WFDY on the tension in the Korean Peninsula

The World Federation of Democratic Youth is deeply concerned with the tension created in Korean Peninsula following the sad incident of sinking South Korean warship leaving 46 sailors dead on board.The tension is heightened as South Korea accused for the Torpedo attack from DPR Korea is responsible for the cause; however the DPR Korea has outright denied so. It is noteworthy to mention the investigation is unilaterally carried out denying the request to receive investigation team to help to investigate from the first hand information. The allegation to DPRK is not based up on scientific evidences and fabricated after a long time of incident is to isolate its fellow country by the ultra-right and conservative government of south.

The World Federation of Democratic Youth supports the idea to carry out independent investigation with the involvement of both counter parts. In this regards the environment of investigation will be more conducive by the facilitation of their immediate neighbors or those parties already involved to mediate the Korean crisis. We appeal to concerned parties to maintain restraint and allow mediating dialogue to find the way out of this tension.

WFDY always supports the idea of regional stability and peace in the region that is free from any imperialist occupation and war. Thereby, we reject any solution or rhetoric that aims the idea of any sort of revenge or hate, and we highlight how some sectors of the south Korea are making use of this event to take advantage in the coming elections to be disputed soon in that territory.

WFDY has been supporting from very beginning the peaceful re-unification of Korean Peninsula and lasting peace in the region.

WFDT recognize DPRK policy to realize the denuclearization of the peninsula and protect the stability and peace of the region but not allowing any slightest act to infringe upon its sovereignty and right to existence. WFDY denounces the interfering and aggressive role of the US imperialism and its allies in Korean Peninsula to divide its people. We make clear our position against any intention to isolate DPR Korea politically and economically by imposing any kinds of sanctions.

We urge all the member and friendly organization of WFDY and global youth to stand by the WFDY position and support for the cause of peaceful reunification of Korean Peninsula and regional stability without any imperialist infringe.

JUNE 5 - Solidarity with Palestine!

The Central Executive Committee of the Young Communist League of Canada condemns in the strongest terms the illegal, terrorist attack by Israel against the flotilla bringing solidarity aid to Palestine. We endorse the June 5 Global Day of Action. We call upon all progressive and democratic youth in Canada to join these demonstrations and mobilize against the Apartheid state of Israel, and for youth and student activists to step-up their struggle for solidarity with the Palestinian peoples.

The Harper Conservative federal government could have expressed the sentiments of the Canadian people on this matter and sharply criticized this action; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in meetings at the time with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Instead, Harper has supported the U.S. initiative to neutralize the UN security council resolution for an inquiry into the crimes, by demanding Israel should investigate itself, instead of an independent
UN investigation.

We endorse the call of the World Federation of Democratic Youth who have re-asserted their commitment to put the Palestinian cause as a main theme of the 17th World Festival of Youth and Students in Pretoria, South Africa, this September and called upon on the youth of the world to realize the facts about the role and the nature of Israel and demand from their governments immediate actions against Israel and in support of the sovereign Palestinian people.

Viva Palestina!

YCL-LJC CEC
July 2, 2010

Global Day of Action - Saturday, June 5

Halifax
Israeli Attack on Humanitarian Aid Shipment
No to Israeli War Crimes! Support Gaza and the Palestinian People!
Join the Daily Mass Informational Pickets and Vigil

4 - 5 p.m. Wednesday (June 2), Thursday (June 3), Friday (June 4)

Maritime Mall (Aliant Bldg., where the passport office is)
Barrington Street and foot of Spring Garden Road

We call on everyone to join the people of the world in condemning the
murderous attack on the Freedom Flotilla

Ad Hoc Committee to Defend Palestine
e-mail: shunp...@shunpiking.com

Hamilton
Bring this Message to Harper:
Lift the Siege of Gaza NOW!
Stop the killing of innocents!
Demand the release of Canadian prisoners!

Friday, June 4th
Federal Government Building in Hamilton - 55 Bay St. North
Across the Street from Copps Colosseum - 5:00 p.m.

Ample parking is available

NO TO PIRACY!!!
NO TO WAR CRIMES!!
Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War

Montreal
Samedi 5 Juin 13h30
coin Peel et St-Catherine
Place Dorchester
métro Peel

Apportez vos drapeaux, vos pancartes originales, vos instruments de musique!

http://www.tadamon.ca/post/6961

Appel pour une action de solidarité à Montréal avec les victimes du
massacre de la flottille humanitaire “Gaza Freedom Flotilla” et le
peuple palestinien. Manifestons au centre-ville de Montréal pour
appeler à la fin du siège israélien sur Gaza et la fin de la
complicité du Canada dans l'apartheid israélien. Cette manifestation
sera coordonnée avec plusieurs d'autres à travers le monde ce samedi,
en réponse à l'appel de la société civile palestinien pour des
manifestations globales.

