Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 12:06:23 +0100 (MET)
From: malecki-AT-algonet.se (Robert Malecki)
Subject: M-I: COCKROACH! #32 (Open letter to the Cuban CP)
COCKROACH! #32 (Open letter to the Cuban CP)
A EZINE FOR POOR AND WORKING CLASS PEOPLE.
WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT OUR CHAINS.
It is time that the poor and working class people
have a voice on the Internet.
Contributions can be sent to <malecki-AT-algonet.se>
Subscribtions are free at <malecki-AT-algonet.se>
Now online at http://www.kmf.org/malecki/
How often this zine will appear depends on you!
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1. Bougainville Struggle involves the IMF.
2. Open Letter to The Cuban Communist Party.
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Bougainville Struggle involves the IMF.
The Bougainville struggle for indendence from Papua New Ginue (PNG)
continues. The situation has become more tense following a battle between
Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) and PNG troops at the Kangu Care
Centre on 8th September. This has been followed by the assassination of
Theodore Morise on October 13. While the BRA continues to stand firm on its
demands for independence, PNG is selling off half of its mineral resources
to pay for the war under pressure from the International Monatory Fund
(IMF). This proves that the IMF stablisation plans for PNG are directly
related to the ongoing war of repression in Bougainville.
Kangu Beach "battle".
A report from the Solomon Star (SI), Friday 4 October,1996 stated: "PNG
soldiers shooting and wounding of 3 Bougainville children; shooting and
killings of a couple more civilian before 8th September 1996 battle,
triggered off the Kangu beach fighting where 13 PNG Security force members
were lost to BRA forces.
Three children who were allegedly shot at by Papua New Guinea defence forces
were admitted to Central Hospital surgical ward Saturday last week. The
children sustained gunshot wounds early this month while returning from
their bush garden said a Bougainvillean John Noukui who accompanied them to
Honiara.
He said the Kangu beach massacre apparently came about because of that
shooting incident and a couple of killings by the PNG Defence Force.The
youngest of the three victims is only 10 years old. Noukui said they were
transported to Gizo by BRA on a motorised boat and flown to Honiara by Red
Cross."
the IMF and World Bank have laid down some conditions to PNG to privatise
much of its state-owned mineral resources
Situation on Bougainville has become tense following the Kangu beach
incident he said. Several PNG soldiers were captured and are being held by
the BRA. The military leader of the BRA General Sam Kauona was quoted as
saying that if PNG did not respond to the demand to remove their troops, a
hostage would be killed.
"My conditions for the release of the POWs still stand and it is now up to
Prime Minister Chan to ensure that these men can be released safely back to
their families. Time is now running desperately short"."We were quite
prepared to be generous with the last two PNGDF POWs (a Sergeant and a
Corporal "allowed" back to their lines), but that's no longer the case.
Prime Minister Chan, you have just as much responsibility for the lives of
these men as I have", concluded General Sam Kauona from Bougainville.
Prime Minister Julius Chan and the IMF "Sovereignty"
In his recent statement to the United Nations, PNG Prime Minister Sir Julius
Chan said his government will not allow national sovereignty to be
compromised. It seems that it is the IMF that is most concerned with PNG
"sovereignty".
The Bougainville Freedom Movement [based in Sydney] has condemned the Papua
New Guinea government over its silence about Panguna copper mine in the
controversial Orogen minerals launch. Garamut said "the PNG government was
"broke" and having trouble raising further funds through the World Bank and
International Monetary Fund, which were said to be "appalled by endemic
corruption and mismanagement".
It seems that the IMF and World Bank have laid down some conditions to PNG
to privatise much of its state-owned mineral resources to qualify for their
support.
"The Chan government hopes to raise $260 million by selling off 49 per cent
of a recently launched company, Orogen Minerals Ltd, whose assets include
much of PNG's share of its major mining and petroleum resources. Orogen's
advertised portfolio includes the Kutubu oilfield, the existing Porgera and
Misima gold mines and the planned Lihir gold project, sited inside a
submarine volcano crater in New Ireland province.
"The sale of these national assets to private capitalists should, so the
Chan government hopes, allow the PNG army to continue the war, continue to
kill Bougainvilleans and Papua's soldiers," Garamut said. "Whether the
people of PNG will accept the loss of their minerals, their oil, to finance
a futile war remains to be seen."
Solidarity with Bougainville.
The World Bank and the IMF should be kicked out of PNG and the foreign debt
repudiated.
The war in Bourgainville has all the features of imperialisms pursuit of
super-profits. But this could soon spread to other parts of PNG. The PGN
government, a semi-colony of Australia and multinationals like Conzinc Rio
Tinto which owns the Panguna mine, is determined to prevent Bourgainville
independence so it can preserve its "sovereignty". Yet what is such
"sovereignty" worth when PNG cannot resist pressure to privatise its major
mining assets to balance the budget? What will happen to the many peoples of
PNG when these privatised assets are stripped and their lives and cultures
destroyed just as the Panguna mine destroyed the lives and culture of
Bougainville?
