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No imperialist war!

[The following is statement issued by the Central Leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (KPP-PRD) on January 29, 2003. Translated by James Balowski.]

Day by day the US is showing its determination to continue its plans to attack Iraq, even though the United Nations Weapons Team’s report indicates that that there has been no development of biological weapons by Iraq. There are no grounds for the US to continue their plans to attack Iraq. However the desire to control the Iraq’s oil reserves has apparently become the principle reason why the US is persisting in launching a military attack. This is not the first time, the US with its military might is pressuring other nations to submit to and be obedient to policies which benefit the interests of the US.

Over the last few years, the US has increasingly dug the claws of its power into the developing nations of the world. Since the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre building on September 11, 2001, through the “War against terrorism”, the US has defined countries in terms of those “who are allies” and those “who are opponents”, the one who are considered to hinder and obstruct the interests of US capital. Afghanistan, was the first nation to become the “guinea pig” of this program. Will Iran, North Korea, Libya and Cuba become the next victims?

For those nations who they think will submit to and be obedient to the US, they have a different policy. Under the puppet imperialist government of President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice-president Hamzah Haz, they prefer to submit to and be obedient to the economic and political recipes of the IMF and the World Bank which are nothing less than the tools of US political interests. The Anti-Terrorist legislation is a packet of political policies which was forced on the puppet government of Megawati-Haz by the US in sacrificing human rights. Using the excuse of effectiveness and efficiency, the US through the IMF and the World Bank have forced the Indonesian government to carry out a program of privatisation, or in other words to sell off state assets to foreign interests. The policies to cut subsidies to fuel and electricity charges which began on January 1, is part of a packet of policies which the IMF set as a pre-condition to obtain new loans. Day by day, year by year and from one regime to the next, Indonesia has been trapped by the foreign debt which continues to grow. Without considering the economic conditions of the people who are stuck in this crisis, the government continue with the economic recipes dictated by the IMF and the World Bank which result in more price increases to basic goods. At the same time the government continues to subsidize the conglomerates who have been proven to have appropriated the wealth of the people. It is the people who have to shoulder the burden of these economic policies.

So our question we should ask ourselves is, what attitude must we take toward the government of “Megawati-Hamzah Haz”, which is nothing more that a “puppet of the US” who prefers to make the people suffer and sell the nation’s assets to foreign capital? Unite our ranks, raise our fists and shout “oppose and destroy the imperialists and their puppets”!

In the name of the Central Leadership of the People’s Democratic Party we therefore demand:

1. Reject the US’s imperialist war against Iraq
2. Abolish the IMF, World bank and the Consultative Group on Indonesia
3. Reject and end privatisation
4. Replace the imperialist puppet government of Megawati-Haz
5. Reject all products which are a derived from foreign economic policies in Indonesia

No IMF, No World Bank, No Imperialist War!
Reduce Prices! Overthrow the Mega-Hamzah government!
A New Government by the Poor!

Jakarta, January 29, 2003
Central Leadership Committee of the People’s Democratic Party

s/- Kelik Ismunanto
Head of International Relations