obby set over fisheries sellout —

page t2

June 12, 1989
50°

Vol. 52, No. 22

Attack on
Chinese
students
deplored

The Communist Party of Canada this
week echoed the concern raised by thou-
sands around the world over the events in
Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, declaring in a
statement that it “deplored” the use of the
armed forces against the student demon-
strators Sunday.

“Our party shares the grave concern of
the majority of Canadians over the tragic
events of the past week in Tiananmen
Square in Beijing,” the statement, issued
June 8, said. ““We understand the complexi-
ties of the situation and the distortions from
the international big business media which
seeks to exploit this tragedy to undermine
the international prestige of socialism and
de-stabilize socialist China.

““However, based on the information we
have gathered, the Communist Party must
state that it deplores the fact that units of the
armed forces of the People’s Republic of
China were used against demonstrators in
Tiananmen Square and that this action
resulted in deaths and injuries,” it stated.

The statement was initiated by the party’s
central committee which met in Toronto
over the weekend and was subsequently
fleshed out by the central executive commit-
tee this week.

It noted that based on the reports availa-
ble, “‘we believe the student demonstrators
have been attempting to raise grievances,
not against socialism, but against certain
practices and in their opinion, distortions of :
socialism.

“We are in no position to judge the legi-
timacy or otherwise of those views but we
feel that socialism and the socialist state
must be able to deal with such differences
without resort to armed force against the
people,” it declared.

“We do not see how the students of Tia-
nanmen Square posed a threat to state
security that would warrant military inter-
vention of this kind.”

The statement also warned that “interna-
tional imperialism has been exploiting this
crisis situation and is involved in trying to
de-stabilize socialist China.

“This has global implications for the

,h mm” & Ee eS ' peace and security of the planet,” it said. “In
A forest of placards and a chorus of jeers protesting the budget confronted Prime Minister Brian Mulroney Thursday night this connection any moves to penalize the
as close to 1,000 people demonstrated outside the entrance to the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre where the PM Chinese people because of this crisis must be
was addressing a $250-a-plate Tory fund-raising dinner. Organized by the Coalition against ‘‘Free’’ Trade, the action blocked. ; ;
brought together unionists, women’s groups, Native organizations and others, represented in a list of 11 rally speakers that The Canadian government’s threat of
included Marcie Cohen from the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, Building Trades Council president economic sanctions against the PRC must
Len Werden, NDP MP John Brewin and Canadian Federation of. Students representative Jennifer Whiteside. The be seen in this light, “the statement said,
demonstration was the latest action in a growing campaign against the budget, which will also include a rally on Parliament urging Canadians to oppose such action.
Hill June 12 when the ‘‘Get the Budget on Track”’ train arrives in the capital (story page 3). Those who sincerely wish to support the

Chinese people in their efforts to emerge

from this crisis must stand for the resump-
tion of dialogue between the workers and
students of China and their government,” it

Dave Werlin on labour conc a vonnad

caught in the grip of the worst political crisis
— page 7 since the Cultural Revolution, following the
p

see DIALOGUE page 11