The workers and peasants of PNG must join forces with those of Bougainville
to stop the war and stop the privatisations. This means supporting the
Bougainville right to self-determination, and fighting by all means
necessary the privatisation of state assets. Privatised assets such as
Panguna must be taken back without compensation and run under workers
control. The World Bank and the IMF should be kicked out of PNG and the
foreign debt repudiated. Intervention by Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia
or any other state, must be actively opposed by union bans and
demonstrations.
For an Independent Bougainville!
For a workers and farmers government in PNG!
For a Federation of socialist republics of the Pacific!
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Open Letter to The Cuban Communist Party.
Dear friends,
As I sent a letter to you a year ago by snail mail via the embassy, and
directly to Cuba you have obviously not recieved it or have not replied to
my Appeal. Therefore now this open letter and at the end of this letter my
appeal once again to the Cuban Communist Party.
When I was a poor and working class kid growing up in New York City, the
Cuban revolution was a light at the end of the tunnel! Almost 40 years have
gone bye since those days and all of us who are still alive, must i believe,
take a closer look at the Cuban Revolution. Especially in light of the fall
of the Berlin wall and its aftermath the disintegration of the Soviet Union
and the destruction of Stalinism as a political force on a world scale.
Naturally in 40 years people evolve! Some go forward, some go backward and
others stand still! I personally have evolved from a poor and working class
kid who's gut feelings for poor and working class people like myself led me
at first to actively support the Cuban revolution later on to actively
participating in the anti-war movement in the United States in support of
the Vietnamese revolution and independence which had a price in the fact
that i find myself in exile unable to return to the United States because of
my activites during those years. Until today where i am a concious Communist
working class militant (Internationalist)
How has the Cuban Revolution evolved since Fidel and Company came down from
the hills after defeating Batista. Naturally in the early days their was
great Revolutionary enthusiaism which extended not only throughout Cuba but
the Americas and the rest of the world. Fairly quickly imperialism began its
counter attack against the Cuban Revolution,especially after the
Nationalisations of some of the major American Corporations, who
historically enslaved the Cuban people, were nationalised. The Revolution
was consolidated and the Communist CP became the party of the Cuban Revolution.
Naturally being the first victorious revolution in the Americas and
unfortunately isolated to the one island of Cuba the Cuban leadership were
faced with some major problems. One of isolation, one of capitulating to the
political leadership of the Soviet Union,Eastern Europe and China and their
politics and not in the least being under attack from American Imperialism.
I think the two are connected. On the other hand a concious policy of
building a Revolutionary International and extending the Revolution
throughout the Americas.
Unfortunately one has to say that the Cuban leadership took the road of the
Stalinists. Albeit expressed in the Cadre and roots of the Cuban Revolution.
Although the Cuban leadership was not entirely in favor of Stalinists
politics in general they did in the end put all their cards on and alliance
with the Stalinists in defense of the Cuban Revolution. Some say this was
forced on the leadership, others that it evolved out of the petty-bougeois
theory of guerrilla warfare. However, the point being that the Cuban
leadership took a road which has led it to the point it finds itself today.
That is a Cuba more isolated then ever before! Where Fidel Castro is begging
the reactionary Chatolic Pope for help! Where the Cuban leadership has
turned its back on the International proletariat and has gone from the
conception of building socialism in one country to trying to defend
Socialism in one country along with the Pope. For those of us who supported
the Cuban Revolution from the beginning like myself and will defend the
Cuban Revolution on principle against any attacks by imperialism to regain
this island and turn it into a gambling tropic semester paradise for the
rich would like to take up the question of the other road that was open to
the Cuban leadership. But in my eyes the Fidel's turning to the Pope for
help makes me sick. Partially because I was a Chatholic at one time, but
because as a poor and working class Communist militant Fidel would rather
shake hands and invite the Pope to Cuba then rely on the millions upon
millions of poor and working class people Internationally like myself!
Another road that the Cuban Communist Party could have taken back then as
well as today was the road of relying on the International Proletariat and a
policy of building revolutionary Communist Parties in every country of the
world to overthrow the bougeoisie. This policy i believe was represented
historically by the left opposition in the Soviet Union led by Trotsky. That
road was open to the Cuban leadership. But you turned your backs on
Trotskyism and in fact threw the Trotskyists in jail and deported them!
Well, the Trotskyists are still around. They still UNCONDITIONALLY defend
the Cuban Revolution from imperialist attack. But the Cuban CP is
floundering in the dark and begging the Pope to come visit the island. As if
the Pope is going to help the Cuban Revolution!