Ottawa:
Gaza Freedom Flotilla Global Day of Action in Ottawa - Rally and March
3:00pm.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Human Rights Monument
Organized by the Ottawa Palestine Solidarity Network
http://notowarcrimes.blogspot.com | ottawa.palest...@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=122130111158157

Penticton, BC
Rally at Stockwell Day's Office

The Penticton Peace Groups believes that the Israeli government has
committed new war crimes in an act of piracy and murder against the
flotilla of small ships delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.

We are calling on the people of the south Okanagan to take this
message to MP Stockwell Day’s office, this Saturday, June 5, 2010 at
noon, meeting at Nanaimo Square.
For more information contact: Brigid Kemp at: bridiek...@gmail.com

Toronto:
Gaza Freedom Flotilla
Global Day of Action: Saturday, June 5

Rally and March
Date: Saturday, June 5
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Israeli Consulate, 180 Bloor Street West

June 5 also marks the 43rd anniversary of the Israeli occupation of
Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Our action aims to
draw the world’s attention to Israel’s continuing illegal occupation,
its refusal to abide by international law, and its massacre of
innocent humanitarian workers.

Organized by:
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid, Palestine House Community Centre,
Canadian Arab Federation, Toronto Coalition to Stop the War, Canadian
Peace Alliance

Find us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/dBPiGY
To endorse, please email endaparth...@riseup.net.

Waterloo
Protest: Israel`s Flotilla Raid, Tuesday June 8

We would like to invite you to join us at 1pm on Tuesday, June 8th in
the SLC courtyard for a march around campus to bring awareness to the
humanitarian crisis involving Gaza and the Freedom Flotilla. We feel
is is extremely important to bring as much awareness of this issue at
this time and express our deepest disapproval of the actions committed
by the Israeli Defense Forces. We hope to see you there! Should you
have any questions, comments,or concerns, please do not hesitate to
contact us.

For more information please see: Students for Palestinian Rights

Winnipeg
Peace Alliance Winnipeg, Independent Jewish Voices and CanPalNet, will
be holding a demonstration to show our solidarity with the people of
Gaza, to express our sorrow at the murder of peaceful activists, and
to join hands with people around the world in expressing our outrage
at Israel’s actions.

Please join us.

Friday, June 4, 2010
4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Broadway Avenue and Osborne Street in Winnipeg

For more information please see: Peace Alliance Winnipeg

No war with Korea! For a made-in-Canada foreign policy of peace!

Central Executive Committee, Young Communist League of Canada
May 2010

Canadian youth and students should be quick to reject and denounce the war mongering stance taken by the Harper Conservative government with regards to the crisis forming between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea since the Mach 26th sinking of the Cheonan naval vessel.

In a statement released on May 24th, Harper announced the government’s intention to impose harsh sanctions, to support South Korea in a “decisive response,” which did not rule out military action. The statement also condemned the DPRK for “egregious violation of international law,” and “blatant disregard for international law,” statements are darkly ironic coming from a Prime Minister and a government implicated in war crimes and torture in Afghanistan.

Harper’s hypocrisy becomes further evident when considering the recent attack by apartheid Israel against the Freedom Flotilla which left several dead and dozens more wounded. The attack on the Flotilla, a group of unarmed boats bringing desperately needed humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, has incited no condemnation from the Conservative government. While quick to condemn supposed attacks and violations of international law by the DPRK, Harper is unwilling to criticize violations by Israel against the Palestinian people or their supporters.

Little evidence exists to implicate the DPRK in the sinking of the Cheonan. In fact South Korean sources, including the Defense Ministry, have made statements that no North Korean vessels in the area at the time of the attack. Despite this, the South Korean regime, backed by Washington, have presented the case as open and shut with the DPRK implicated in the crime.

The current Korean crisis is part and parcel of the cold war waged by US imperialism, South Korean ruling class, and their allies against the DPRK since the armistice which “ended” the Korean War in 1953. The demonization of the DPRK as part of an “Axis of Evil,” and as a “threat,” is ludicrous when placed beside the reality of the DPRK, a poor country struggling for survival against hostility and economic sabotage by the US and its allies. The goal of this campaign is to achieve the total collapse of the socio-economic system in place in the DPRK and the reunification of Korean on a capitalist basis under US hegemony. It is also interesting to note that fortunes are to be made in arms contracts by keeping tensions high in the region, and that these tensions provide the only excuse for the presence of thousands of US troops in the region including in South Korea and Japan.

