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Message of Solidarity
to the 19th Congress of ATIK
By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chairperson, International Coordinating Committee
International League of Peoples' Struggle
6 April 2007
The International League of People's Struggle (ILPS) extends its militant greetings
of solidarity to all the leaders and members of ATIK on the occasion of the confederation's
19th Congress on April 6-8, 2007 with the theme: "Attacks on world's peoples, working
class and immigrants, and our concrete tasks in the context of developing mass movements
in Europe." We congratulate you for your accumulated achievements and wish you
greater successes in the future.
We wish to acknowledge the resolute and militant role of ATIK in advancing the anti-imperialist
and democratic objectives of the ILPS. ATIK has served as a very important pillar of the ILPS
in Europe. The member federations of ATIK in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium,
and the Netherlands support the ILPS.
The holding of your congress is highly significant and urgent in view of the current world situation.
The general crisis of the world capitalist system continues to worsen. The policy of "free market"
globalization has proven to be totally bankrupt. The accelerated concentration of capital in the
hands of the monopoly bourgeoisie has resulted in unprecedented exploitation of the people
and in a severe crisis of overproduction and financial turbulence.
Under George W. Bush, the US has stepped up war production in a vain attempt to stimulate
the US economy. It has taken advantage of 9/11 to whip up war hysteria and unleash state
terrorism and wars of aggression. . It misrepresents as "terrorist" the national liberation
movements, anti-imperialist forces and progressive leaders.
The imperialist powers headed by the US are trying to obscure and override the economic and
financial crisis by whipping up chauvinism, racism, fascism and wars of aggression. They collude
in oppressing and exploiting the proletariat and people of the world. But they are increasingly
coming into conflict with each other over their economic, political and military interests.
The oppressed peoples in the underdeveloped countries of Asia, Latin America and Africa bear
the heaviest burden of the crisis of the world capitalist system and the increased exploitation
and oppression by the imperialists. They are waging various forms of resistance. Where the
imperialists have unleashed the worst forms of imperialist terrorism, such as wars of aggression,
military occupation and puppet regimes of open terror, the people wage armed resistance such
as in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Lebanon, Philippines, India, Turkey and Colombia.
The workers in the centers of world capitalism -- US, Japan and Europe - are also subjected to
more intensified oppression and exploitation. Governments resort to policies that flagrantly
violate their trade union and other democratic rights and take back social benefits won by
the workers in the past. Migrant workers suffer additional oppression through various forms
of discrimination. But the workers are fighting back through mass protests and strikes over
the mass unemployment, job insecurity, cuts in social benefits and repression.
The current situation presents both challenges and opportunities in advancing the anti-imperialist
and democratic struggles of the workers and other toiling masses. Conditions are favorable for
arousing, organizing and mobilizing them.
We are confident that your congress will succeed in summing up your rich experience in the
struggle for the rights of the workers, draw valuable lessons and define the tasks that will
further advance the struggle for national and social liberation.
Long live ATIK!
Advance the struggle for the rights of workers and migrants!
Long live international solidarity!
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