JUNGLE WAR GOES ON Malaya attains independence, but Britain still holds strings rs MIDNIGHT on August 31 the Union Jack was replac- ed on Kuala Lumpur’s town square with the new national flag. of Malaya — 11 red and white stripes and yellow cres- eent with an 11l-pointed star on a‘ blue background — and the new constitution of the Federation of Malaya was of- ficailly in effect. For. the people of Malaya_ the occasion represented a new stage in their long struggle for independence aad most of Kuala Lumpur’s 400,000 peo- ple thronged the town squere and floodlit streets in night- long celebrations. But far from the cheering crowds, the nine-year-old jungle war against the Com- munists — without whose con- sistent struggle Malaya would not have gained even limited independence — was_ being continued. by British, Austra- lian, New Zealand, Rhodesian and Gurka forces. Malaya is now a legaily in- dependent country, the tenth member of the Commonwealth, It is recognized by China,- whose Chairman Mao Tse- tung sent greetings, and In- dia, whose Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru said: “Zven as countries in Asia shed their colonial status and attain in- dependence, the face of Asia changes and the Common- wealth wtih which some of us are associated also is power- fully affected.” : But how much real indepen- dence has Malaya achieved, and how much truth is there in the British government’s propaganda that it has granted “freedom” to Malaya? m Rt tt , The fact is, British imperial- ism can no longer rule Malaya in the old way. Today, it is not only the illegal Communist party, but also all other major pclitical parties in Malaya that demand independence, end to the war, repeal of the emergency reg- ulations, and withdrawal of British ‘and other foreign arm- ed forces. Faced with such a situation, the British government has done three things in the at- tempt to delay the inevitable: @ It.has agreed to toncede state independence with limi- tations to a section of the Ma- layan people. ea It has claimed the right in association with the new government of the Malayan Federation to continue the war and- the emergency §regula- tions in order to prevent all but the compromising ele- ments among the local popula- tion from exercising freedom of organization and expres- sion. @ It has leaned more heav- ily for armed support on its Commonwealth allies’ — es- pecially the Conservative gov- ernments of Australia and New Zealand and on the Am- erican-led SEATO military bloe- yo The people of Malaya have demanded ae central, fully elected legislature for the whole country as a minimum step toward complete inde- pendence. . The. British government, faced with national rebellion of an even wider scale than hitherto, has yielded a part of this demand. It has agrecd to allow one part of Malaya only (the Malayan Federation) to have an.elected legislature of 100 members. : Inasmuch as this concession has been written into the new constitution, it represents a gain for the people, and is a tribute to their sustained ef- forts. What happens to the other and vitally important part of Malaya, the island of Sing- apore? The government has stub- bornly refused to allow Singa- pore to be reunited with the mainland or to have a fully representative government. The difference between Singapore and mainland Ma- laya is merely one of pro- cedure, In Singapore, the Brit- ist forces and military installa- tions are maintained overtly as British establishments, while on the mainland they are maintained behind the facade of the so-called “Treaty of Defense and Mutual Assist- ance.” So far as the practical effect is concerned there is no dif- ference. Both are designed to keep the main apparatus of colonialism — military sup- pression — in operation; both undermine Malaya’s indepen- dence. This point is of immense im- portance when considering how much freedom the new constitution confers on the peo- ple. Experience in Malaya has shown, time and again, that the Sweetest - sounding con- stitutional guarantee can go up in a puff of smoke if in prac- tice military and police pow- ers remain in the hands of the colonialists: In Malaya this danger is still great for two reasons: Firstly, because the British government has repeatedly re- fused» the offers of the Ma- layan Communist, party and the demands of the public to end the war and the emerg- ency regulations. By prolonging the state of war and emergency the Brit- ish government is, therefore, exploiting an artificially creat- ed condition for indefinite British military occupation. Secondly because British and “Commonwealth” forces in Malaya are linked with SEATO forces and intelligence agencies in Asia, both political and military pressures can be (as they are being) used to undermine the introduction of democratic institutions. The new wave of arrests in Singapore and the continued persecution of so-called ‘“‘sub- versive elements” in the Ma- layan Federation under the pretext of counteracting non- existing “Communist plots” provides a grim reminder that it is dangerously naive to put one’s trust in paper guar- antees alone. rene tt 