Harper’s slavish parroting of Washington’s warmongering threatens to entangle Canada in a new military conflagration on the Korean peninsula. Such a conflagration would be an imperialist war for the benefit of multinational corporations and arms dealers which could cost innumerable lives.

The Canadian working class, youth and students, must categorically reject Canadian involvement in aggression towards the DPRK as they rejected Canadian involvement in the invasion of Iraq. What is needed is an independent and made-in-Canada foreign policy based on peace, disarmament, friendship, and sovereignty. It’s time to run the war mongering Harper Tories out of office and to fight for a new future for youth which is not based on imperialist war and plunder.

An Open Letter to Stephen Harper from the Communist Party of British Columbia

The B.C. Committee of the Communist Party of Canada joins with people across the world in condemning the acts of piracy and murder committed on May 31 in international waters against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla by the Israeli government. The outrageous military attack against peace activists bringing humanitarian aid to the imprisoned people of Gaza has rightly met with a storm of international condemnation.

The courageous Freedom Flotilla activists were carrying baby food, clothing, medicines, building materials and other supplies desperately needed by the people of Gaza, who suffer under a vicious blockade intended to starve the Palestinians into submission. On board the Flotilla were members of Parliament, Nobel peace prize winners, and peace activists from all walks of life. Among them is Victoria resident Kevin Neish, well known to British Columbians as a long-time participant in many campaigns for peace, human rights and international solidarity. The attempts by anti-Palestinian groups to slander Kevin Neish are utterly pathetic, considering his outstanding record of principled commitment to defending the rights of oppressed peoples.

The overwhelming reaction by Canadians is to call the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla an act of war. Yet the Harper federal government, which was hosting Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu when this attack took place, has responded by calling for “investigations” to allow the state of Israel to buy time to evade international criticism. We join with others in demanding that PM Harper condemn this war crime, and use his position to press for the immediate release of Canadian citizen Kevin Neish and all imprisoned members of the Flotilla.

Canada must end its genocidal policy of complete support for the Israeli blockade of Gaza, in favour of support for a genuine political solution to the ongoing crisis. Such a new policy must be based on the implementation of all relevant U.N. resolutions, including Israel’s complete withdrawal from all lands it has illegally occupied since the 1967 war; the dismantling of the Apartheid wall and removal of all Israeli settlements; the formation of a viable and genuinely independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital; the guaranteed right of Palestinians to return to their homelands; the certifiable de-nuclearization of Israel, and mutual security guarantees for all states in the region. Until such basic justice is achieved for the Palestinian people, the Communist Party will continue to support the international campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel.

Sam Hammond, Provincial Secretary

COMMUNIST PARTY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Telephone 604-254-9836 cpbc@telus.net

Urgent Palestine Solidarity Action

From Boycott Israeli Apartheid:

URGENT ACTION:
Write letters to Canadian party leaders to condem Gaza raid
Addresses at end of letter

Sample letter #1:
Subject: Arrest Netanyhau for War Crimes

Mr. Prime Minister

The Conservative Canadian government is today welcoming the Israeli Prime Minister who just added to his war crimes an unprovoked attack on unarmed humanitarians in international waters. Humanitarians who only sought to provide aid to those suffering from the 3 year illegal siege of Gaza.

The Free Gaza flotilla had over 700 humanitarians from many different nations, including European members of Parliament and a Nobel Laureate and 10 tons of relief goods. In an act of piracy, the ships have been hijacked in international waters. At least ten people have been killed and many more injured. This was not a confrontation but a massacre. Operation Cast Lead massacred over 1400 Gazans, primarily civilians. The Israeli army specializes in disproportionate responses and major victories against unarmed or lightly armed people.

This attack highlights the fact that Israel is a rogue nation, not a democracy but an apartheid State. It has ignored dozens of UN resolutions, continued to build settlements on Palestinian land and maintains its illegal siege and attacks against Palestinians. Your government, as Israels best friend and supporter, is complicit in this continuing barbarity.

Netanyhau should be arrested for war crimes not feted.

Sincerely


Sample letter #2:

Subject: Canada must denounce Israel's aggression against international peace activists

Israel has attacked a humanitarian aid convoy in international waters in act of state piracy. Israeli commandos have killed 19 humanitarian volunteers and wounded dozens more, according to Israeli television reports.

