The World Federation of Democratic Youth expresses its heartfelt condolences on demise of comrade Kim Jong Il on the 17th of December of 2011 at the age of 69.

On this hour of grief we express our deepest sympathy and solidarity to the Korean people to restrain their pain and sorrow.

The demise of the Korean leader is a great loss for the anti-imperialist struggle of the Korean people. As a leader he expressed the willing of the people of Korea to struggle against imperialism to build their own future despite the imperialist attacks that created many difficulties.

We are sure that despite their great loss the people of Korea will continue with the struggle determine to overcome. We believe that the people will transform this sorrow into strength to fight against all the attacks and maneuvers of the imperialist forces. The people will proudly continue to work for peace, freedom, independence, social justice and the right to build their future as they want, despite the imperialist aggression, as they did until now.

On this sad hour the World Federation of Democratic Youth continues to stand in solidarity with the people of Korea and especially the youth and Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League on their struggle for peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

As it is mentioned in the declarations of the 18th Assembly of WFDY, the reactionary governments all around the world want the cost of the capitalist crisis to be paid by the peoples and not by the capitalists. Once again our analysis was reaffirmed. As it is the time of the year that the states budget in most countries is presented, more and more reactionary measures are implemented.

This is also the case in Sri lanka where the government presented its budget on the 21st of November. The anti-popular budget attacks the rights of the youth and the workers and explicitly ignores the major problem of youth unemployment.

The popular strata in Sri Lanka and our comrades of Socialist Youth Union of Sri Lanka are fighting against these policies. SYU launched several demonstrations. One of their recent marches to the Ministry of Finance of Sri Lanka was brutally attacked by the police. Due to the attacks more than 15 young people are badly injured and hundreds got minor injuries. However the protest was very successful in terms of participation and of the political outcome. Now the government continues repressing the popular movement by arresting members of SYU.

This is another example of how imperialism reacts to the struggle of the popular movements not only in Sri Lanka but through out the world. They will do everything to secure the profits of the monopolies. They will generate even more repression every time they fill threatened.

We stand with solidarity to our comrades of SYU and to the struggle of the popular movement in Sri Lanka. Taking this opportunity we would like to salute the rallies, the demonstrations, the strikes and the struggle of the workers and the youth for their rights, that takes place all over the world. In different places across the world the anti-imperialist forces are giving their fights against our enemy, imperialism. With our struggle for social rights we prove that the road of the youth is the same as it is of the workers and the peoples. No matter of the repression we will continue fighting to overthrow imperialism.

The World Federation of Democratic Youth would like to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of 8888 people’s uprising and express its solidarity with the struggling people of Burma and with our member organization there for their aspiration of peace, democracy and change.

The history of Burma is full of struggle by the students since its liberation colonialism and there are remarkable movements in last 50 years against military dictatorship. The most historic and notable student movement in Burmese history can be listed as Uly 7th Students movement in 1962, Rangoon University demonstration in 1970, U Thant Demonstration 1974, 7777 Movement 1977, Phone Maw Affair, march 13-18, 1988 and other series of recorded student movements in Burmese History. The struggle against military regime in Burma is the history of student struggle in which they have the inspirational and vanguard role for change. The climax of all the student movement was 8888 people uprising in 8th August 1988 has significant bearing in Burmese Democratic Movement that was started from March 1988 related with Phone Maw Affair.

The 1988 students’ uprising in Burma has brought hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life into the street. The teachers, professionals, doctors, nurses, monks, farmers, workers, civil servant, ethnic minorities came together into street against military regime with sacrifice of thousands of life and sustained injury. The suppression has made more than 1ten thousand students to flee to join arm struggle where as many more to continue struggle from neighboring countries. More than 6000 activists where put into prison. Universities were made close for a long time.

The movement has made to resign the military ruler Ne Win. It has brought the unity among all the forces of Burma; and as a result in the election of 1990, the National League for Democracy led by Daw Aung Sann Suu Kyi had won 80 percent of total seats however military Junta did not recognize it rather put Suu Kyi into house arrest and continued its ruthless suppression against people.

Almost all the struggling figures of Burma including Aung San Suu Kyi are the product of 1988 people’s uprising, and the movement is still pivotal and great inspirational for the success of democratic struggle in Burma. The movement has the international significance as it was closely aspired by the South Korean Students Movement and great uprising against Marcos regime in Philippine.

On this occasion, we reaffirm our commitment to support the struggle of Burmese Youth and Students for democracy and change; we demand the military regime to relinquish all the power and handover it to the people, especially to NLD and its leadership. We welcome the release of Aung San Suu Kyi as it is one step victory of people and demand the immediate release of all political prisoners.

We express our full solidarity with our member organizations namely ABSL and ABFSU for their continue struggle to reinstate democracy in the country.