Concluding Speech given by President KIM IL SUNG at a joint meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee
of the Workers Party of Korea and the Central Peoples Committee of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea on June 20th 1986.
A Review by Shaun Pickford, Secretary General Of the Group for the Study of the Juche Idea of Britain
KIM IL SUNG as well as devoting a lot of attention to the Korean Revolution and to the development of Korean-style socialism and to achieving the unity of the international communist movement, saw the necessity for the united action by all anti-imperialist forces. That is any party, movement and nation in opposition to imperialism. KIM IL SUNG made a number of relevant points in the speech to the Political Bureau of the WPK on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the non-aligned movement.
The non-aligned movement was formed by a grouping of developing countries who desired to be free themselves from the the systems of alliances, blocs and pacts which were concocted by the imperialists during the cold war. The 1st non-aligned meeting was in Bandung, Indonesia in 1956 and the non-aligned movement formalized its structure in 1961. The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea was admitted to the non-aligned movement in August 1975 at the non-aligned foreign ministers conference held in Lima, Peru.
KIM IL SUNG during the opening section of the speech gives a militant and comprehensive analysis of the global struggle for independence against imperialism. KIM IL SUNG in the following extracts from the speech gives an account of imperialism's bloody past record.
"Aggression and plunder are inherent aspects of imperialism, and imperialism thrives on them. Imperialism is the product of aggression and plunder, and it has grow fat on ceaseless aggression and plunder. Since the emergence of imperialism mankind has suffered disasters of recurrent aggression and war, and has been deprived of immeasurable amounts of property, wealth and the fruits of labour.
As monopoly capital grows, so does its tentacles of aggression and plunder are extended overseas. This is an inevitable outcome and law of capitalism. There is no limit to the wild ambition and greed of imperialism. The fatter it is and the fuller its stomach, the more ambitious and greedy imperialism grows, and the more persistent and violent its acts of aggression and plunder become.
The methods of its aggression and plunder have changed with the progress of time. Today the imperialists are employing neo-colonialism to invade, dominate and plunder other countries.
After the Second World War the imperialist colonial system crumbled and the peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America cast off the yoke of colonialism and embarked upon the road of independent development. In this new age the old method of imperialist colonial rule no longer worked. Without forming alliances, it became impossible for imperialism to maintain its position, dominate and plunder other other countries. Modern imperialism which was realigned into a united force headed by US imperialism after the Second World War, has been dominating and plundering newly-independent countries and the developing countries by means of neo-colonialism, which is less obvious and more crafty."
KIM IL SUNG in a passionate and vivid fashion condemns the plots and aggressions carried out by imperialism, US imperialism in particular. Reading this speech, you can get the sense that KIM IL SUNG really exposes the unjust and hypocritical nature of imperialism. The actions of the imperialists during the post-Second World War era are graphically illustrated by KIM IL SUNG. In the year which the speech was delivered the United States launched an air attack on the Libyan Jamahiriya codenamed "El Dorado". Among other targets hits by the US airforce in Tripoli, the Bab-al-Azizza complex was hit, killing the bady daughter of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi'. The Reagan Administration had in that year increased its support for the Contras (counter-revolutionary bandits) in Nicaragua, which came in the form of the so-called "arms for hostages" deal. In 1986 the peoples of south Africa were struggling to cast off the yoke of the apartheid regime. The Botha regime declared a draconian state of emergency in response to the anti-racist uprising. In February of the same year the Philippine people rose up against the pro-US Marcos regime.
The 1980s saw an intensification of the anti-imperialist struggle throughout the Third World. As KIM IL SUNG pointed out the peoples of Asia, Africa and Latin America were increasing their efforts for independence. KIM IL SUNG spoke out against the war moves of the imperialists in the following paragraphs.
"At present, the imperialists are building up arms on a large scale and accelerating the production and deployment of nuclear weapons in every way. As a result of their moves towards war, a large number of nuclear weapons have been deployed in many countries and in many parts of the world, nuclear fleets are constantly afloat on the Pacific, Indian and other oceans, nuclear armed forces are being massed particularly in the major regions of natural resources and in places that are strategic from a military point of view, and the number of new nuclear bases continues to increase. Military exercises and military activities which might lead to the outbreak of a nuclear war are being conducted ceaselessly on land, and in the territorial airspace and waters of non-aligned countries and in the surrounding areas.
