lunes, 5 de junio de 2023
INDIA:CPI (Maoist) - Let us take up Two Days a Special Worldwide Campaign in strong protest to the Fascist government of Philippines on June 15-16!
C OMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST)
Central Committee
Press Release
May Day, 2023
Revolutionary Homage to Comrade Laan, Chairman of the Executive Committee and Comrade Bagong-Tao, General Secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Philippines and Another Eight heroic fighters of the Party and NPA!
Let us take up Two Days a Special Worldwide Campaign in strong protest to the Fascist government of Philippines that arrested and murdered the unarmed comrades in the utmost cruel manner and the US imperialism that supported it! Let us hold aloft their great sacrifices on June 15-16!
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) pays humble revolutionary homage to 71 years aged Comrade Benito Tiamzon (Comrade Laan), Chairman of the Executive Committee (EC) and 70 years aged Comrade Wilma Austria Tiamzon (Comrade Bagong-Tao), General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Philippines (CPP) and the Eight heroic fighters of the Party and NPA who were arrested on 2022 August 21st, severely tortured and killed in cold blood in the early hours of 22nd by the Army of the Philippines fascist Ferdinand Marcos Junior government. The CC of the CPI (Maoist) appeals to the International Committee to Support People’s War in India (ICSPWI), the newly formed International Communist League (ICL) and the entire Marxist-Leninist-Maoist parties, organisations and forces to take up a Two Days special worldwide campaign in all the countries in strong protest of this savage deed by the Army of the Philippine fascist government with the support of US imperialism and holding aloft their glorious sacrifices.
The CC of the CPI (Maoist) conveys deep felt condolences to the members of the CC of CPP who worked together with Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao, to their children and grand-children, to the ranks of the Party, the Commanders and fighters of New People’s Army (NPA), to the ranks of Filipino National Democratic Front (NDF) and the entire Filipino revolutionary people, their friends and well-wishers in the country and abroad. The CC conveys severe condolences to the martyrdom of other Eight comrades, the Secretary of Eastern Visayas Sub-Regional Committee Comrade Joel Arceo (Comrade Divino), Defense unit of the Central Headquarters Comrade Yen, Comrade Jaja, Comrade Math, Comrade Ash, Comrade Delphin, Comrade Lupe and Comrade Butig.
The Philippines Army (Armed Forces of the Philippines, AFP) arrested the ten unarmed comrades going in two vehicles between 12 and 1’o clock in the afternoon of 2022 August 21st in Catbalogan city of Samar province. It severely tortured them and brutally murdered them early next morning. The bodies of Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao were put in a motor boat filled with explosive material. The boat was taken into the sea and detonated between Catbalogan and Taranganan islands. AFP arrested and indulged in this cruel massacre together with the US Army and stated that there was an encounter mid-sea and that all of them died in the encounter. It stated that they could recover only 8 bodies. It took almost eight months for the Political Bureau and the EC of the CC of the CPP that came to know of the massacre a few days later to make a thorough investigation and affirm the facts.
Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao, husband and wife started their political lives in the National Democratic struggle of Philippines. Comrade Laan was born on 21st March 1951 and grew in Marikina of Metro Manila. Comrade Bagong-Tao was born on 21st December 1952 and belongs to Pasig city. Both of them studied in Joes Rizal High School. They stepped into the Philippine University in the end of 1960s. They became the writers of Philippine Collegian. It was the time when the people of Philippines were suffering from extreme oppression due to the exploitation and suppression of US imperialism that made Philippines its neo-colony and military base. People were aspiring liberation from imperialism. They entered into struggles for National independence, democracy and liberation from the puppet bureaucratic rule. These struggles were gradually taking shape into National Democratic Revolution. Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao became members of the National Democratic Youth Organisation. The poverty of the people and the political conditions of the country drove them towards revolution.
Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao worked closely with Comrade Jose Mario Sison, the founder Chairman of CPP that he founded on 26th December 1968 and a great leader of Filipino people. The leadership team comprising Comrade Laan, Comrade Bagong-Tao and other comrades in the leadership of Comrade Joma began theoretical and political efforts in Philippines. New People’s Army (NPA) was formed in 1969 March 29th and National Democratic Front (NDF) in 1973.
Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao were transferred from Manila to Cebu in 1974 where they worked among workers. Later party transferred them to Samar. Here Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao could obtain a good understanding of anti-feudal struggles and the other tasks of New Democratic Revolution of Philippines. They gained experience in applying Marxism-Leninism-Maoism to Philippines. They took up social investigation to understand the character of Philippine society. They enriched the understanding of Comrade Jose Mario Sison that Philippines is a semi-colonial, semi-feudal country.
In 1976 Comrade Laan worked as the secretary of Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee and Comrade Bagong-Tao as the Deputy Secretary. Comrade Bagong-Tao led armed struggle and broad worker-peasant struggles against US-Marcos military dictatorship in Central Luzon. Comrade Laan led strong anti-feudal struggles and armed resistance. Revolutionary movement of Philippines advanced in all spheres all through this decade. NPA achieved several victories. NDF organised the people of various areas. Party expanded. It gained great recognition among the people. In the process, the party strengthened theoretically, militarily and organisationally. Alongside, certain theoretical deviations came forth inside the party. The ‘left’ and right trends created confusion all over the party. The Central Committee of CPP took up second rectification program to rectify this condition.
Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao played a vital role in this Second Great Rectification Movement (SGRM). The rectification movement held between 1992-1998 reaffirmed the understanding of MLM of the Party, the fundamental principles, Protracted People’s War and the Strategy-Tactics to advance the people’s democratic revolution. Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao outstandingly led the Central Committee and frustrated the attempts of the revisionist traitors to lead astray or divide the party. When few left the Party line out of alien trends in the party and the movement, they firmly opposed them. Together with the members of the CC in the guidance of Comrade Joma they defended the party from dissolution. They sustained Philippine revolution in the path of advancement and growth.
Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao started political work as organisers among workers and farmers. They further understood Marxism-Leninism-Maoism from each and every work they did and developed into people’s leaders in stages. They shed the class character of their birth and proletarianized themselves. They held responsibilities in the Central Committee and the Central organs of the Party. They efficiently led the Party, NPA and NDF in fighting back the various repressive campaigns unleashed by the government military, Para-military and police forces. They stood exemplary to the cadres of all spheres.
In the guidance of Comrade Joma, Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao superbly led the Central Committee and the New People’s Army in Protracted People’s War for three decades. Comrade Laan served as the Chairman of the EC of the CC of CPP in the day to day leadership of the Philippine Revolution. Comrade Bagong-Tao served as the General Secretary of the CC. Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao were reelected into the CC and the Central organs in the Second Congress of the party in 2016.
They were not only life-partners but served as partners in performing the difficult tasks of the Party. They worked side by side with the other leading cadres of the Party in the Central Committee, Political Bureau and Executive Committee and became the beacons of people’s democratic revolution in Philippines. They made remarkable contribution in preparing the documents of the Central Committee and the Executive Committee. These documents enriched the theories of waging the people’s democratic revolution in Philippines. The memoranda and directives of the EC-CC further elaborated and deepened the concept of the protracted people’s war and guerrilla warfare. They dedicated themselves to helping Party cadres tighten their grasp of the principles of waging people’s war in an all-rounded manner, and of the crucial importance of combining its three components – Armed struggle, Agrarian revolution and building of mass base. The writings of Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao now form part of the rich treasure chest of revolutionary theory of the Philippine revolution and serve to enrich Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.
Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao were arrested in 2014 and stood steadfast in prison. They were released in 2016 to serve in the negotiating panel of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in peace negotiations with the Duterte regime. When Duterte terminated peace negotiations and ordered the capture and killing of the personages of the NDFP, the Party and NPA, Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao immediately took to the guerrilla fronts. They dedicated themselves and made selfless service to revolution until they breathed their last. They shall last long in the revolution.
Their services to advance the people’s aspirations for National freedom, democracy, Socialism and Communism and the sacrifice of total dedication of their bodies and minds to the service of the oppressed and exploited people gives them a place as true heroes of Filipino people in history.
The demise of Comrade Sison and the demise of Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao that came to light after a long time caused a very big loss to CPP, mainly to the CC of the party. The demise of members of the CC Comrade Oris, Comrade Elay and other comrades also caused severe loss to the party. The CC of the CPI (Maoist) hopes that the CPP shall overcome these losses in the process of advancement of PPW, with its strong grasp of MLM and its leadership of the party in the correct path with its hard work. It will overcome the loss of the martyrdom of the comrades and in their spirit, shall certainly advance the revolutionary movement in leaps. Top rank leadership comrades such as Joma, Laan and Bagong-Tao developed and trained thousands of cadres. These trained cadres shall step forth in the spirit of the martyrs with multi-folded class hatred to hold high the red flag. They shall advance the party and Philippine revolution. The CC of the party shall collectively overcome the party out of the loss. It shall theoretically, politically and organisationally strengthen and advance the party.
In such a situation, it is the proletarian international responsibility of the Maoist parties, organisations and forces of the world to stand in support of CPP that had been firmly, steadfastly making and is steeled in the course of Protracted People’s War and to extend solidarity to Philippine Revolution. The People’s War in Philippines is a prominent and inseparable part of the World Socialist Revolution. It is the responsibility of the world proletariat and Maoist forces to stand in support of this movement that contributes to World Socialist Revolution.
US imperialists provided support to this heinous massacre through the joint Special Operations Task Force, Trident that they train, arm and directly command. As demanded by CPP, we must demand punishment to the President of the country working as a lackey to the US, handing over the wealth and labour force of the country to the US imperialist monsters and drowning the revolutionary movement in bloodshed. We must fight against the fascist suppression of imperialism and the comprador reactionary ruling classes in the respective countries on the people struggling against the exploitation and oppression, for national liberation, democracy, Socialism-Communism and the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist revolutionary parties all over the world.
In the current crisis in the world capitalist-imperialist system, the principal contradiction between imperialism and the oppressed nationalities and people and other fundamental contradictions are intensifying in all the countries. Imperialist suppression is intensifying day by day on the world proletariat, oppressed nationalities, people, national democratic and revolutionary movements and militant working-class movements. This is the time the revolutionary forces, oppressed nationalities and people all over the world unitedly fight shoulder to shoulder with unflinching determination to root out imperialism from the earth.
In the existing danger of World War III among imperialists for re-division of the world, it is a vital part of the current International Communist Movement to fight in protest to these murders. As a part of fulfilling the task of uniting the world proletariat, toiling masses, democratic and revolutionary forces, let us take up a Two Days Special Worldwide Campaign in protest to these murders and the fascist deeds of worldwide imperialists and their compradors. Let us pay humble revolutionary homage to, and uphold the glorious sacrifice of the people’s warriors and leaders Comrades Laan and Bagong-Tao who laid down their lives for the cause of Communism. Let us extend solidarity to CPP and Philippine Revolution on June 15-16.
Revolutionary Homage to Comrade Laan and Comrade Bagong-Tao!
Long live Revolutionary Movement of Philippines!
Long live the Unity of World Proletarians, Oppressed Nationalities and People!
Down with Imperialism and Reactionaries of all Countries!
Down with Revisionism of all shades!
Long live Marxism-Leninism-Maoism!
Long live World Socialist Revolution!