Asia

These are the latest reports of the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign's activities against imperialism and fundamentalism. Of particular importance is the report of the meeting in Kashmir, which has always been a stronghold of fundamentalism (which opperates with the support of the Pakistani secret services). A meeting took place in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani controlled Kashmir, and 200 university students organised a spontaneous demosntration to march to the meeting hall. Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (www.ptudc.org) report.

Lahore :Wednesday 10 October 2001.

The meeting was organized at the traditional left hall and café, the Pak Tea House. About 75 people attended the meeting. The majority of them were trade union activists and leaders. Youth, students and women workers also participated. The meeting was presided by the veteran trade union leader and chairman of the PTUDC in Punjab, comrade Amin Bhatti. The topic of the meeting was: The present war and the role of the working class. Two days before, the PTUDC poster was flyposted in all the main areas of Lahore. 

An anti-war meeting was held by the PTUDC in this highly industrialised town. The topic was "The Present World Crisis and the role of the Working Class". The majority of those attending were trade unionists and political activists. Youth, students and women also participated.

To understand the present war that is taking place in Afghanistan, one must take into consideration the factors that have shaped the history of this tragic land. Doctor Zayar gives an overview of the history of Afghanistan from the middle ages to the present day.

Land reform is a well-discussed issue in Bangladesh, yet a solution to the problem has proved elusive. Over the last few hundred years the toiling masses have repeatedly tried to build movements to overthrow the landowners, which for lack of political ideology and organisation have ended mostly in defeat. The rare instances of success have led merely to a reconstitution of the rural tyranny. By the Bangladeshi Trotskyist organisation, Democratic Workers Party, (Gonotantrik Mazdur Party).

Under the slogan “Only the class struggle can decisively defeat the madness of fundamentalist terrorism and imperialist barbarism”, about 150 trade union workers, students, PPP workers and women attended a meeting organised by the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (www.ptudc.org) in Multan, Southern Punjab.

Alan Woods reports from Russia on the developments during the first week of the war on Afghanistan and particularly the way in which Russia is advancing her interests in the whole of Central Asia and the Caucasus on the back of the 'war on terrorism'. Woods also outlines the difficulties which the US will increasingly find in this campaign.

The Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (PTUDC) have launched their own web site. The PTUDC has been campaigning for the defence of trade union rights in Pakistan for a number of years. Now the situation has become even more complicated with the war against Afghanistan. The PTUDC has condemned terrorism, but is also actively campaigning against the war inside Pakistan itself. Thus they face the wrath of both the state authorities and the Islamic fundamentalists. They need your help in their campaigning work. You can help by publicising their material and by going to ...

"In the first decade of “the end of history” and the “new world order” the “only super power” in the world is yet again engaged in another major war of aggression. As the missiles and bombs of the imperialist assault devastate the already ruined and rugged landscape of this unfortunate country, its impact will go far beyond the borders of Afghanistan. The echelons of power and the regimes across Asia are trembling in their shoes. These already decaying states are being shaken to their foundations. Starting from the Pakistan dictatorship the rulers of the whole region terrified about the fate of their rule." Editorial of the Autumn...

K.A.Khan Kashmari, the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign organiser in Quetta reports on the demonstrations and clashes against US aggression in Afghanistan and the general mood of the workers there.

As the war starts in Afghanistan we publish this report from the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign dealing with the situation of the trade unions in Pakistan. The PTUDC is campaigning for workers' rights and both against Islamic fundamentalism and US imperialism. The statement is signed by 35 leading trade union activists from all over the country and contains an appeal for help and solidarity. The In Defence of Marxism web site endorses this appeal and asks all its supporters to make a financial donation

"The bombing of Afghanistan has now begun. The most powerful and richest country in the world, the USA, is bombing one of the poorest countries on this planet. And Britain, as usual, is behaving as an obedient lapdog to US imperialism. However they may try to disguise it, this war is not about “justice” or “fighting terrorism”. The aim is to terrorise the peoples of the former colonial countries, to bully them into submitting to the will of the rich and powerful. It is a warning: 'either you do as we say, or you get bombed!'". A first emergency analysis by Fred Weston.

Everything on a world scale is now subordinated to the perspective of war. The fact that the attack on Afghanistan (and other countries) has been delayed does not mean at all that the risk of hostilities has diminished. Alan Woods looks at the world situation as the build up towards war unfolds.