Czech Republic illegalises Communist Youth

We are publishing an appeal issued by the Czech Communist Youth Union (KSM) after the government recently banned their organisation. We ask you to support their struggle for the basic right to exist as an organisation. Send letters of protest and make the Czech Young Communists know that workers and youth around the world support them.

Dear Comrades, the Communist Youth Union (KSM) in the Czech Republic has been officially dissolved by the state power on October 12, 2006. On October 16, 2006 the KSM has received a letter from the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic that announces that the Ministry of Interior finally dissolved the KSM. It happened in spite of a large campaign against the danger of illegalization of the organization of young communists in the Czech Republic.

Thousands of citizens of the Czech Republic signed a petition against the endeavour of the Ministry of Interior to make the KSM illegal. The protest against the illegalization of the KSM was in the Czech Republic expressed for example by organization of former antifascist fighters, student organizations, political parties and civic associations. A great resistance was provoked by the endeavour of the Ministry of Interior to make the KSM illegal abroad. Hundreds of significant youth and student organizations, trade unions and political parties together with thousands of people protested at the Ministry of Interior and embassies of the Czech Republic in their countries. The solidarity with the KSM was expressed by a large number of members of parliaments, famous intellectuals and personalities like Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo, leader of Zapatistas Marcos or singer Bono Vox from U2. Demonstrations in support of the KSM were organized in front of embassies of the Czech Republic in many countries of the world. World Federation of Democratic Youth initiated an International day of solidarity with the KSM on February 27, 2006.

The Ministry of Interior originally impugned the status of the KSM as a civic association under pretext that the goals of KSM´s activity interfered with an area restricted to activities of political parties. The Ministry of Interior further stated that behaviour of the KSM was illegal because it was based on theoretical basis in Marx, Engels and Lenin and on proclaimed necessity of socialist revolution.

Nevertheless, the Ministry of Interior did not use any of those arguments for the dissolution of the KSM. The only reason that has led officially to the dissolution of the KSM is that the KSM reflects in its Program the necessity of replacing of the private ownership of means of production with collective ownership of means of production.

The KSM in spite of its official dissolution by the state power is going to carry on the struggle for the rights of majority of young people - students, young workers and unemployed - and for socialism! The KSM is going to challenge the decision of the Ministry of Interior in court.

The illegalization of the KSM was committed in the atmosphere of militant anticommunist witch-hunt, various anticommunist campaigns and attacks and new calls for the criminalization of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM). The decision of the Ministry of Interior was realized only one week before local and Senate elections in which the KSCM participates.

Dear comrades and friends,

It is necessary to stand up internationally against this illegalization and criminalization of the communist movement in the Czech Republic. We ask you therefore to express your solidarity with the KSM and to protest against this unprecedented move of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic at the embassies of the Czech Republic in your countries. Their addresses are on this internet page.

We ask you simultaneously to inform us about your activities on our e-mail: international@ksm.cz or on fax: ++420 222 897 449.

You may also sign the following petitions: http://4ksm.kke.gr (initiated by the Communist Party of Greece), http://wfdy-ksm.kne.gr (initiated by the World Federation of Democratic Youth).

We ask you for publishing this information about antidemocratic act of the Czech state power in the media in your countries.

We ask you also for any other kind of solidarity.

With your international support it is possible and it is vital to defeat all the anticommunist and antidemocratic attacks!

Long live international solidarity!

International Department, Communist Youth Union (KSM)