Today, once again after the historical defeat of the Proletariat because of
the disintegration of the Soviet Union which responsibility must be layed at
the door of the Stalinists, the bougeoisie is on the offensive everywhere!
All the gains of the working class since the second world war are under
attack! The Stalinist leadership in the workers movement has disintegrated
while the reformists Social Democrats are heading into the camp of the
bougeoisie! And the Cuban leadership has turned to the Pope for help!
This road is the road paved to disaster! Not only for the Cuban Revolution,
but the millions of poor and working class in the Americas, Europe, Africa
Asia and the former Soviet Union. The poor and working class people have not
given up. But they are beheaded of a revolutionary leadership and despite
that are fighting back the politics of the International bougeoisie. A new
revolutionary leadership must evole out of these struggles Internationally.
Because if it does not the Cuban Revolution is finished! Dead.defeated.
Because only a revolutionary International with parties based on Proletarian
class struggle and a program which can lead the working class to victory can
garantee the success of the Cuban revolution.
Visting the pope just won't do it Fidel Castro! You have to win the hearts
and minds of the millions upon millions of poor and working class people
Internationally as you once won my heart. That is the ONLY road forward. The
rest is just bullshit.
The Cuban CP is faced with a choice! A turn towards revolutionary
Internationalism or ultimately an imperialist counter-revolution! The old
cadre perhaps have gone to far down the road of being soft on Stalinism if
not outright Stalinist in their political outlook. But their is still time
for the cadre to re-evaluate the situation and change course. A line of
revolutionary Internationalism is not garantee for sucess, but the present
road your are traveling DEFINITELY means defeat!
As always;
Defend the Cuban Revolution fron Imperialist Attack!
Victory To The Cuban Revolution!
Extend the Revolution throughout the Americas!
For a Revolutionary Communist International!
Warm Regards
Bob Malecki
PS: You can allso help me personally. See my appeal below. This is the
Appeal that i never recieved and answer from you about!
APPEAL
Robertsfors,Sweden
Dear Friends,
My name is Robert Malecki and I need your help. I need the help of the
members in your organisation. I need the help of all organisations
who claim that they stand on the side of poor and working class people.
I have been living in exile in Sweden for over 23 years because of my
activities during the Vietnam war. If I were to return to the United
States, I could be put in prison for a very long time and therefore
this plea for help.
Between the years 1968 and 1972 I publicly took responsibility for
the destruction of tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands,
of draft files and orders calling young, mostly poor and working
class kids, up to be sent to Vietnam. Statements to the newspapers,
T.V. and radio usually said "that we would not tolerate sending
working class kids off to Vietnam to kill other poor and working
class kids".
I also took responsibility for the destruction of the international
computer network of the Dow Chemical Corp. in Washington DC. This
company produced napalm and agent orange for the bombs being dropped
on Vietnam. Because of this action and others Dow Chemical stopped
its production of napalm.
However we were unable to stop the war.
Speaking of large corporations who are prepared to commit genocide
against innocent people one should mention that this is still going
on today. A large mining company called the Conzinc Rio Tinto with
its head office in Australia has been strip mining on the island of
Bougainville. The people who inhabit the island are fighting for
their independence and have closed the mine. The mining company and
the Australian government are financing a dirty little war on
Bougainville in order to open up the mine again. One would think
that the Australian government had learned its lesson after the
Vietnam fiasco! They were allied with the Americans remember?
Anyhow those who read this letter should try and raise this matter
in and appropriate way. Just as the Vietnamese needed support back
then, the people on the island of Bougainville need support today.
Perhaps all of you Vietnam veterans who got tricked into fighting
for the profits of Dow Chemical and others in Vietnam could help
stick the mining company Conzinc Rio Tinto and the Australian
government and their policies of genocide against the wall. That
would really be justice!
In November of 1969 I was caught coming out of a draftboard with
military files. I was put on trial and sentenced to 12 years in
prison. In defence actions I took up the Nuremberg trials after
the second world war. I said that there was no difference between
the Nazi concentration camps and the American bombings of the
Vietnamese people. Therefore it was my duty to break national laws,
in protesting American war making policy in Vietnam, in order to
uphold international laws. This defence was not allowed by the
court and I was sent to a maximum security prison in Lewisburg, Penn.
At this prison there were many others sitting because of their
activities against the United States government. There were black
nationalists, black panthers, anti-war activists and even some
Russian spies! Jimmy Hoffa, leader powerful Teamsters Union was
there and not in the least Catholic priests like Phil Berrigan.
I sat in this prison 27 months. However my activities against
the war in Vietnam did not stop there.
One of the more spectacular actions was the time a Russian spy, who
claimed that his parents had been killed in "Dresden" during the
second world war and I purposed publicly to be exchanged for two
B-52 pilots, alive or dead, because we believed that the Vietnamese
struggle for independence was correct. The United States government
had not succeeded in silencing the opposition to its criminal war
policies and therefore found new ways to try and keep people
in prison.
