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Reject the war against Iraq, evict the colonists and their allies, isolate the puppet regime of Mega-Hamzah

[The following statement was issued by the Central Leadership Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (KPP-PRD) on February 24. Translated by James Balowski.]

The US plan to attack Iraq, with or without the blessing of the United Nations, is just a matter of time. Despite the millions of people who came out into the streets in Asia, Australia, Europe and America on February 14-16, all rejecting the war, it has not shaken or diminished US and British war plans. The ambition to control the world in a single global market, along with the desire to control the sources of oil in Iraq in order to take control of the world’s oil trade, is the primary reason which is pushing the US’s determination to attack Iraq.

Those countries which do not with to submit to or be obidient to US foreign policy – or which are categories by the US as endangering or blocking the flow of international capital – confront a variety of mechanisms to destroy them, either though the economic machines of the IMF, the World Bank and World Trade Organisation or though the machine of military power. The blockades and economic sanctions against countries such as Cuba and North Korea represent and example of the use of the US’s economic machine to destroy the sovereignty of these two nations. The recent US attack against Afghanistan which was supported by the UN, is another example of the use of the military machine to destroy a nation and install a puppet government.

For those nations which have been subservient and obedient to the economic policies which represent the interests of global imperialism, the US though the IMF and World Bank provide loans (read: foreign debt) which in the end will trap these countries in the maze of foreign debt. And in its turn will block and trap these countries into submitting to and being obedient to the economic policies of imperialism. The global imperialists will force these nations to open up their domestic markets through the World Trade Organisation thus making it possible for the capital of global imperialism to control and take over, one by one, the assets of these nations. Justified by the effectiveness and efficiency of the free market, which is in fact false, the rights of the people which should be provided for by the state will be seized by the imperialists.

War is another means taken by the capitalist class to open up markets and to control the economic assets of developing nations. When the economic machine of the imperialists (the IMF, World Bank, World Trade organisation and the Consultative Group on Indonesia) is not effective enough to force a government to implement an economic program which represents the interests of global imperialism, then the military machine is the answer. After Afghanistan has been pulverized and the puppet government of Hamid Karzai established, Iraq will be the next target. By accusing Iraq of possessing weapons of mass destruction, which until now has yet to be proven, the US is increasingly digging the claws of its power into the developing nations. It is as if the US is “blind” to the human rights violations which are being committed by Israel against the Palestine people. It is as if the US is blind to the deaths of millions of children each day as a result to economic pollicies which are being on forced the Third World. The US even proudly states that hunger, decease and the death of millions of young children in Iraq is an appropriate price to be paid for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

Then what about the Indonesian government of President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice-president Hamzah Haz? Under the Mega-Hamzah leadership, the government has voluntarily submitted to the economic and political recipes of the IMF and the World Bank. Justified on the grounds of eliminating corruption, collusion and nepotism and reducing the state role in the market, the Mega-Hamzah government has implemented a neoliberal economic program. Privatisation in all sectors, cuts to subsidies and the selling off of national economic assets are being carried out which take away the rights of ordinary people which should be provided by for the state. No attention is being paid to the poverty which is spreading everywhere.

Aside from this, it is very clear that the Mega-Hamzah government is following foreign imperialist policies who are eager to use their military power. There has been no rejection by Mega-Hamzah against the “War Against Terror”, the allied attack on Afghanistan or the current issue of Iraq. Moreover, the government continues to follow the jargon of “weapons of mass destruction”, most of which are in fact owned by the US. Certainly, Mega-Hamzah have not yet indicated their open support for the war, but this is only because they are afraid to endanger their political position before the people.

The question which we must ask ourselves is, what attitude should we take in viewing the government. Is the government of “Megawati-Hamzah Haz” no more than a “puppet government of the US” who prefer to bring misery to the people and sell the assets of the state to foreign capital? Join ranks and raise your fists and shout “Oppose and destroy the imperialists and their lackeys!”.

KPP-PRD therefore calls on the people to:

1. Reject the US imperialist war on Iraq with or without a UN resolution and reject the US’s military presence throughout the world.
2. Reject and abolish the tools of global imperialism such as the IMF, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization and the Consultative Group on Indonesia.
3. Reject and put and end to the global imperialist economic policies which bring misery on the people such as privatisation and subsidy cuts.
4. Replace the imperialist puppet government of Megawati-Hamzah Haz. The opposition movement should untie with the people to form a government of the poor.

Jakarta, February 24,2003
Central Leadership Committee of the People’s Democratic Party

s/- Haris Rusli Moti
Chairperson KPP-PRD