Military blocs are footholds for imperialist aggression and war, and aggressive foreign military bases and troops are the means to dominate and control those countries in which they are sited. It is only when all military blocs and means of aggression and war have been eliminated from the Earth that world peace can be lasting and durable."
During his June 1986 speech KIM IL SUNG expressed his solidarity with the peoples fighting colonialism, especially with the Palestinian and South African peoples in the following terms.
"In an attempt to maintain their crumbling colonial system by every possible means, the imperialists are trying to put down the people's cause of liberation by force of arms and, at the same time, encouraging racism in every way. They have proclaimed South Africa and Israel as their friendly nations, as their allies, and are strengthening what they call cooperation with these countries in politics, diplomacy, economy, finance, military affairs, and in the nuclear field in particular.
The South African racist regime pursues the vicious policy of apartheid, racial discrimination, and the policy of brutal repression. It is trampling underfoot even the basic freedom and rights of the South African people, and is keeping them subjugated to the white people, who are the minority. The South African racists have occupied Namibia illegally and are tightening their colonial rule, resorting to the bloody suppression of the struggle of the Namibian people for national independence. The South African racist regime continues to perpetrate acts of aggression, intervention and state terrorism against Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and other frontline states, persisting in their scheme of destroying the peace of these countries and overthrowing their legitimate governments.
In order to realize their ambition to establish a Great Zionist Empire in the Middle East, the Israeli Zionists have occupied Arab lands and are pursuing the policy of establishing colonies. Under the active patronage of the imperialists they are flagrantly violating the national rights of the Palestinian and other Arab peoples, growing more blatantly ferocious and arrogant with each passing day.
In the present situation in which colonialists and racists are trying to stifle the cause of national liberation, and intensify their colonial exploitation and domination, the progressive people of the world are faced with the important task of stepping up the struggle to eliminate colonialism and racism by a united effort. It is only when all forms of colonialism and racism have eliminated from the globe that neither imperialist North America nor imperialist Western Europe will no exist any longer and that the peoples' liberation from the yoke of imperialism will be complete and final"
The strengthening and consolidation of the non-aligned movement and of south-south cooperation was of paramount importance for KIM IL SUNG. From the time of its admission to the non-aligned movement, the DPRK has played a active and constructive role in this organisation of developing countries. KIM IL SUNG in his writings devoted his theoretical endeavours to the building up of the non-aligned movement in such works as "THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT IS A MIGHTY ANTI-IMPERIALIST REVOLUTIONARY FORCE OF OUR TIME," "FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES", "LET NON-ALIGNED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES BUILD NATIONAL CULTURE UNDER THE BANNER OF INDEPENDENCE AND SOVEREIGNTY", "LET US DEVELOP SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION"among others.
The DPRK capital Pyongyang became a venue for non-aligned meetings and summits, with the Symposium of the Non-aligned & other Developing countries On Increasing Food Production held in Pyongyang in August 1981 and the Fourth Conference of Ministers of Information of Non-aligned countries being held in the Korean capital on June 15th 1993 as examples.
KIM IL SUNG promoted bilateral and multilateral relations with the non-aligned countries. From 1981 to 1985, for instance, heads of state and of governments and leaders of various national liberation movements visited Socialist Korea from 30 newly-emerging countries on 40 occasions. KIM IL SUNG exchanged views with the visiting heads of state & governments & national liberation movement leaders on the necessity of making the whole world independent and achieving unity within the ranks of the anti-imperialist forces on a global scale Between 1978 and 1984 the DPRK concluded treaties with 11 non-aligned countries such as The Central African Republic, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Togo, Angola, Libya, Ethiopia and Democratic Yemen.
KIM IL SUNG stated in his speech "The struggle for economic independence is a second liberation struggle to remove economic backwardness and poverty and achieve complete national sovereignty. The peoples of developing countries have to take it upon themselves to attain economic independence. The imperialists never present developing countries with economic independence. The non-aligned countries must pave the way for survival by effecting South-South cooperation under the banner of collective self-reliance, and build independent national economies.
If they realise South-South cooperation, the developing countries will be able to build up sufficient strength to countervail and negotiate with the developed countries, and begin a period favourable to establishing a new international economic order. There are many real situations and opportunities for South-South cooperation. The non-aligned and developing countries have vast territories rich in raw materials, and have acquired valuable experience and expertise in the course of creating a new life. If they mobilize their manpower and material resources to the full, and build up economic cooperation and exchange on the principle of providing for each other needs, the developing countries will find solutions to the difficult and complex problems that arise in building a new life without asking for the help of the developed countries. Historical experience shows that poor and backward countries can achieve great things if they combine their efforts.