Conspiracy trials, that is you did not have to do anything against
the government to be put on trial, merely talking about it was enough.
One of the big conspiracy trials of the time was the case against
Phil Berrigan and other Catholic priests and nuns who, according to
the government, were planning to bomb the White House and attack the
B-52 bomber planes stationed on Guam in the Pacific Ocean. The key
person in this frame up was an agent sent in by the government to
the prison we were in to get the goods on people. I could have been
a defence witness in this case.
However at the same time as the above was going on I was charged by
a "secret grand jury" for conspiracy to bomb public buildings and
electric powerplants among other crimes.
The funny thing about this is that it never happened! The White
House, planes on Guam, electric powerplants, public buildings was
a conspiracy according to the government. In reality we were people
who had always taken responsibility for our actions.
At the same time that this was going on, Jimmy Hoffa leader of the
powerful transport union, received a pardon from Richard Nixon the
president. Was Nixon afraid that Hoffa would join an anti-war
coalition and bring the working class out against the war? Serious
discussions were going on and the possibility was a real threat.
I watched Jimmy Hoffa walkout of prison and I believe that his
deal with Nixon was a betrayal of poor and working class people.
Soon after Jimmy Hoffa disappeared. I wonder who killed him?
The government? The Mafia? Hmmm!
After 27 months in prison I was released on bail pending trial
for the above. 25,000 dollars raised by the anti-war movement gave
me the chance to go underground and come to Sweden. I applied for
political asylum and received a humanitary asylum mainly because the
Social Democratic Party under the leadership of Olaf Palme had gone
over to the Vietnamese side after Nixon,s massive bombings of Vietnam.
When Bill Clinton became president I wrote him a letter demanding
amnesty. I thought that Clinton,who had gone to England during the
war, would understand my situation. Well I waited nearly two years
for and answer from Bill Clinton.
Now I heard from a friend that McNamara has written a book which
has made front page news both in the states and Australia. After
all these years, he is saying now, that he knew that this war was
all wrong. This is and act of a political coward,however better
late then never. It appears to me that many people now, 25 years
after the war, are creeping out of the closet and saying things
about how wrong this war was. Well if these people had any guts,
they would help people like myself get the right to return home.
I will never say I am sorry for my actions against the war in Vietnam.
Millions of people suffered and are still suffering because of the bombings.
Tens of thousands have cancer and children are still being born deformed
because of chemicals like agent orange!
Besides that it was not I who was the criminal, it was people
like Richard Nixon who were responsible for the war.I have children
and grand children in the United States who I would like to visit.
I want the right to return to the U.S., the country of my birth and
walk the streets as a free man. I mean people like Bill Calley,
leader of the My Lai massacre, are walking free today in the U.S.
at the same time peopl like me can not return home.
I have always taken responsibility for my actions, publicly in
newspapers, T.V. and radio. I do not intend to crawl back to the
U.S. begging for forgiveness. However, I would accept an amnesty
or pardon. The United States government can call it anything they
want as long as the charges against me between the years 1968 and
1973 are dropped.
In closing I would like to say that I need your help just as I need
the help of organisations claiming to stand on the side of poor and
working class people.
Unlike Bill Clinton I could not run off to England during the war
in Vietnam. Unlike McNamara, I did not creep out of the closet 25
years later, to talk about being against the war! But I still remember
the faces of the Vietnamese children running down a highway in Vietnam
while napalm was burning holes in their little bodies and I did fight
the best way I knew how!
Please publish this letter.
Send this letter to other people, other organisations, other countries.
Send a letter to the White House. Send a letter to me. But please help.
Don't forget the dirty little war, going on today, in Bougainville
mentioned in the letter. Especially you Vietnam
veterans, now you have
a real chance to get those corporate creeps responsible for sending
you off to die for their profits! This mining company, Conzinc Rio
Tinto, with offices in Australia and London are carrying out a
genocidal war TODAY!!!, along with theAustralian government. The
people on Bougainville need your help! Put these creeps asses against
the wall!
Demand the U.S. government take up this matter.
Demand that the charges against me be dropped.
Demand the right for me to return to the U.S.
Ask Bill Clinton if he enjoyed Nixon,s funeral.
Tell McNamara if he had any guts he would fight for people like myself.
We didn't hide in the closet I am feeling like the Japanese soldier
who was found on a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean 25 years a
fter the second world war. His first question being "is the war over?".
Warm Regards From Exile
Robert Malecki
<malecki-AT-algonet.se>
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Read the book! Ha Ha Ha McNamara,
Vietnam-My Bellybutton is my Crystalball!
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HTTP://WWW.ALGONET.SE/~MALECKI
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>from my home page and get the latest issue of COCKROACH!
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