>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >RUSSIA INFO-LIST - >from International Solidarity with Workers in Russia - ISWoR >********************************************************************* >If you appreciate receiving this mail please distribute it to your friends and >post it to internet forums; if not, send a "no more" message to: >International Solidarity with Workers in Russia - email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >*********************************************************** > >In London? Come to planning meeting this Friday! - details below. > >STOP RUSSIA-EXPO 2000! > >Top Russian oligarchs, government leaders and extreme right racists are all >gathering in London for the Russia 2000 Exposition to meet with western big >business leaders. Stop Russia-Expo 2000! - must be our aim. > >Chubais, Chernomyrdin, Zhirinovsky , Zyuganov, the heads of Alfa-Bank and >Yukos Oil - these are just some of those who will address the conference on >19-20 April 2000. It is even possible that acting President Putin could also >attend this event. The political leaders will present their case before top >executives of the most powerful western multinational companies at the Queen >Elizabeth II Conference Centre, the most prestigious meeting venue in London. > >A decade of free-market privatisation, imposed by the west, has devastated >the Russian economy, closing down nearly half of all industry , leaving >millions unemployed and millions more owed enormous wage arrears, with many >unpaid for over a year. The education, social welfare and health systems are >collapsing; diseases like TB have become epidemic. Many tens of thousands >have had to evacuate northern areas where they were lived for decades due to >lack of heating fuel, while oil and gas are exported at immense profit to the >west. Out of this game, western and "new Russian" businessmen have become >fantastically rich; meanwhile hunger is widespread and many people are eating >potato peels to survive. The average life expectancy of an ordinary Russian >worker , once close to western levels, is now just 56. > >Concurrently with the poverty has been a rise in ultra-nationalist and racist >ideologies, which provide a smoke-screen for the rich and turn justified >anger onto innocent scapegoats - the Jews, the Chechens, all dark-skinned or >Muslim peoples etc... The presence at Russia-2000 of the fascist leader >Zhirinovsky, the extreme antisemite Zyuganov, (head of the red-brown >Communist Party of the Russian Federation), and reps of the FAR coalition >whose leader organised the expulsion of thousands of people from Moscow for >no other reason than for having a dark skin, is yet another victory for hate, >following the success of the Austrian fascist Haider. > >After the rouble collapse of 1998 and especially the NATO intervention in the >Balkans, understood by many Russians as a stepping stone toward >anglo-American conquest of the vital Caspian energy resources, the >western-implanted "democrats" began to turn to nationalism. Russian relations >with NATO were frozen as Yeltsin and Chernomyrdin dropped hints of nuclear >war in a desperate attempt to regain popularity among the pauperised Russian >population, and to defend the interests of Russian billionaires , now coming >into major conflict with western ones. > >The cruel war against the Chechens (supported by nearly every political party >represented at this event), was another expression of this appeal to >nationalism. It saved the Kremlin from election defeat and a potential mass >workers revolt. Thousands of civilians died as a result, huge numbers of >Chechens were made homeless, and young soldiers lives thrown away. Meanwhile >western oil companies profited massively from the situation as multibillion >contracts for a pipeline bypassing Russia were hastily tied up. > >The price of just one ticket to attend this event is £567 sterling, the >equivalent of more than a year and a half wages of a relatively well-paid >worker in Russia today. Now is the time to demonstrate our solidarity with >Russian workers, our refusal to accept the growth of racism and fascism, our >opposition to the pointless murder of civilians in Chechnya. Now let us show >our anger at all those whose relentless greed and drive for profits has >destabilised this once-mighty country and put the possibility of global war >once more on the agenda. > >OUTSIDE BRITAIN? Join the email, phone and fax protest (details below). Send >ISWoR a donation to help with posters, leaflets, stickers. (Please make >cheques payable to ISWoR; cheques drawn on foreign banks are ok.) > >IN BRITAIN: > >ASSEMBLE Wednesday 19 APRIL 2000 > >Queen Elizabeth Conference II Centre, >Broad Sanctuary, London SW1 >Tube: Westminster >at 7 PM >(This demonstration targets the "Gala event" of the Conference, where all the >delegates may be expected to be present; other actions will be carried out >too where possible during the 2-day event.) > >PLANNING MEETINGS are being held to set up a broad umbrella committee for the >event. All welcome. >First planning meeting - >Friday 10 March 7:30 pm at Queens Head pub, Acton St, >(off Grays Inn Road) London WC1 >Tube - Kings Cross. > >WHAT ELSE YOU CAN DO: > >Become a SPONSOR of the ad hoc umbrella committee now being set up to plan >the actions against this Conference. (Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] for details.) > >INFORM others about the event, contact us for supplies of leaflets and >posters. Spread this message widely over the internet and in the trade union, >student, antiracist movements etc. Invite a speaker to your trade union or >other organisation to explain the significance of opposing this event. > >Contact the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre reservations dept. and TELL >THEM EXACTLY WHAT YOU THINK about their decision to let extreme racists and >fascists use their facilities in the heart of London. >Email QE2 Centre [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Tel. Reservations dept: 0171 798 4426 Fax 0171 798 4200 >Outside Britain Tel. +44171 798 4426 Fax +44171 798 4200 > >Also contact the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce (organisers of the >conference) to complain: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Tel 0171 403 1706 Fax 0171 403 1245 >Outside Britain: Tel +44171 403 1706 Fax +44171 403 1245 >(Please send a copy of your letters to ISWoR - details below) > >Visit the Russia-2000 website to see just what they are up to. >http:// www.rbcc.co.uk/russia2000 > >For information on all of above, please contact >International Solidarity with Workers in Russia (ISWoR) >Box R, 46 Denmark Hill, London SE5 8RZ , England >email [EMAIL PROTECTED] >website http://www.members.aol.com/ISWoR/english/index.html > >End >******************************************************************** > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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