The struggle of the KSM for legal existence continues
after ultimatum ran out!

Statement of the Communist Youth Union (KSM) in the Czech Republic

The struggle of the Communist Youth Union (KSM) of the Czech Republic that has been attacked by the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic has entered a new phase. The KSM which is defending the communist movement, ideas and goals, the positive program of socialism and basic democratic rights and liberties (freedom of expression, right of assembly) continues its struggle for legal existence. The anticommunist campaigns backed also by the state that have been targeting the communist movement in the Czech Republic for years have increased in their intensity in recent time. But they meet a huge and powerful resistance.

An enormous wave of international solidarity, protests and demonstrations of political parties, youth and student organizations, civic associations, trade unions, significant personalities of political, social, scientific and artistic life including for example a Nobel prize laureate Dario Fo as well as a large number of individuals was a determined response to the anticommunist and antidemocratic attack of the state. A World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY), representing tens of million of young people, has declared its full solidarity with the KSM, which is its member organization. WFDY organized an international day of action in solidarity with the KSM on February 27, 2006.

As it has been important to resist the anticommunist draft resolution proposed at the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe intended to function as a “legitimizing” tool for anticommunist attacks on European scale that ended as a debacle it is as important to resist every anticommunist and antidemocratic attack in any country. And it is important to see the interconnection between those attacks on all levels. It is one campaign. And there is a united response and a united counter-offensive against it! This building of unity is a great success.

The representatives of the KSM that was given an ultimatum to respond to the attack of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic until March 3, 2006 have met a vice-minister of Interior on March 1, 2006. The representatives of the KSM handed him over a letter in which the KSM replied to the attack of the Ministry of Interior refusing it and defending the programmatic character, goals and Marxist principles of the KSM.

The strong pressure of the international campaign in defence of the KSM has already brought fruits. The vice-minister of the Interior claimed that the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic wants to discuss with the KSM, which is a change in comparison with the previous behaviour of the Ministry of Interior. The Ministry of Interior has set another 2 or 3 weeks to announce its further steps. He also mentioned the international campaign of solidarity with the KSM and implicitly confirmed its impact on the authorities of the Czech Republic. The international campaign in defence of the KSM has thus proved to work.

It is possible to conclude that on one hand the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic has repeated its accusations against the KSM and insisted on them, on the other hand the Ministry of Interior partially changed its previously non-communicating behaviour to the KSM and express its interest to negotiate. It means that the Ministry of Interior will exercise further pressure on the KSM and the possibility of making the KSM illegal is on the table. Simultaneously the enormous international pressure has affected the behaviour of the Ministry of Interior.

The international campaign of solidarity with the KSM has so far brought fruits but the struggle for legal existence of the KSM continues. We are entering may be the decisive period. The pressure of the Czech state is going to increase. It is therefore crucial to step up the endeavour to break down the attack of the Ministry of Interior.

Dear friends, we ask you kindly to continue our common campaign of solidarity. We would like to inform you that you may sign following petitions: http://4ksm.kke.gr (initiated by the Communist Party of Greece), http://wfdy-ksm.kne.gr (initiated by the World Federation of Democratic Youth), campagnaproKSM@libero.it (initiated by the Italian Committee in Solidarity with KSM).

You may also send your protests to the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic:

Ministerstvo vnitra,
oddeleni volebni a sdruzovani,
namesti Hrdinu 3,
140 21 Praha 4
Czech Republic
Fax: ++420 974 816 872
e-mail:
stiznosti@mvcr.cz
benesova@mvcr.cz
krivova@mvcr.cz

We ask you simultaneously to send copies of your protests on our e-mail: international@ksm.cz or on fax: ++420 222 897 449.

With your international support it is possible and it is vital to reach the final victory.

Long live international solidarity!

Communist Youth Union (KSM) of the Czech Republic

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