This year (1998), the historic communist manifesto is completing its 150th anniversary. Communist Manifesto is the most valuable gift to the mankind given by our genius founding teachers of communism Karl Marx and Engels. There is no other work, like Communist Manifesto that shook the world. Its content was valid yesterday, is valid today and will be valid tomorrow.
For the first time, Communist Manifesto unveiled the scientific path to emanicipation for the working class. It starts by the slogan "Proletarians of all countries Unite." It is not merely a slogan. It is a programme of work. Now the time has come to rekindle that programme in order to defeat the dominance of capital and end a man exploiting another.
We are commemorating the 109th May Day to give a new meaning to our determination to materialize the programme to unite the proletarians of all lands against capitalisit exploitation and to eradicate it from the surface of the earth which has a strong grip over the working people as never before.
Under the present Peoples Alliance government, Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim working class and the oppressed have lost their democratic rights. It is our duty to make the international community aware that democracy in Sri Lanka is eroding rapidly under the present rulers.
Not only the leaders, activists and sympathisers of our party, but also a private printing press owner who undertakes our work has been harassed by the police. March this year one of our party activists has been assaulted and murdered by a coordinating officer of a minister.
While Peoples Alliance government also holding its May Day rally, there has been arrests made under emergency regulations of the leaders of trade unions who took industrial action against the so called privatisation of postal services. There is still no solution to reinstate the workers who were sacked by the United National Party government.
There is a trend towards thuggery politics in an alarming rate now in Sri Lanka. We appeal to the international community to be aware, and Lanka government to re-establish democracy in Sri Lanka.
LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY!
lONG LIVE THE UNITY OF PROLETARIANS OF ALL LANDS!
On behalf of the International Coordinating Center of The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna,
SOMAWANSA AMARASINGHE,
Leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna,
1st May 1998
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