Ren Zhiqiang was not arrested for ‘anti-communism’

By Raymond Tyler posted on October 2, 2020

When influential, former property executive Ren Zhiqiang was given an 18-year sentence in China, the Western media were quick to label his imprisonment as due to alleged “anti-communist” activity. The Washington Post, CNN, the Guardian, and the New York Times parroted the same message: that Zhiqiang was imprisoned for being an “outspoken” critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC).

Their claim is that Zhiqiang was detained for publishing a critique of China’s response to COVID. This accusation is unfounded by the evidence generally available.

The logic of the Western media’s accusation can be summarized as follows: “If Ren Zhiqiang critiqued the CPC and was later sentenced, he must have been imprisoned for his critique of the CPC.” There’s a problem with this narrative. The charges brought against him were for embezzlement of an equivalent of $16.3 million in public funds. The accusation of embezzlement has not been disputed, and there is no evidence to suggest that the charges were anything else. Zhiqiang confessed to these charges. (tinyurl.com/yyswjrgd)

All the media outlets mention the charges of embezzlement, and even mention that Zhiqiang confessed, yet the lens of the Western media has distorted and excluded facts surrounding this case, leading to the narrative of him being a “political prisoner.”

The information that the public currently has about this case does not suggest corruption. What we do know is that the Western media have not let up on polemical attacks against China. If they give China any credit for successfully containing the outbreak of COVID-19, the credit is met with a disclaimer of other “draconian lockdowns” and “dictatorship.”

In the U.S. bourgeois media’s eyes every country with different systems and values is a “dictatorship,” even if those countries democratically elect their leaders. By contrast, the U.S. and its allies can sic their police on Black communities and protesters and not be considered authoritarian.

The standard for being labeled an authoritarian dictatorship is arbitrary and self-justifying. Any state that is labeled as a dictatorship is subject to endless attacks, sanctions and criminal charges against citizens in one of those “dictatorships,” which must, because of corruption and repression, therefore be “illegitimate.” Journalists may or may not be conscious of their xenophobic bias towards other nations with different systems. Yet in most cases their editors are.

The fact is that countries building socialism have done far better handling COVID-19. China was hit first and somehow managed to come out of this with under 10,000 deaths. The U.S. government, which was expressly warned about this virus and had time to prepare, has racked up over 204,000 deaths. (CNN, Sept. 22)

The Western media, with their anti-communist bias, cannot fathom how the richest country in the world – the United States – could do so poorly while socialist countries, labeled as “dictatorships,” have done so well. Ren Zhiqiang is the chosen martyr of truth. According to media narrative, he had the spine to speak out about COVID-19 in China. This attack and false narrative against the CPC serves one purpose: to dehumanize, ostracize and attack a nation that is wrongfully feared in this country. (Courtesy: Workers World)

Unite to Protect India’s Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity

20th June 2020 at 3:04 PM

 Comrade D. Raja participated in the All-Party meeting 

New Delhi: 20th June 2020: (The Comrade Screen Bureau)::

Communist Party of India General Secretary D. Raja participated in the All-Party meeting convened by the Prime Minister on June 19^, 2020 after being repeatedly demanded by CPI and other opposition parties.

Party General Secretary made the following points:

1.*  CPI appreciates the government for convening the All-Party Meeting even though it is late.

* Our Party salutes the martyred Soldiers and Officers who sacrificed their precious lives on June 15^th.

* Every Indian is proud of our Defence Forces for their valour and dedication in defending the security and borders of our country. They are Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. The whole country stands behind them.

2. Security and foreign policy positions of our country are evolved on the basis of national consensus. The government should take political parties, Parliament and people into confidence on all these matters.

3. India China Stand-off

§  Coming to the current stand-off between India and China, our Party is of the view that no compromise on sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country should be made.

§  Status quo at the Line of Actual Control should be respected and restored as it was till April 2020.

§  India and China are Asian countries which claimed to stand for Asian Century.

§  Right now the relations between our country and the neighbouring countries, Pakistan and Nepal, remain hostile. We have problems with Sri Lanka also.

§  In such a situation, the US tries to drag India into a kind of military alliance to establish its own influence in our region. The Government must be cautious about this.

§  India having good neighbourhood relations becomes crucial for national stability and well-being. It means India should evolve a proper South Asian Policy.

