Anti-imperialist barbecue: A great success
More than 120 people
packed Saklatvala Hall in Southall on Saturday 30 July for the CPGB-ML’s annual
anti-imperialist summer barbecue, organised to celebrate the 58th anniversary
of the victory of the Korean and Chinese peoples in the Korean war and of the
raid on the Moncada Barracks that heralded the start of the Cuban revolution.
Guests of honour at the
event were Comrade He Rulong, Counsellor and Deputy Head of the Political
Section of the Chinese Embassy, his colleague and fellow Political Counsellor,
Comrade Ma Xin, and Comrade Jang Song Chol, Third Secretary of the Embassy of
the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Following a delicious lunch, speakers included He
Rulong and Jang Song Chol, Mohammad Hassan from the Workers’ Party of Belgium
(PTB), and Harpal Brar (who also chaired the proceedings), Keith Bennett and
Ranjeet Brar for the CPGB-ML.
Comrade Jang Song Chol’s speech reflected on his
years in Britain, as his diplomatic posting was coming to an end in August. He
said that the Korean people “could not imagine this great victory (in
the Fatherland Liberation War) without the help of the Chinese comrades and
the international communist movement”, referring also to the contributions
of the late Comrades Michael and Jack Shapiro.
Saying that this was the first ever defeat suffered
by US imperialism, a very powerful enemy, Comrade Jang emphasised, “this was
not a solo effort. We could not have done it without help from other comrades
and other peoples.”
Comrade Jang also noted that the month had seen the
50th anniversary of the signing of the treaty of friendship and cooperation
between the DPRK and China by Comrades Kim Il Sung and Zhou Enlai, and that
this important occasion had been widely celebrated by the people of both
countries.
Finally, he declared that over his more than three
years in Britain, he had personally witnessed the growth of the CPGB-ML into a
strong political organisation. “I will leave some part of my heart here in
Southall. The three-years-and-eight-months I have spent living, working and
struggling with communists here in Britain will be one of the most memorable
and important parts of my life forever,” he concluded.
Comrade He Rulong spoke from a different
perspective, having just arrived in London to take up his post. He extended
greetings from the Chinese people to the Korean and Cuban peoples and also said
how delighted he was to meet so many comrades at this function who were so
friendly to China and so committed to the cause of socialism and communism.
Referring to the July 1st 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist
Party of China, he outlined some of its main historical experiences. (For some
background, see ‘China’s communists celebrate 90 years’, Proletarian,
August 2011)
The speeches from both the Korean and Chinese
comrades were greeted with standing ovations.
Following the speeches, there was a lively and
varied cultural programme, with the folk and revolutionary songs from Comrades
Dave and Doreen East, especially the timeless working-class favourite, ‘The
Blackleg Miner’, proving a special hit.
Videos from the meeting may be
viewed at: http://www.cpgb-ml.org/