Struggle against ilegalization of the KSM is a struggle against capitalist oppression

Podrobnosti

Vytvořeno 8. 11. 2006

Twitter

In the Czech Republic the anticommunist witch hunt made another dangerous step: a decision on official dissolution of the Communist Youth Union (KSM) by the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic. This official dissolution of the KSM was realized after almost a year lasting struggle between the state power on one hand and the KSM and its partners in the Czech Republic and abroad on the other hand.

It is important to see the dissolution of the KSM in a wider perspective. The capitalist right-wing political forces that endeavour to realize capitalist restructuring expressed by constant attempts to push through liberal policies of privatisation, deregulation and attacks on social rights of the working people need to eliminate their principal enemy and bearer of a socialist alternative, i.e. the communist movement. Therefore the right-wing forces often together with social democracy use repressive measures to eliminate the Communists and their organizations and to discredit with their propaganda communist thought and goals. The anti-communist Resolution entitled "The need for international condemnation of the crimes of totalitarian communist regimes" approved at plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was an expression of this extremely dangerous and reactionary development on European level.  Ideological and political witch hunt, as exerted by the anti-communist Resolution is not aimed solely at communists. It concerns the whole of the people because it signals a move towards the criminalisation of the people's struggles, and even more specifically of the class struggle. It delivers a blow against elementary democratic rights and freedoms. In this context it is necessary to understand the anticommunist attacks that are in run in some European countries, including the ban of the KSM in the Czech Republic. 

There are several reasons of virulent anticommunist campaigns in the Czech Republic. The most important of them is an existence of a relevant Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM), which is the third strongest parliamentary political party in the Czech Republic and a source of fear of the right-wing political forces. In 2002 parliamentary elections the KSCM received 18,5% of the votes and increased its influence in society and political system. This fear of the influence increase of the KSCM that has gradually managed to erode its isolation lasting since the beginning of the 1990s was a strong stimulus for the anticommunist campaigns. The political right was afraid of further strengthening of the KSCM in the 2006 elections and therefore it intensified its attacks before these elections.  Anticommunist campaigns and attacks in the Czech RepublicThe anticommunism is in the Czech Republic initiated from various sources and realized through various channels. It is articulated by members of parliament, by representatives of political parties, by Non government organizations and by institutions of the state. Among manifestations of anticommunism in our country there was for example a petition titled “Let’s abolish the communists,” or an endeavour of senators Mejstrik and Stetina to pass a law that would criminalize communist ideas, movement and the word “communist” as such. This bill simultaneously put communism and its ideas on one level with fascism and its crimes. (This text was passed in the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic but it was blocked in the House of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.) Also a so-called humanitarian organization People in Need – Czech Republic has been involved in anticommunist campaign. This organization has begun to organize a strongly anticommunist campaign within the state education system in elementary schools and secondary schools. The House of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic has also passed a new Penal Code according to which it is a criminal act to approve of and/or deny Nazi and so-called communist crimes.  The political violence is encouraged also by the state. A clear example of this was a campaign of producing T-shirts with slogans like “Kill a Communist to Strengthen Peace” realized by a Czech Republic Centre in Austria that is run by the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The incitation to anticommunist violence leads to real acts. An example of this was also a physical attack against Communist party MP and Vice-chairman of the KSCM who was brutally attacked and injured by several men in Prague in April 2006. Several unknown men threw him on the ground and kicked him, shouting “You filthy Communist!“ The anticommunists from Confederation of political prisoners together with other groups and individuals also organized so called “May day without Communists” in 2006 in Prague. There was a concert for young people and speeches by representatives of Civic Democratic Party, Christian Democratic Union and Czech Social Democratic Party that were characterized with expressions of anticommunist hatred.  Attacks against communist activists found its expression also in an attempt to fire off from the work a chairwoman of the Prague organization of the Communist Party Marta Semelova who works as a teacher and who is publicly well known for her principled communist attitudes.  

The ilegalization of the KSM in October 2006 is a part of these anticommunist attacks. It is also an indirect attack against the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (CPBM). The anticommunists have constantly tried to put into question the legal status of the KSCM but so far these attempts were not effective. Therefore they decided to attack the KSCM indirectly by attacking the legal status of the KSM paving this way a route to possibility of illelgalization of the KSCM.  Originally the Ministry of Interior accused the KSM that its program and activity interfered with the exclusive space of activities of political parties that is, according to the interpretation of the Ministry of Interior, the space excluded from the intervention of civic associations. But according to law this exclusive area of activities of political parties is defined just as participation in the elections. The KSM does not participate in the elections. This argument is completely baseless. Another line of accusations targeted the Program of the KSM, its communist identity, socialist goals, and theoretical basis in Marx, Engels and Lenin that is Marxism as a whole. The Ministry of Interior even claimed that the fact that the KSM published the texts of classics of Marxism on its web page violated the law of the Czech Republic. What is significant, the Ministry of Interior gradually changed its arguments for dissolution of the KSM. The main reason that finally officially formed the basis of charge for the dissolution of the KSM was a claim that the KSM reflected in its Program necessity of replacement of the private ownership of means of production with collective ownership of means of production.   This fact shows the instrumental political reason and argument weakness of the process that has led to the Ministry of Interior’s decision on the official dissolution of the KSM and simultaneously it shows what is really in the roots of the attack against the KSM. It is not defence of democracy and civil rights that are in reality violated by the Ministry of Interior. The real reason of the attack against the KSM is defence of capitalism by the capitalist state realized through violation of democratic rights. The KSM responded to the attack against its legal status with resolute resistance both within the Czech Republic and on international level. The organization started an information campaign, gathered thousands of signatures under its petition in the Czech Republic, mobilized support within the Communist Party, and received support from a number of civic organizations and personalities. The KSM also organized a demonstration in front of the Constitutional court.    Young Communists also started an international mobilization of support for the KSM. The KSM’s partners abroad mobilized the public opinion in their countries, published information in their media, organized a number of petitions including very effective internet petitions, organized demonstrations in front of embassies of the Czech Republic in their countries and bombed the Czech embassies, government and Ministry of Interior with protest letters, etc.  It was also important to win a number of world known personalities who used the weight of their authority to back the cause of the KSM (Nobel prize laureate Dario Fo, singer Bono from U2, Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos, etc.).  A network of organizations and groups emerged that was on one hand organizationally decentralized but on the other hand well interconnected and communicating. Each of these cells led a campaign in its country, some of them being active also on European level.     At present, the KSM is going to bring a legal accusation against the Ministry of Interior’s decision and to endeavour to defeat the Ministry in the court. The KSM puts stress on need to develop further the international solidarity campaign to put pressure on the Czech Republic and to inform the foreign public about anticommunist antidemocratic acts in our country. Hence, the KSM asks its foreign partners and all the people who are opposed to the violations of human and civil rights by capitalist structures and forces to express their protest to the institutions of the Czech Republic and to initiate pressure also through the governments of their countries.  

The KSM will work under any conditions! Its struggle is a struggle for rights of the working people. It is a struggle against capitalist exploitation and imperialist oppression. It is a struggle for the liberation of the people that can be realized only through a socialist change! 

• < Předchozí
• Další >