Australian Response to Anti-Communism in Poland

Communist Party of Australia (CPA)

June 9, 2010

http://www.cpa.org.au , mailto:cpa@cpa.org.au

Dear Comrades,

We have sent the following letter to the Polish Ambassador in Australia and to the Polish consuls in various states of Australia. We also included a big picture of the hammer and sickle.

Comradely,

Denis Doherty

For the CPA

Tuesday, 8 June 2010

The Ambassador

The Embassy of Poland

Canberra ACT

Dear Ambassador/Consul,

We wish to strongly protest against your Government’s planned undemocratic legislation to outlaw the depiction of Communists symbols.

We are appalled that the Polish Government is so ignorant of its own history as to equate Communism with Nazism. The Nazis started WW 11 by invading your country in September 1939, beginning a conflict that cost about 50 million deaths. Poland was devastated and was not liberated till the army of the Soviet Union drove the Nazis out during 1944-45. Your country lost many people in that war as did the Soviet Union led by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Your law turns history on its head!

The Communist Party of Australia condemns this legislation which proves that the civil liberties of the Polish people are about to be trampled on.

We support what the Communist Party of Poland (KPP) has correctly stated: “We strongly oppose efforts to equate fascism – which, based on racism, led to the bloodiest war in history thanks to the implementation of a plan to exterminate millions of people – with communism, which is built on the principles of social justice, and which defeated the genocidal fascists thanks to the utter dedication to struggle and sacrifice of countless millions of men, women and children. Despite even the most brutal repression we will not stop in our struggle for the victory of socialism, nor turn from the road to a victorious communist destiny!”

We draw your attention to the articles 18 and 19 of the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This Covenant protects the rights of people to their opinions and to express them publicly. 

Article 18

1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.

2. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.

Article 19

1. Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.

2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.

Like the Communists of Poland, the Communist Party of Australia will continue to proudly display our symbols and will continue to stand up for the economic, social and political rights of working people.

We stand with Communists and others around the world who are resisting the current trend to punish workers for the global economic crisis. We condemn and resist the efforts to silence those who are fighting for an alternative, democratic, peaceful and just  future.

We call on the representatives of the Polish Government in Australia to indicate to the regime in Poland the disgust that Australians feel for political persecution and the anti-communist legislation enacted on June 8, 2010.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Hannah Middleton

General Secretary Communist Party of Australia