58 Equally important to note when analyzing the new con- stitution is that it has done nothing to remove economic exploitation. The seriousness of this bla- tant atempt to maintain the machinery of exploitation can be judged from the fact that British colonial interests in two industries alone, rubber and tin, earned a total of $2,- 500 million U.S. during the 10- year period 1947 to 1956. In the same period, a work- er in these industries received only some $300 a year. Bearing in mind that British colonial domination in bank- ing, transport, palm oil, baux- ite ,commerce, etc., has not diminished, one can see why it is that British colonial ex- ploiters can still boast of Ma- laya as their “richest dollar- earner in the Empire,” while the Malayan workers are among the poorest in the world. British imperialism in Ma- laya, is improvising a tactical retreat; but it has not yet handed back to the people the political, economic or military power which it,swrested from them and has held for over 150 years. OPEN FORUM Doukhobor replies PETER W. ELASOFF, Kres- tova, B.C.: “So let’s investi- gate” and “There is right and wrong in us all’ were the words used in a letter to the PT on the Doukhobor question, published in your issue of August 16. By today’s standards this attitude is quite fair and the Doukhobors are grateful for the opportunity. We only hope that all labor organizations will give us the same benefit of doubt and investigate our case, And now, to answer corres- pondent Edith Emery’s re- marks on the “Doukhobor creed. We heartily agree that ig- norance is not bliss. On the other hand we also maintain that mis-eduation does not educate._ It is not true educa- tion to condition a child -and indoctrinate him. The Doukhobor religion com- mands that children must be taught. Everybody must learn and learn; try to develop the talents that nature has en- dowed them with in order that they may contribute their share to humanity and har- monious living. The present-day world is full of mis-educated people; the world significantly lacks just “people.” : Primarily, the Doukhobors faith is very simple. So is the religious freedom that they seek. Their faith is not fetter- ed by useless rituals and tra- ditions. It asks of its follow- ers to know thyself, to con- quer thyself first, and then to take a stand against the evils of the world, It is a creed that demands-of its followers a clean mind in a -healthy body, total and complete ab- stinence from participation in bloodshed. It teaches people to love one another and com- mands its adherents to render ~ H. B. LIM assistance to the needy wher- In 1955, the Malayan Communist party, which leads _ the Liberation Army (above) offered to negotiate peace, ’ but talks collapsed when Chief Minister Tengku Abdul Rahman insisted on deportation of Communists to China or Surrender to the police. September 6, 1957 — Prizewinning letters Each week the Paci- fic Tribune will present a book to the writer of the most interesting, eD- — tertaining and _ topical letter published on this page. Contributors are -urged to keep their let- ters to a reasonable length. The prize-winning let-_ ter in our last issue was written by J.G.B., Bel- lingham, Wash, nna ever possible — without . vestigation. ? We agree that there is right and wrong in all of us. Beiné p human, Doukhobors aré 1°. exception. They, too, have good times and bad; many times they were wrong 4? many times they were right— just like other. sects, group» societies and unions. To ho! to a policy that Doukhobol® should not be helped becaus of their assumed faults is & roneous and detrimental ™ those who do so. i Religious freedom, noW, i something else again. And n? as set out in the examples by Edith Emery. Doukhobo! seek it because that is thel! fundamental right: the rig! to determine the type of ed cation their - children shot receive (Declaration of Humé Rights — United Nations); tht right to be different; the righ to speak differently; the righ to believe differently; and right to live differently, 2% cording to one’s conception inner light, for we know thé in the laws of. nature they are no two things alike, mul less in the abstract sense. 1 The Doukhobors will w® come investigation — since! impartial unbiased investis? tion. And they will coopera” to the fullest extent, Let's 9! it! China’s progress READER, Vancouver, BO: There is an old classical Chit ese couplet, which dates ba? more than 2,000 years: “Let the*hundred flowe!? of all seasons blossot™ together: iF Let the hundred divers® schools of though! contend.” Recently Mao Tse-tung bo rowed this phrase from “tH classics to express the me# ing of the present policy ° the Chinese government. Ré@ading of recent develoh” ments in China one feels tht} ed to think of the tremend) progress being made in ™, once backward country, Ble? ing of the old and the 2, seems to be the process W is meeting with such suc iY Many magazines and pamP lets about China are now 4 sale in Vancouver and I wl, urge people interested in building of socialism to T them and study them. . PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE * |