WFDY Statement Condemning Attacks on KSM

The Commission of Europe and North America of WFDY (CENA), strongly expresses its discontent about the violation of the democratic rights and liberties of the Communist Youth of Czech Republic as it remains penalized by the Ministry of Interior. We condemn the fact that KSM has been summoned to appear before a court on the 19th of March 2008 despite mass international reactions by organized groups, parties and movements from the entire political spectrum and, by thousands of anonymous and well known personalities from all over the world.

We fight Against the Condemnation of the Communist Youth of Czech Republic, the condemnation of communist ideology and the condemnation of all the people who resist to the imperialist plans

The Commission of Europe and North America of WFDY (CENA), strongly expresses its discontent about the violation of the democratic rights and liberties of the Communist Youth of Czech Republic as it remains penalized by the Ministry of Interior. We condemn the fact that KSM has been summoned to appear before a court on the 19th of March 2008 despite mass international reactions by organized groups, parties and movements from the entire political spectrum and, by thousands of anonymous and well known personalities from all over the world.

One reasonably asks: Is this the protection of democratic rights that the Czech state promotes? Is this the respect towards political organizations? Is this the way to protect the free will of the people to organize and struggle for their beliefs? Is it a coincidence that the Ministry of Interior initiated the process of KSM’s illegalization just a few days after its 7th Congress while the trial starts 3 days before the forthcoming congress of the political youth organization?

The attack of the Ministry of Interior against the legal existence of the KSM was inititated in November 2005 under a pretext that the goals of KSM interfere with an area reserved for activities of political parties; an area that civic organizations are excluded from in terms of interventions and activities. This argument was utterly unfounded because according to the Czech legal system the political parties’ exclusive area of activities is their participation in electoral processes. KSM did not participate in any electoral processes.

Moreover, the Ministry of Interior tried to coerce KSM to renounce its Marxist character, its political program, communist identity, goals, and theoretical foundations in Marx, Engels and Lenin; that is Marxism as a whole. After dropping all its originally employed arguments, the Ministry of Interior used another argument: a programmatic goal of KSM to replace private ownership of means of production with a collective ownership of means of production.

KSM resolutely rejected the anticommunist and antidemocratic policy and measures of the Czech state power, organized a large information campaign in the Czech Republic and abroad, filed an action against the decision of the Ministry and intensified its public activities. KSM developed its struggle against anticommunism, its struggle in defense of free and public education for all, which is now again threatened with another plan to introduce fees for university studies and promoted public activities against disastrous social and economic policies of the current right wing government. Moreover, in this period KSM has launched a very successful campaign against a plan to construct a US military base in the Czech Republic, and to this end 150 000 signatures have been collected. These are the reasons why the Ministry of Interior maintains an offensive attitude toward KSM.

We are certain that the attacks against KSM are directed by the state due to KSM’s actions and struggles for the benefit of the people and against the imperialist plans that are promoted against the youth and the people of the Czech Republic as well as the region in general. The clear threats against KSM during the past few months became even more intense as they form part of the wider plan of imperialism to intensify anti-communist propaganda, to distort history with lies, to place communists on the bench with memoranda, prohibitions and militant anti-communism. This comprises an act which primarily turns against democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, upon which the E.U. lies and claims to be the defender of. This attempt falls within the wider promoted policies of the E.U. aiming at the prohibition of the radical Left and communist ideology which offers the utmost in the struggle against Fascism, against colonialism and social injustice, against human exploitation and inequality. Moreover, the supporters of this ideology have played a decisive role in the conquest of many labor, collective and individual rights which are currently under the threat of abolition in the name of the market economy, of the ‘holy’ competition, of globalization, of inequality and the capital and profit of multi-national companies.

CENA stands firmly by the side of KSM and reiterates that such attacks will not be tolerated and that the struggling people all over Europe and the world will oppose such policies and actions. CENA strongly criticizes such policies which have more recently aggravated on the pretext of ‘war against terrorism’ and fall within the wider anti-democratic measures and legislations promoted by the USA and the E.U., especially after September 11th. These actions aim at imposing imperialist policies at the expense of human rights and freedoms of the peoples. The imperialist forces in Eastern Europe make an extra effort to this direction with the purpose of erasing the peoples’ memory and any possibility of the youth acquiring knowledge about how they can manage their own land. Imperialism is aware that for communists there is a way out and this is why they become the first target in the wider attack against the popular movement. We express our undivided solidarity with KSM and all the organizations, parties and people who face similar attacks and call the youth and all the democratic, progressive people to condemn this act, as well as all anti-democratic and anti-communist measures taken by different seats in Europe, the USA or anywhere else.

CENA calls all its member and friendly organizations to strengthen the solidarity activities with KSM, to organize all kind of activities to let the youth and people in their countries know what’s going on and to struggle against this offense on the 19th of March. The organizations should also find way to let Czech Republic embassies in their countries know that the youth is against the ban of KSM and struggled on that day and will keep struggling. We also urge all the CENA members and friendly organizations to intensify the campaigns of informing the public opinion in their country about these attacks and policies.