China tries to isolates dissidents
* Sri Lanka/China accept that the working class, locally and internationally, is the only class which can be relied on in the independence struggle.
Circumstances have forced them to accept the need for some kind of solidarity campaigns going beyond their own com- A new wave of repression has hit pro-democracy and human rights munity. In other words, reaching out to sec- activists. Zhang Kai explains why, in the face of growing social unrest, tions of the working class, inside and outside the regime is determined to isolate dissidents from the population. Sri Lanka.
For example, pro-LTTE or pro-independence groups in Britain and Australia have invited our party to participate in public meetings in to discuss the Tamil liberation struggle and the right of self-determination. They have also invited representatives of working class parties and radical organisations the Cubans, the Sandinistas, the El Salvadoran FMLN, and some South African trade union groups. The NSSP is the only Sri Lankan party invited to these discussions.
At these meetings, we have argued that the Tamil liberation struggle can only be successful to extent that it joins hands with the working class in Sri Lanka and internationally. I think this argument is winning sympathy among the Tamil parties in general and even inside the LTTE. The discussion has clearly penetrated the organisation, with the obvious repercussions in the wider Tamil liberation movement. This has created a different environment. Who or what can stop the war?
The first thing to recognise is that the imperialists are absolutely determined to break the backbone of the liberation struggle, and then, by continued confrontation, force the liberation movement to accept a minimal compromise. This is what they have done in Nicaragua and El Salvador, and what they are doing now in the Middle East.
Chandrika's derisory "devolution package" is a response to the demands of imperialism. None of the "moderate" Tamil parties accept it, because it offers absolutely no devolution. But, with some modifications, maybe they will be forced to embrace it.
There is another reason which Chandrika has difficulty containing the Tamil national liberation struggle and, at the same time, producing an acceptable devolution package. She has called up militaristic forces, and has now become a prisoner of them. The chauvinists within the government, and among her supporters, are pressing her to continue the military offensive. These elements have the upper hand in the government. They may even, one day, decide to go beyond what Chandrika is willing to accept, in the search for a "military solution". . * Bahu Karunarathne was interviewed for International Viewpoint by Peter Lindgren of the Swedish weekly Internationalen. 22 International Viewpoint
Not only are dissidents put behind bars for their exercise of the freedom of speech and association, they are also tortured physically and mentally. Many are barred from proper medical treatment and from meeting with their family. Correspondance-course "sedition"
Wang Dan was charged with having said that "given the sealing of news from the people by the government, freedom of speech words in the Constitution", that "the under the leadership of the government and party leaders will not abandon any vested interest; to ensure its power is not restrained, it will go so far as to sacrifice the future of the country". These words were used as evidence of Wang Dan's slanderous smearing of government leaders.
Wang Dan was also accused of conspiracy with dissidents in the United States. The "evidence" was his"setting up of a self-study programme by which he promoted China's democratisation". Thia referred to a correspondence course on Western Civilization offered by the University of Berkeley.
The other charge was that he set up "a mutual aid scheme... funding was provided to the families of jailed dissidents." This was supposedly evidence of his "networking with reactionary forces". Wang Dan's mother said that he was simply trying to help send the children of jailed dissidents to school. The amount concerned was only 10-20 Yuan (US $1-2) for each child
Wang Dan's took just 3 hours, during which he had 30 minutes to plead not guilty, and his mother, acting as his defence, had only a dozen minutes. The hearing of his appeal took only 10 minutes. A context of unrest
This latest wave of repression took place in a context of general unrest. The following reports were all published in Hong Kong's Ming Pao newspaper on November 8: • In Hunan Province in September, tens of thousands of peasants from five townships petitioned the township governments, requesting reduction of heavy tariffs. 8,000 peasants clashed with officials, and the police fired tear gas on peasants who destroyed the furniture in the township government office • Tens of thousands of electronics workers in Beijing participated in mass strikes on National Day, October 1st.. They asked the municipal authorities to come up with concrete proposals for the reform of state enterprises. It was reported that work stoppage has been serious in state enterprises, and discontent among workers from state enterprises has been surfacing, and it was not unusual to see workers besieging party or government offices on petition, especially in the North Eastern provinces where state enterprises are more predominant. • A scholar working in the Party Cadre College pointed out that the "Resolution on the building of spiritual civilization" adopted by the 6th plenary meeting of the 14th Centra Committee has evaded the main contradiction in society today. namely the problem of economics, with the reform of state enterprises lying at the heart of the problem. As for the question of the building of spiritual civilization, the main contradiction is the concern of the masses for graft and corruption on the part of party and government officials, with subsequent lack of confidence in the party and the government.
In this context of massive unrest, high-handed repression is still a necessary measure of containment for the
Chinese authorities. The potential of the handful of dissidents linking up with mass discontent is much too frightening * Source: October Review Vol.23 Issue 5/6 1996
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