International

Thousands of railway workers in the United Kingdom embarked on a historic national strike on June 21, 23 and 25 against the attempts by Network Rail (that operates and develops most of Britain’s railway infrastructure) and train operating companies to cut thousands of jobs. The strike, which was organized under the banner of National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) was the biggest rail strike in last 30 years.

Former US President George Bush, speaking at an event at the George W Bush Presidential Center that examined the future of American elections, made a Freudian slip of the tongue. He said, “[The] decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq… I mean, of Ukraine.” What followed this gaffe, however, was even more significant.

The people of Honduras have unitedly defeated the conservative and neoliberal forces backed by the United States and elected the first female president Xiomara Castro of the left-wing Liberty and Refoundation (Libre) Party. According to reports, Castro of the Libre Party has obtained over 53% of the votes, and is leading the presidential race by a 20% margin.

New York taxi drivers, most of whom are immigrants from the Asian and African continents, went on a hunger strike for two weeks to protest a system of predatory lending that had left drivers crippled by debt.

The US navy has openly stated that it has violated India’s (and Maldives’) maritime sovereignty, declaring in a statement “On April 7, 2021 (local time) USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands, inside India’s exclusive economic zone, without requesting India’s prior consent, consistent with international law. India requires prior consent for military exercises or maneuvers in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf…”

The military rulers of Myanmar, having ousted the civilian government in a coup, have unleashed a brutal crackdown against the people of Myanmar who are on the streets protesting the coup. The Myanmarese military have shot dead more than 500 civilian protestors.

CPIML condemns the February 1 military coup in Myanmar, the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of the NLD which swept the elections last year, and the fatal firings on protesting people.

In 2015, openly contested elections were first held in Myanmar after 25 years of military rule. Between 2015 and 2021, the military never relinquished control to the civilian government headed by Suu Kyi.

A meeting organized by Ambedkar International Mission (UK) and the South Asia Solidarity Group in the UK Parliament (House of Commons) on 20 January, on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register and the protests against them across India, saw several British MPs express their concern about the legislation, its implications for human rights and potential for mass disenfranchisement of Muslims, and the situation in India more generally.

THE National Farmers’ Commission of Nepal organized a 2-day international conference on 10-11 March 2019. The topic of the conference was ‘Food Sovereignty and Farmers’ Rights’. Nepalese Prime Minister Comrade KP Oli was the Chief Guest at the inaugural session chaired by Nepal Farmers’ Commission President Comrade Chitra Bahadur. Delegates from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, North Korea, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries participated in the conference. Com. Purushottam Sharma, Com.

THE horrific murders of 50 people who were at prayer in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand by a white supremacist terrorist has left people across the world shocked, grief-stricken and angry. It has also confirmed that a global network of white supremacists is now a major international terrorist threat, all the more sinister because they are gaining not only inspiration but tacit approval from the US government and other far-right regimes.