The non-aligned and developing countries must start in those areas where cooperation and exchange is feasible and urgent, and extend cooperation and exchange in every way so as to free their peoples from backwardness and poverty, hunger and disease, and achieve economic independence."
In practical terms, the DPRK has had a proud tradition of promoting South-South cooperation throughout the decades. The DPRK has helped to train agro-technicians from many developing countries. Korean technical staff have worked in a number of African and Asian countries at a low cost to their host nation. At KIM IL SUNG's recommendation agricultural centres were set up in Tanzania and Guinea for Korean and African agro-scientists to conduct joint research projects on agricultural technologies which are suited to the actual conditions of Africa and to generalize the results on the African continent and in other parts of the third world.
Peoples Korea has in the past sent volunteers and material assistance to Vietnam, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Cuba and to other peoples resisting the common enemies of the global south, imperialism, Zionism, racism and colonialism. KIM IL SUNG concluded with this note "To strengthen and develop the Non-Aligned Movement steadily is an important guarantee for the accomplishment of the cause of independence in opposition to imperialism.
The Non-Aligned Movement is a powerful independent force of our times which is opposed to imperialism. Only when this movement is strengthened will it be possible to succeed in repelling all forms of imperialist domination and subjugation, aggression and intervention, defend the sovereignty of the non-aligned countries and settle not only the problem of establishing a new international economic order but also all other issues in the international arena in accordance with the aspirations and desires of the peoples of the newly-emergent countries for independence. And it will also make it possible to prevent a nuclear war, defend universal peace and security, and give a strong impetus to the cause of national liberation.
Independence in the face of imperialism is the basic ideal of the non-aligned movement, and it is its fundamental principle to act independently and refrain from joining any bloc. Only when all its member nations hold fast to independence can the movement maintain its intrinsic character, strengthen its power and realize the noble ideal of independence in the face of imperialism. If they fail to maintain independence, the non-aligned movement will inevitably deteriorate.
The non-aligned countries must always stick firmly to independence in all their activities. They must categorically reject all foreign interference and must not follow other countries blindly. They must respect the independence of other countries and refrain from interfering in others internal affairs or infringing upon their interests.
Unity is the life and soul of this movement and the source of its power. Without unity, it is impossible to conceive that this movement could exist, nor could we talk of about its power. Throughout history it has been proved: Together we stand, divided we fall. They must take to foster and develop the factors that unite them and get rid of those that divide them, and must work exclusively towards unity. They must not be antagonize or quarrel with each other, duped by the imperialists' instigation's and tricks, but must counter their manoeuvres for division and alienation with the strategy of unity.
The Government of the DPRK will in the future, too, remain loyal to the principles and ideals of the non-aligned movement and will make every effort to strengthen and develop this movement"
KIM JONG IL has inherited and developed the proletarian internationalist traditions of strengthening the DPRK's ties of friendship and solidarity with the non-aligned countries. The DPRK's leading party and state officials paid visits in 2007 & 2008, for instance, to Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
Some 25 years after KIM IL SUNG made this analysis of the non-aligned movement, imperialism has become even more frenzied in attempts to re-colonize anti-imperialist and independent countries. Only in the course of this year,2011,alone, we have witness a NATO intervention into Libya and Western ventures to destabilize Syria. Afghanistan and Iraq remain under the tutelage of the imperialists.
Juche Korea is a country fully independent from the dictates of the trans-national corporations, the IMF and the World Bank. The Democratic Peoples republic of Korea is a model of total independence which is attracting the attention and aspirations of the developing world. KIM JONG IL's Songun Politics proves to those who are fighting imperialism, colonialism and racism, that is possible to resist and win in the struggle for independence and national assertiveness. The works of President KIM IL SUNG and of Chairman KIM JONG IL on non-alignment and on the need for anti-imperialist unity are an invaluable guide to those parties and movements, countries and peoples seeking their genuine national and social liberation from neo-colonialism and globalism.
This talk was given on the September 17th 2011 to a seminar devoted to the 63rd anniversary of the DPRK's founding held by the Juche Idea Study of Britain at the Lucas Arms Public House, King's Cross, London.
(All extracts from the speech were used from KIM IL SUNG's works Volume 40 FLPH Pyongyang DPRK)
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