By Prof. Jose Maria Sison,
Chairperson,
International League of Peoples’ Struggle,
September 10, 2017
We, the International League of Peoples’ Struggle, convey to BAYAN-Hongkong & Macau warmest greetings of solidarity. We share with you your joy in holding your Second Chapter Assembly on September 10, 2017. We congratulate you for your accomplishment in convening more than 300 delegates coming from BAYAN-HKM affiliates and having many guests from your allied organisations.
As always, we are proud of your outstanding record as member-organization of the ILPS and as a key component of the ILPS chapter in Hongkong & Macau. You have contributed significantly to the international assemblies and other major events of the ILPS and have promoted the anti-imperialist and democratic united front and militant struggles of the peoples of the world.
We welcome and agree with the theme of the assembly: “Consolidate and expand our ranks! Create the Broadest Resistance against the anti-migrants, anti-people, pro-imperialist and fascist policies of the US-Duterte regime! Advance and gather support for the national democratic struggle of the Filipino migrants and people!”
It is fine that BAYAN Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. will deliver the the keynote address.
He can well present the most important recent developments in the Philippines and explain to you the anti-migrants, anti-people, pro-imperialist and fascist policies of the US-Duterte regime. There is an upsurge of struggle against this regime because it has failed to fulfill its promises to the people and has exposed itself as a bloodthirsty instrument of US imperialism and the local reactionary classes of big compradors and landlords.
The president of the reactionary government, Mr. Rodrigo R.Duterte, has terminated the peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and is hell-bent on aggravating the oppression and exploitation of the Filipino people. The US-Duterte regime is hostile to the people’s demands for national independence, democracy, economic development through land reform and national industrialization, social justice, a patriotic and progressive culture and independent foreign policy.
There is now a rising tide of people’s struggle for national and social liberation. This has been ignited by grave violations of people’s rights under the neoliberal economic policy and the bloody attacks on the legal democratic forces and the revolutionary forces and people in the regime’s all-out war policy against them, the wanton destruction of lives and property in Marawi City and in many other areas and the relentless mass murder of thousands of the poor who are suspected of being drug users and pushers.
We urge you to further expand and consolidate your ranks and be in a better position more than ever before to fight those who oppress and exploit the Filipino people. And of course we wish you to continue contributing to the further growth and development of the anti-imperialist and democratic movement of the peoples of the world in the face of the ever worsening crisis of global capitalism. This impacts strongly on the chronic crisis of the semicolonial and semifeudal ruling system in the Philippines.
In this regard, we wish your assembly the utmost success. You must strengthen yourselves for more intense struggles. We look forward to the approval of the three-year report by your Chairperson; the General Program of Action for the year 2017-2020; and the election of the new set of officers. in the Executive Committee of your Chapter. In advance we congratulate the committee and wish it and your entire organization greater achievements in the years to come.
Long live BAYAN-Hongkong & Macau!
Long live BAYAN and the Filipino people!
Long live international solidarity!