Published: New Age, No. 10, March 1979
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Sam Richards and Paul Saba
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In response to the brutal Soviet-Vietnamese aggression against Democratic Kampuchea and to support the heroic and vigorous resistance being waged by the people of that country, the Communist Workers’ Movement (CWM), together with the Revolutionary Communist league of Britain (RCLB) and the Association of Indian Communists (Britain)Marxist-Leninist (AICML), organised a day of action and solidarity on Saturday February 3rd.
A picket was held at the Vietnamese Embassy, where militant slogans such as “Hands off Kampuchea!” and “Vietnam go home!” were shouted. A leaflet was distributed which pointed out the reasons for the aggression against Kampuchea, touched briefly on the achievements of socialist construction there and stressed the importance of support for Kampuchea from the British people.
The picket later marched through Kensington to the Soviet Embassy, distributing leaflets and shouting slogans all the way. A brief rally was held near the Soviet Embassy. Close to a hundred people attended, including comrades from Bangladesh, Eritrea, Thailand and Malaya.
That same evening, a public meeting was held with speakers from AIC(ML), RCLB, CWM and the Bangladesh Workers‘ Association. The banners of the CWM and RCLB were displayed in the hall as were the flag of Democratic Kampuchea and a portrait of the Kampuchean leader Comrade Pol Pot.
The chairman read messages of greetings to the meeting from the Kampuchean Committee (Netherlands) and the Committee of Patriots of Democratic Kampuchea in France.
The first speaker, from AIC (ML), spoke of the heroic and protracted resistance of the Vietnamese people against various imperialist powers. He pointed out, however, that Marxist-Leninists had tended to overlook the negative aspects of Vietnamese policy, such as their support of the fascist Indira Ghandi regime in India, and of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.
However, the Kampuchean people and their leadership were well aware of the aggressive ambitions of the Vietnamese leaders, and had been fully prepared for the invasion. Whilst the social imperialists’ could veto a United Nations resolution, they could not veto people’s war!
The speaker from the CWM began by paying tribute to the memory of Dr. Malcolm Caldwell, the anti-imperialist intellectual who was murdered in Kampuchea by agents of Vietnam. He proceeded to give a detailed analysis of how the aggression against Kampuchea forms an important part of the world strategy of Soviet social imperialism aiming at global domination.
The speaker pointed out that the attack on Kampuchea was therefore an attack on the national independence of all countries, and so it should be possible to unite an extremely broad range of forces to support Kampuchea, including by taking advantage of inter-imperialist contradictions, and contradictions between the two superpowers.
The speaker stressed that the attack on Kampuchea threatened not only the existing governments of the-South East Asian countries, but also threatened the revolutionary struggles in those countries which are led by genuine Marxist-Leninist parties.
(The full text of this speech will be published in “Party Line” No.2.)
The speaker from the RCLB made a detailed refutation of the bourgeois lies and slanders directed against socialist Kampuchea and compared it to the vitriolic campaigns waged in the press against British workers when they go on strike.
He pointed out that the stories of genocide in Kampuchea were spread precisely to hide the fact that the real genocide was that committed by the US imperialists from 1970 to 1975. He added that the economic policy of the Kampuchean government had been a farsighted one based on building up a self-reliant country with a secure agricultural foundation.
The speaker from the Bangladesh Workers’ Association drew attention to Soviet designs in Asia and pointed out that the third world peoples were not only bearing the brunt of the Soviet offensive, but they were also the main force opposing social imperialism.
After the platform speeches there was lively and constructive period of questions and contributions from the floor.
A message of support from the meeting was sent to the Kampuchean people, and the meeting closed with the singing of the ’Internationale’.
Everybody attending the meeting learned a great deal, and felt inspired to intensify their solidarity work in support of the Kampuchean people.
On Sunday 11th February, the Bedford Branch of the Indian Workers’ Association (GB) held a discussion meeting to analyse events in South East Asia and their implications for the rest of Asia and the world. A member of the CWM introduced the discussion and answered a number of questions.
On 3unday February 18th a further picket of the Vietnamese Embassy was organised, this time by the Hands off Kampuchea Committee, initiated by the Indian Workers’ Association (GB).About 200 people attended, including a contingent from the CWM.
A leaflet produced by the IWA (GB) said that the Vietnamese action was not only flagrant aggression against Kampuchea, but also a threat to neighbouring countries, the Asia-Pacific region and world peace. The leaflet expressed the firm conviction of the IWA (GB) in the victory of the Kampuchean people and extended their whole-hearted support to them.
In a short speech, Comrade Joshi, General Secretary, said that the picket was but the first step in building a mighty campaign in support of the Kampuchean people which the IWA was determined to do.
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A good start has thus been made in building support for the Kampuchean people in Britain.
But the struggle in Kampuchea will be protracted and there is a need for on going work. This need is grasped by the CWM as well as other Marxist-Leninist and Anti-imperialist groups. “New Age” readers should look out for details of future activities, and any suggestions for possible activities to support the Kampuchean people (such as requests for CWM speakers, etc.) can be sent to our Liverpool address.