Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 18:48:54 +0800 (HKT)
From: Taylor Ian Christopher <ictaylor-AT-hkusua.hku.hk>
Subject: Re: re-peru / human rights




>     Carlos:
>     Yes, there are universal standards that can be applied both in
>     Algeria and peru.
> 
>     1. Legitimacy of the armed struggle.  The Algerian Islamic
>     movement do have that legitimacy. 

Who's legitimacy? The bourgeois press? International "public opinion" 
[sic]? Progressives? (I don't think so!)

>     They are up in arms *after*
>     they were denied political power when the *won* the elections.
>     Shiny Shit in Peru have not legitimacy aside from the self-
>     proclaimed representation that they certainly lack.  They
>     never won an election,

This is outrageous! You appear to be "justifying" a group of homicidal 
mediaevel (sp?) insurrectionists whose aim is to drag Algeria and the 
rest of the Islamic world back to the Dark Ages. I *seriously* doubt your 
credibility as a progressive if you are in any way defending them! I 
urgently suggest you ask *any* woman whether they would voluntarily 
submit to the type of society the FIS envisage. How can you take such a 
position? I am shocked.

>     they never were able to produce any substantial mass movement to 
>     support them 

Yet control massive chunks of Peru? Surely you are contradicting yourself?

>     3. Any armed struggle have to differentiate itself from pure
>     terrorism. 

Define "terrorism" or your argument is total nonsense. Is killing a 
suspected collaborater a terroristic action? If so, is dropping napalm on 
a village terror? War, by its very definition, involves terror. 
Attempting to define degrees is dangerous. I notice you don't even try to 
do this. What is your definition of "terrorism"?

>     4. When an state of war or military confrontation is present,
>     revolutionaries *have* to sacrifice expediency for *legitamacy*.
>     If they act in the same way as the enemy (killing political
>     civilian opponents or even collaborators *without* proper due
>     process -- investigantion, trial, popular support for the
>     indictment

Yes, they could have public trials - thereby attracting the attention of 
the Peruvian military and possible destruction of the PCP unit involved. 
That would certainly suit Fujimori! All I can say is, it's lucky for the 
PCP that you're not their strategic adviser.......

>     Comradely,
>     Carlos

For someone who uses most un-comradely and offensive language, your 
employment of the salutation "comradely" is either offensively ironic or, 
provocative.

Yours,

I.T


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