The humanitarian aid flotilla was carrying over 700 human rights volunteers including Canadian citizens and dozens of parliamentarians from around the world.

Canada and Canadian political leaders must denounce Israel's outrageous act of aggression and it's blatant violation of international law.The French foreign minister has said he was "deeply shocked" and "nothing can justify" Israel's actions which Spanish government has also called "unacceptable." The government of Turkey has said "by targeting civilians, Israel has once again shown its disregard for human life and peaceful initiatives," and called the attack "a fragrant breach of international law."

When will Canada stand up for international law and end Israel's impunity?

Sincerely

To:
pm@pm.gc.ca, Harper.S@parl.gc.ca, Layton.J@parl.gc.ca, ignatieff.m@parl.gc.ca, Duceppe.G@parl.gc.ca, leader@greenparty.ca

CC:
KenneJ@parl.gc.ca, Minister@cic.gc.ca, TilsoD@parl.gc.ca, tilsod1@parl.gc.ca, tilsod1a@parl.gc.ca,BevilM@parl.gc.ca, StcyrT@parl.gc.ca, Chowo@parl.gc.ca, info@liberal.ca, info@michaelignatieff.ca, eNDP@e.ndp.ca

Israel attacks brigade of solidarity to Palestine!

In a criminal act of terror, Israel once again attacks civilian and isolated people who came from around the world to supply the Palestinian people in Gaza with aid including food, medicaments and building materials.The attack led to the death of at least 19 solidarity activists and the injury of more than 26. This is a crime that WFDY strongly condemns and rejects against young people who were showing their solidarity with the suffering of Palestinian people.

WFDY, as an organization with itself organized solidarity brigades to Palestine before, shows its full support for the participants of the brigade and expresses its sorrow for their martyrdom.

We think that this criminal incident is one more proof about the nature of the Israeli state as a terrorist entity, and calls upon the United Nation Security Council to stand up and play its role in forcing Israel to pay for its criminal actions.

We also call all the youth of the world to realize the facts about the role and the nature of Israel, and to demand from their governments to take straight and immediate actions against Israel.

WFDY member organizations are asked to escalate their struggle and organize solidarity events with the Palestinian people and to express their protests in front of Israeli embassies and consulates around the world. It is also important to escalate the demands from national governments to take a clear and definitive position regarding the Israeli policies.

At this moment, we emphasize again the need for more struggles against Israel and against imperialism in all of its bodies which continuously cause pain and sorrow for millions of people around the world. WFDY has long struggled for the rights of Palestinian people and will continue this struggle throughout its activities and actions including organizing more solidarity brigades and also putting the Palestinian cause as a main theme in the World Festival of Youth and Students as we always did.

Long live international struggle!
Long Live Palestine!

Emergency Protest to Condemn Israeli Attack on Gaza Aid Flotilla

Monday, May 31, 12 Noon at 300 W. Georgia (at Hamilton St)

Israeli forces have attacked a flotilla of humanitarian aid-carrying ships aiming to break the country's siege on Gaza.
Reports are still coming in, but according to the latest news 16 human rights activists were killed and many more injured when Israeli commandos stormed the Freedom Flotilla in international waters early on Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is in Ottawa today, after speaking in Toronto Sunday. As John Ibbitson writes in today's Globe and Mail, "the official portion of Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Ottawa on Monday reflects Canada’s status as Israel’s best friend".

While Harper and Netanyahu meet in Ottawa, activists across Canada and around the world are responding with emergency actions protesting against this outrage.

Aljazeera report: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/05/201053133047995359.html

More info: boycottapartheid@gmail.com

Salvadorean refugee claimant in British Columbia to be deported for his affiliation with the FMLN!

Salvadorean refugee claimant, Jose Figueroa, a married father of three who has lived in Canada for 13 years, has been ordered deported by the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) due to his past affiliation with the Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation (FMLN), currently the governing political party in El Salvador.

This was based on the Canadian Border Security Agency's (CBSA) assessment that the FMLN "is or was engaged in terrorism and/or subversion" and on coinciding legal arguments from the Ministry of Public Safety.

The case sets a very dangerous precedent, given among other things the internationally recognized legitimacy of the FMLN's past armed struggle against a murderous regime, the democratic governing role of the FMLN today, and the implications for the many Canadians of Salvadorean origin with past and current ties to the FMLN.

If he is deported, Mr. Figueroa will be forced to uproot his family, including his Canadian-born children, despite by all accounts having contributed positively to his Langley, B.C. community for many years.

Please TAKE ACTION!

http://www.barrio-nuevo.org/