The Korean Friendship Association UK held an extremely succesful meeting in
Manchester on October 31st at the Friends Meeting house in Manchester.It was well attended.Members of the labour and peace movement as well as promenient academics and students and also KFA members from the locality and different parts of the country.
It was chaired by KFA Official Delegate for the UK Dermot Hudson.He opened the meeting by saying no country in history had been more slander,maligned and defamed than the DPRK.He said the KFA exists to defend the DPRK
comrade Shaun Pickford spoke for an hour on “The Truth about Peoples Korea”.He gave an outline history of Korea.He pointed out that Korea was divided by the US imperialists who attacked in 1950 thus starting the Fatherland Liberation war.The US committed
brutal massacars such as Sinchon Ri were 35,000 people were murdered.The US imperialists lost 405,000 troops in the war and satellite states including the UK lost 30,000 troops. After the war the US imperialist persisted in their hostile moves such as the “Pueblo incident”.The “Pueblo ” is moored on the River Taedong for all to see,it has 3 heavy machine guns.
The speaker said most of the nuclear tests in the world had been carried by the US but only 2 by the DPRK.The US has a stockpile of 9,000 nuclear weapons and also has 1000 short range n clear weapons targetted on the DPRK.Therefore it was justifable that the DPRK developed its own nuclear deterrent.
The US imperialists and other reactionaries like to talk about the Berlin Wall but had constructed a wall dividing Korea..
Comrade Pickford spoke about his meeting with the Anti Imperialist National Democratic front of south (formerly Revolutionary Party for Reunification) and informed the audience about the martyrdom of Kim Jong Tae as well as fascist repression in south Korea.He said 5000 people were butchered by the south Korean puppets at Kwangju in 1980 and it was turned into a city of ghosts.He also explained that south Korea is the real human rights violator and that it has repressive laws against labour unions(which have been copied by reactionaries here).
Comrade Pickford explained the Juche idea to the audience.
An example of the self reliance of the DPRK economy was the construction of the West Sea barrage which comrade Pickford visited on his trip.This was completed in 1986 ,the construction having been began in 1981.Comrade Pickford explained that it had been built entirely with DPRK funds ,not one dollar,pound or euro from the IMF or multi-nationals or imperialist banks.
Comrade Pickford said he saw no sign of poverty or starvation in the DPRK and he had travelled to Mt Myohang by car and also had travelled back to Beijing by train.He said the 150 day campaign had been very successful as it had boosted industrial production.He had visited the 3 revolution exhibition and seen different DPRK manufactured goods such as computers and washing machines.Light industry was been developed and Taedong beer was a good example.
The speaker praised the education system in the DPRK that is free at all levels.Education at all levels in the DPRK is free and there are a large number of univeristies in the DPRK including the prestigious Kim Il Sung university.The Grand Peoples Study House which is built in the centre of Pyongyang rather than a presidential palace.Here ordinary working people can come and study and listen to lectures.
Comrade Pickford presented Mervyn Drage with a copy of the DPRK picture album “Korean Scenery” in appreciation of his efforts in organisng the meeting
Comrade Kevin Cain read a message from the All Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks.It congratulated the Workers Party of Korea on its 64th anniversary and the 83rd anniversary
of the Down With Imperialism Union.Nina Andreeva,general secretary of the AUCPB also had sent greetings to the Juche Idea Study Group of England and supported KFA and Korean solidarity activities in the UK
A lecturer of the University of London spoke about Korean reunification and the struggle for peace in east Asia. He said that the US tried to dominate Asia and treat the Pacific ocean as an American lake.The US imperialists had on many occasions brought the situation close to war,parrticularly by carrying out aggressive exercises such as “Team Spirit”He said the division of Korea was artifical and arbitary.South Korea’s ‘growth’ has only happened because the US wanted it to,because the US and other Western countries had opened their markets to south Korean goods on preferential terms but had not done the same for African countries.He said the struggle for Korean reunification is part of the struggle for world peace as well the total and fina lliberation of Asia.
A question was asked about US forces in Guam.
A question was asked about the six party talks and ‘opening up’ and reform’.Will the DPRK take part in six party talks again?.Dermot Hudson replied that the DPRK withdrew from the 6 party talks because of the unjustied UNSC sanctions imposed after the satellite launch.An analysis of the 6 party talks shows that besides the US 2 of the parties are military allies of the US and the other 2 were big powers that had voted for the UNSC sanctions.There was speculation about the DPRK returning to 6 party talks.Ultimately whether any negotiations take place- 2 party or 6 party,these depend on the US dropping its hostile policy against the DPRK.He also said that chairman Kim Jong Il in a work published a year ago rejected the concept of ‘opening up’.
Light refreshments of tea and coffee were served.
The DPRK National Anthem was played.
A DPRK book exhibition was held.
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