marriage, becoming

malnourished mothers,

aborting, birth of underweight

children, still births as well

as being compelled to be the

victim of the second work shift

and also being sexual victims

in their own homes in addition

to expending labour as estate

workers for lesser wages than

their male counterparts while

being victims of diseases

caused by malnutrition.

The issues of the womenin the north and east who are

the victims of post war tragedy

following thirty years of war

is one which is being fast

forgotten in the present society.

It is almost four years since the

human tragedy of the widows

who are the chief householders

of about 90% of families in

the north, isolated from us

was drowned in the 'Northern

Spring' development myth

of the authorities. Is Lankan

society ready at least to admit

that she, who is a victim of

racist violence, is undergoing

constant oppression due to

cultural, religious as well as

gender inequality and that

her voice has been muted

throughout society?

Similarly it is not a secret thatfrom the child to grandmother

born as females in the north

as well as the south of this

wonderland are very rapidly

falling victims of violence. We

shall only put on record that

the number of women being

murdered sexually harassed

and falling victims of various

acts of violence not only in

Kahawatta but all over the

land of Lanka exceeds what

is statistically reported. It is

as if the woman who has been

turned into an instrument

of sex and a commodity inthe market and in the media

does not even deserve to be

a topic for discussion in the

Lankan society which has been

dehumanized and rendered

insensitive.

One article such as this

is grossly inadequate for

discussing the depth of the

social, economic and political

abyss which has swallowed

up the Lankan woman. It is

all the more cruel as they, as a

whole, are oblivious to the fact

that they are victims of such a

tragedy. They themselves who

accept the oppression which

they are subjected to purely

because they are women as

their fate and destiny and the

entire society which is contentto let them bear this fate and

destiny are both obstacles to

redressing this insensibility.

The responsibility of women's

movements and other social

movements is to liberate

society from this hypocrisy.

Accomplishment of any

progressive task cannot be

expected of any society which

fails to treat women humanely

and to provide social justice to

them.

The path chosen to propose

an International Women's Day,

to struggle, to establish it, must

be trod bearing responsibility

to win an honorable social life

for them. It must be stressed

that to do so the entire social

system must be changed and

that it is imperative for women

to be in the forefront of the

struggle for social change.

to providing welfare for families which have been

rendered helpless due to the death of the father

from kidney failure? Firstly, that people have to

struggle to gain all rights including the simplest

of rights. Secondly, that this social system which

gives priority to increasing prots at the cost ofthe security of human life and the environment

needs to be changed without delay. There is also

unity of those two parts. The struggle of the

oppressed to demands such as safe potable water,

free health service etc. should be developed into

the broad struggle for changing this murderous

social system. The task of the party today is to

take that knowledge to the oppressed people and

to organize the people to gain their rights and in

opposition to capitalism which is rotting by the

day. Otherwise one patient per every two dayswill continue to die of kidney failure for several

more decades as has happened during the past

decade.

US moves From page 04

The present political system From page 05

would become terrorists if they dene that. The

current approach of this government is the same.They are the ones who implement terrorism. The

legal adviser said that this Act has a denition of

terrorist act. According to that, the person who

engages in terrorism is the terrorist. I will tell you

what a terrorist act in accordance with this Act.

According to this Act, a terrorist act is an

act that is done to inuence the government or

intimidate the public or the section of the public

with the intention of promoting a political or

religious ideology.Under the provisions of

this Act, publishing a newspaper, distributing

leaets, making protests for someones rights

could be dened as terrorism and suppress.

This is therefore is a serious Act. This needs

to be defeated. It seems to be that not only the

government ministers but also the members ofparliament of the opposition have not properly

studied this Act. The opposition said yesterday

that they would give support to this Act. Only

after we questioned about this in the advisory

committee, they questioned this in the parliament.

We ask everybody to protest against this. We ask

people to force your member of parliament to

protest against this Act.

Terrorism not interpreted,as the government is the terrorist


12/12

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Printed and published by pubudu jayagoda at no 400/2, Talawatugoda road, madiwala, kotte. print by star printers at No 271 ratnapura Rd, horana

23rd of February, a protest banner

was signed in the Batticaloa town forcing

the government to remove military

administration, restore civil administration

and stop looting lands of the people in those

areas by the Movement for Equal Rights.

This was interrupted by the government

defence forces and it is also reported that

the people who came to sign the bannerand the media personnel were intimidated.

However, irrespective of interruptions

made by the police and the defence forces,

a large group of people signed the banner.

Government has obstructed

to the banner signing campaign

yesterday organized by the

Equal Rights Movement in

Kandy city. United People`s

Freedom Alliance, Wayamba

provincial councillor Thushara

Gunarathna and a group has

come and threatened to the

people who were signing to the

banner to stop signing.

But, as Kandy people were

signing the banner avoiding

his threatens, he has behaved

aggressively trying to defraud

it. The purpose of this banner

signing campaign was to force

government to corroborate the

equal right to all nationalities

and to stop land pillage in

the north removing military

governance.

While this banner being

signed in different places allover the country, from 3pm

to 5pm yesterday, signs were

being taken to the banner in

Kandy. Kandy People have

actively participated to the

signing.

"Free Women

Movement" organized

a protest march and a

seminar on women's

rights on 8th of March.

The photos shows

some events of tht

programme.

A new Joint Opposition has been formed

with the purpose of ousting the Rajapaksha

government and restoring the rule of law.

Named as the Vipakshaye Virodhaya

(Protest of the Opposition ), it is led by the

UNP and includes the Tamil National Alliance

and some other parties and small groups too

numerous to mention. Opposition leader Ranil

Wickremasinghe used radical words when he

described the signing of the agreement as "the

beginning of a revolution": "We have to ghtthis battle on the street, and we must start in the

smallest village." He went on to claim that there

can't be any other opposition movement and

invited all anti-government political parties to

join the Vipakshaye Virodhaya.

It is true that the Rajapaksha government

needs to be chased away and the rule of law

established free of corruption and bribery.

Nevertheless the Front Line Socialist Party

will not join the new coalition, because what is

needed in Lanka is a socialist alternative to the

current government, not a capitalist substitute

for it. We are opposed to the capitalist system

no matter which party is leading it. Previous

UNP governments did not solve the social and

economic problems faced by the people, nor

did they prevent nancial mismanagement,

corruption or waste.

Mr Wickremasinghe is also mistaken

in describing his movement as a 'revolution'. A

revolution means a profound social upheaval

during which the people change their entire

political and economic system, such as occurred

in England in 1640, in France in 1789, or in

Russia in 1917. It does not refer to a mere

change in the ruling group, such as occurred in

Ceylon 65 years ago. The announced policies

of the Vipakshaye Virodhaya rule of law, an

independent judiciary, reconciliation, democratic

rights are in fact bourgeois democratic

rights, rights which every capitalist revolution

is supposed to provide, but did not in Lanka.

For fear of the political consequences of giving

the people full bourgeois rights, the capitalist

revolution is still incomplete in Lanka.

Nowadays, only a real socialist revolution can

carry through the remaining uncompleted tasks

of the bourgeois revolution, and then go straight

on to building a new economic system. Such a

revolution must be led by the Lankan working

class, not by capitalist parties like the UNP and

its allies.

frontline - march 2013

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