§  The immediate task is to intensify negotiations at the highest level to resolve the boundary disputes between India and China. It will ensure peace and stability. Both the countries should respect “the importance of respecting each other’s sensitivities, concerns and aspirations” as outlined in the Joint Statement issued after the first Summit between Indian Prime Minister and Chinese Leader.

§  The political parties in India should stand together in defence of our sovereignty and territorial integrity. The whole country should stand as one.

§  CPI stands for such unity.

Reactions: Punjab CPI Condemn Pro-Khalistani Statements

9th June 2020 at 5:12 PM

 Statements were given by Akal Takhat and the SGPC chiefs 

Chandigarh: 9th June 2020: (Punjab Screen Bureau)::

Com. Bant Singh Brar, Secretary Punjab State Council of CPI, reacting on the statements given by Giani Harpreet Singh Working Jathedar of Akal Takhat, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, and S. Gobind Singh Longowal, the President of Sharomani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the elected body of the Sikhs to run the vast number of Gurdwaras, condemned the Pro-Khalistani tone and message given by them and strongly criticised the silence kept by Akali Dal leaders, including S. Parkash Singh Badal, former many times Chief Minister of Punjab, S. Sukhbir Singh Badal, the President of Sharomani Akali Dal and Harsimarat Kaur Badal, the Cabinet Minister in Modi Govt.

Com. Brar said that the extremist elements, who were lying in sleep, used the occasion to raise their demand through the above said religious leaders, as their earlier attempts to incite the Sikhs in name of Referendum 2020 had been rejected by Punjabi people. Now again they used the anniversary date of Indian Army attack on Sikh Shrine in 1984 and the above mentioned both leaders who are appointed by ruling Akali Dal of Sh. Badal with their commanding majority in Sikh institutions, played with fire by supporting extremist demands. 

Com. Brar said the attack on Golden Temple was very unfortunate incident which could have been averted if the Central Govt at that time (led by Smt. Indira Gandhi) had acted wisely keeping in view the strong resentment it could cause in Sikh masses. He said that neither Sharomani Akali Dal and SGPC and nor the extremist elements who had captured the  Gurdwara and killed thousands of innocent people can escape from the responsibility of  tragic happenings.

Com. Brar said that the statements of Akal Takhat Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh and SAD President S. Longowal have said that there is no objection on raising slogans of Khalistan, that every Sikh wants Khalistan, that if central Govt gives Khalistan we will welcome it, etc. He said that Punjabis had won peace in Punjab after thousands of sacrifices including communists and that they will not let the nefarious designs extremists of succeed. 

Com. Brar strongly condemned the silence of Modi Govt which is always ready to enforce ‘antinational’ and ‘Rashtra-dhroh’ charges on struggling masses and leaders.

Com. Brar appealed to Punjabis not to fall prey to these inciting statements and maintain peace and harmony in the state. 

AIKF discussed the problems faced by the farmers

Sunday: 5th January 2020 at 1:11 PM

AIKF supported the All India strike on 8th January

Ludhiana//Doraha:4th January 2020: (*Zora Singh//The Comrade Screen)::

The state executive committee of All India Kisan Fedration (AIKF) met here  at  K K Kaushal memorial Bhawan Doraha presided over Sukhdev singh. In the beginning state committee mourned the sudden death of com. Surinder Singh Shinda, former Sarpanch of village Shehzad.

The meeting discussed the problems faced by the farmers, addressed by All India President of A I K F Prem Singh Bhangu, Kuldip Singh, State Secretary, Zora Singh, among others Iqbal Singh Mandoli, Pawan Kumar Sogalpur, Pawan Kumar Kaushal and Hardev Singh Kheri also participated in the meeting and gave their views.

The meeting supported the All India strike on January 8,called  by trade unions and farmers. The meeting strongly opposed the increase in the rates of electricity and Bus fares by Punjab Government and increase in Rail-fares and L P G by BJP led central Government, describing it New Year’s gift to the people of India and a burden on the poor people which will result in the further increase in the prices of essential commodities.

The meeting expressed its serious concern over stray cattle in Punjab and urged the state Government to control the menace of stray cattle who are destroying the crops and loss of lives of people causing fatal accidents.

The meeting deadly opposed the forcible acquisition of village common land to be handed over to Corporate houses, that will result into finishing the income of Panchayats , hence reducing  the income of Panchayats and stopping development works.

Meeting has taken serious note of Citizens Amendment Act-2019, describing it as discriminating , divisive and subversive and asked the central Government to withdraw it.

*Comrade Zora Singh is the State Secretary of AIKF and his mobile number is: +919876044562