In solidarity with HKCTU and the Hong Kong People

(Reuters photo)

We, in the Partido Manggagawa (Labor Party Philippines) extend our solidarity to our brothers and sisters in the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), the students and the Hong Kong people in the struggle for democracy and greater equality. 

The world is witnessing yet another “occupy” and “spring” phenomenon, this time right here in   neighboring Hong Kong.  Yet while we are inspired seeing people – students, teachers, workers, and elderly in collective action against threats to democracy, we are likewise indignant that this action is met by official violence perpetrated by the State.

We condemn the use of violence against legitimate protests.  Democracy, we assert, is an indivisible body of rights that must be enjoyed by the sovereign people.  The right to chose and to freely express ourselves are but a few of the basic principles of democracy.  And even if these rights cannot be proclaimed as absolute vis-a-vis the need for certain degree of state regulation, suppressing these rights more often than not creates an absolutely dangerous predicate to destroying the very fundamental of democracy which is people’s sovereignty.  Repression must therefore be stopped at this very first level.

Hence, we appeal to both the HK and Beijing government to stop the use of violence against its own people.  The people’s democratic government which was proclaimed in October 1, 1949, can only be more and never less democratic.  For this reason, arrest and detention as well as the use of teargas in dispersing a massive but peaceful assembly of mostly young people is patently undemocratic.

We call on the Hong Kong working class to join the democracy protests to break the impasse for the students cannot win the struggle on their own. But the Hong Kong workers must put the imprint of their class demands on the movement and march under their own banner of social justice and emancipation

We are also made aware that aside from the demand of ensuring promised democracy, the people were raising the issue of gaping inequality between the business elite and the working class in Hong Kong.  We acknowledge this as a worldwide phenomenon under this capitalist world thus we easily identify with the justness of bringing this call.

Furthermore, Hong Kong is also host to tens of thousands of Filipinos and other Asian workers.  Thus it is safe to assume that for many years they already have shared the values of the Hong Kong people in upholding democracy.  We likewise appeal to the Chinese government to treat migrant fairly in the face of this political uncertainty.

In solidarity,

The Executive Committee

Partido Manggagawa – Labor Party Philippines

30 September 2014