October Review is one of the many so-called "Human Rights" organizations in Hong Kong that operates with Western Imperialist support. The promote bourgeois democracy, opposes communism and the dictatorshipp of the proletariate. I am surprised that such reactionary stuff wants to post on the L-I list. Henry C.K. Liu "A.Wosni" wrote: > October Review schrieb: > > Dear friends, > > > > Please find below an article in the latest issue of October Review. Please > > feel free to distribute or reprint it (with a reference to October > > Review). > > > > If you have problem receiving the article or do not wish to receive it in > > the future, please tell us by email. > > > > With best regards, > > October Review, Hong Kong. > > > > mail address: October Review, G.P.O.Box 10144, Hong Kong > > e-mail address: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > CHINA > > > > Ongoing struggles on the 11th anniversary of June 4 in China > > > > Zhang Kai > > > > > > Although it is 11 years since the Tiananmen Event in China, and > > despite the many repressions on dissidents, the struggle against > > authoritarian rule has continued. > > Over 100 families of the people killed during the June 4 > > repression have launched a campaign named as The Tiananmen Mothers. In > > conjunction with groups fighting for human rights and similar groups from > > Argentina, Chile and South Korea (from the Kwangju Incident), they have > > joined in an action called End of Impurity in which they demand the > > governments to stop their acts of repression of the people. The families > > also wrote an open letter to the Party and State leaders Jiang Zemin and > > Zhu Rongji, demanding an investigation into June 4, explication of what > > had happened, and compensation to the deceased and wounded. > > 8 dissidents from Jilin Province and the well known dissident Liu > > Xiaobo have separately issued open letters to demand rehabilitation of > > June 4, release of detainees, compensation to the deceased, political > > reform, and instituting democracy. > > In Sichuan, Henan and Hebei provinces, as well as in the United > > States, dozens of democratic fighters went on a 24-hour hunger strike to > > commemorate the dead. On the day of June 4, at least 15 persons are known > > to have been arrested for their commemoration activities, including two > > students from Peking University who lit a candle in a vigil. > > At the Tiananmen Square which was under heavy surveillance, Shen > > Zhidao, a supporter of the Democratic Party of China, took a similar > > action as what he did last year. Last year, at the same spot, he was > > arrested carrying an umbrella with the words "Democracy" and "Human > > Rights" written on it. This year, he wore a shirt with the words "Down > > with Authoritarian Rule", "Freedom, Democracy, Equality and Human Rights" > > written on it, and was again arrested. > > In Hong Kong, 2,000 people participated in a protest march, and > > 45,000 people participated in the June 4 candle-light night vigil. The > > theme this year was to educate the next generations on democracy. In > > Taipei, the biggest candle-light gathering since 1989 was held, with > > people from different parties participating. Gatherings also took place in > > the US, Canada and Europe. It was reported that in many cities in the > > States, such as Harvard, New York, Washington and San Francisco, more > > people turned up than last year. > > Back in 1989, the movement for democracy was prompted by massive > > discontent from various sections of society about inequality, social > > injustice, corruption, graft, and growing hardship in life. The demand for > > political reform was rejected by the party and state leadership, and > > clamped down by the army. However, the underlying problems prompting the > > eruption of protest in 1989 aggravated after the crackdown. The privately > > accumulated wealth of big and small bureaucrats also increased. This shows > > the necessity and importance of the movement for democracy in 1989. > > Social polarization and impoverishment caused by the bureaucracy > > have prompted more and more protests and struggles. Here are some concrete > > data. > > 1. According to internal statistics of the government, in 1999, at least > > 100,000 cases of demonstrations and protest marches had taken place all > > over China. This meant an average of 270 cases everyday, a 70% increase > > over the preceding year. Lately, in Beijing and Shenyang, there were > > reports of the people taking to the street to protest questions relating > > to their livelihood, and they usually blocked the traffic. (Apple Daily, > > June 12) > > 2. In 1999, labour disputes in China amounted to 120,000 cases, 14 times > > as many as that of 1992, and an increase of 29% compared to 1998. > > Collective labour disputes, including rallies and marches, were 6,567 > > cases in 1999, with 251,268 workers involved. This was nine times the > > figure of 1993. In Beijing, in the first half of 1999, the number of > > labour disputes was two times the same period in 1998. Collective disputes > > was four times that of the same period in 1998. (Washington Post, 23 April > > 2000). > > 3. There were 216,750 labour strikes in 1998, with 3.5 million workers > > involved. Of these, 627 cases were direct assaults on party or state > > institutions, and 459 cases involved violent confrontations with the > > police. (China Labour Bulletin, March-April 1999) > > The increasing discontent and protests from workers are due to > > several reasons: failure of the enterprises to pay wages; bad welfare or > > working conditions such as safety or sanitation inadequacies; infringement > > of worker rights; unjust compensation after layoff or retirement; sale at > > low prices of state-owned factories whereby the leadership pocket much > > money but workers get little compensation; layoffs of state-owned > > enterprises due to structural readjustment or privatization; resentment > > against corruption, graft and autocracy of the cadres. > > In February this year, in Liaoning province, the troops were > > deployed to crack down on over 20,000 miners who had occupied the mines > > for three days, blocked the railroad, and burnt cars. > > Students of Peking University also took to action at a time near > > the June 4 anniversary. A student, Yao Qingfeng, was murdered about a > > fortnight before June 4 on her way back from one campus site back to the > > main campus in the night. Students wanted to hold an obituary ceremony for > > her, but this was refused by the authorities on the ground that this was > > "an ordinary criminal case that happened outside the campus". This ignited > > student anger, and invited denunciations from students about the > > authorities spending money on renovating offices but ignoring safety > > issues for students, hence they should also be partially responsible for > > the student's death. Two thousand students rallied and marched in protest > > in the campus, and the majority of the students attempted to march outside > > the campus. The university administration and the government then > > compromised, and allowed students to hold an obituary gathering in the > > campus. Six thousand students participated, with students coming from > > other universities. Thereafter, on the night of June 4, there were big > > character and small character posters in the campus demanding > > rehabilitation of the June 4 Incident. Candles were also lighted. > > > > 15 June 2000 > > > > October Review Vol.27 Issue 3 2000.7.15 > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leninist-International mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To change your options or unsubscribe go to: > http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international _______________________________________________ Leninist-International mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
