Three leaders of Sri Lanka's New Sama active movement, and sap the demoparticularly in the core countries: France,
Samaja Party (NSSP) have been detained cratic initiative of the masses."
Germany, Belgium and Holland.
Alternatively, trade union bosses and social democratic politicians can try to take charge of the "rumblings." But they can't do so without challenging elements of their previous support for integration, Maastricht and the Euro. The longer they hesitate, the more discredited they will be.
The EuroMarch strategy
In the final weeks of the pre-march preparations, organisers adopted a double strategy to boost the campaign. Firstly, they created a synergy with labour struggles, like in connection with an arms cache which police claim to have discovered in a building housing a Health Workers Trade Union. Jean Dupont reports. NSSP General Secretary Vickramabahu Karunarathne has been released on bail, and will appear in court on 9 June, in connection with the alleged discovery of 32 weapons in the Colombo headquarters of the Health Workers Cooperative Society. Police have still not released Ajith Fonseka, President of the
In 1989 the UNP government issued arms to the NSSP, and other components of the United Socialist Alliance, so that they could defend themselves against the Sinhala chauvinist Deshap remi Janatha Vyaparaya (Patriotic Peoples Movement). At least 24 NSSP members were murdered by DJV chauvinists. Trade union centres were also issued with arms, after a leading Communist Party trade union leader was also
According to an earlier NSSP press
"The NSSP returned all its the closure of the Clabecq forge and a co-operative society, and P.D. Sarana- statement, Renault car plant in Belgium. At the same pala, General Secretary of the Janaraja arms when the government demanded time, the EuroMarch collectives maintained an open-spirited attitude towards the broader labour movement. More and more sectors of workers are recognising the disastrous effects of the Maastricht process, and beginning to draw conclusions about the consequences for labour strategy and demands. It is important to win these sectors over, not alienate them.
The spearhead of this movement is the rejection of the Maastricht convergence criteria, and the demand that unemployment, and a cut in the working week without loss of salary, take centre place in European policy debates. The Florence appeal is certainly inadequate as an ideological alternative to the European Union. But it is a perfect document for this kind of campaign.
These demands can be the basis for a convergence of dissatisfied sectors of the labour and socialist movements. Wider sections of the labour movement will be watching the marches, but hesitating about committing themselves. Now that is the debate to watch! * Source: "Le soulèvement de l'espoir," Inprecor #402. April 1997 pp.29-30. Additional material by J. Dupont.
Health Workers Union, which has offices in the same building. Both men are members of the NSSP central committee, though the workers' open to health workers of all political
In a statement after his release on bail, Karunarathne stressed that the NSSP "categorically denies" all allegations against its members. "Reactionary forces are trying to implicate the NSSP in a conspiracy to use concealed weapons," he said. "By these lies they hope to discredit worker struggle against price increases, the genocidal war [against the Tamils], repression and privatisation.
"Their other aim is to proscribe the NSSP," he continued. "Yes, our party defends the right of the masses to rise up against this unjust capitalist system. But we have always disassociated ourselves from individual terrorism and intimidation as methods of revolution. Such tactics actually undermine the them. It has not given arms to the Health Workers union centre, and is therefore not responsible for this arms discovery. The arrest of Bahu Karunarathne, NSSP General Secretary, is definitely a political conspiracy to isolate the NSSP because of its resolute opposition to the privatisation programme of the Chandrika government. The NSSP is also a clear opponent of the war against the Tamil people. Bahu Karunarathne has been identified as a determined opponent of the government's policies. Since his election to the Colombo Municipal Council he has become a very popular mass leader. * The NSSP asks friends and comrades abroad to send messages demanding the release of Ajith Fonseka and P.D. Saranapala, and the dropping of charges against Vickramabahu Karunarathne to Her Excellency the President, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Presidential Secretariat, Colombo 01, Sri Lanka. (fax +94-1-333703) and The Secretary, Ministry of Defence (fax 94-1-54-1529) Please fax a copy of your protest to the NSSP at +94-1-334822 Donations to the legal fund should be sent to United Federation of Labour, A/C 16 500 599 62, Peoples Bank, Union Place, Colombo 02, Sri Lanka
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