The Revival of Asian Left Parties
The collapse of socialism in the Soviet Union and the Eastern Europe
also striked Asian Left Parties heavily. However, for they more appealed
to Maoism and the independence of their nations in the history, the loss
they suffered was not so much as what the left parties suffered in the
west countries.
The crisis of Asian Capitalism after East Asia Crisis in 1997-98 is
the background of the revival of Asian left parties. The East Asia crisis
began in Thailand and spread quickly to Malaysia, Philippine, then heavily
beat Indonesia and South Korea. The crisis damaged the so called middle
class of these countries and made the conditions of the lower class in
those societies worse.
After the crisis, the Asian left parties revived, three best examples
of which are the Communist Party Of India (Marxism), the Communist Party
Of Philippine and the Communist Party Of Nepal(Maoism).
The crisis of Philippine Rural areas and the revival of CPP
Philippine is one of the countries which carried out neoliberalism
model most early and completely. As early as in 1962, Philippine began
to follow export-oriented development strategy suggested by IMF, trying
to absorb foreign investment through its cheap labor and become the west
countries’ provider of cheap commodities. This model benefits the
developed countries much. However, it makes Philippine one of the poorest
countries in the world.
CPC develops in such conditions. After the collapse of the Soviet
Union, CPC split .Some argue that the party relinquish military struggle.
The New People’s Army declined quickly .At that important moment, Sison
led “the Second Great Education Movement” and set up the line that
people’s war was the main way of revolution. The party claimed that the
main direction of people’s war is surrounding the cities through the
rural areas. This unified the thoughts inside the party .The NPA revived.
Its membership reached more than 12000 in 2001.
NPA has no completely liberated areas. However, it has many
guerrilla areas which spread more than 90 percent of the country. NPA
goes down to the rural areas to lighten the rents and interests ,
increase the farm workers’ wages and to carry out land reform. Then
NPA has mass support and can carry out large guerrilla wars. CPP also
set up mass organizations of workers, peasants, women, youth and
professions, whose membership reaches more than one million. With the
two weapons of military struggle and united front, CPP had a great role
in overthrowing Estrada and now inhibits Arroyo’s regime much.
CPP negotiated with the government several times. However, it makes
no agreements with the government. After “9·11”，US and EU claimed
it as terrorist. And US sent troops to Philippine in the name of fighting
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terrorism. But the true aim of the troops is CPP. The press on CPP will
be serious.
The Poverty of Nepalese Rural areas and the rise
of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoism)
CPN(Maoism) was a party separated from CPN. CPN(Maoism) argues that
the class contradictions in Nepal become so serious that they can’t be
solved by the struggles in the parliament. Then the only way to change
Nepal left is to follow Mao to establish revolutionary base, carry out
military struggles from the rural places to surround the cities.
Then CPN(Maoism) began people’s war in Nepal’s western mountains in
1996.It mobilizes the mass, carrys out the land reform, liberates the
women and receives popular support. Now CPN(Maoism) has liberated areas
and established governments on those areas. The liberated areas has
population of more than 10 million, while Nepal’s population is 23
million. Even in the areas controlled by government ,there are many large
strikes and many other struggles. During the last 9 years, the conflicts
between CPN(Maoism) and government armies has caused more than 12 thousand
deaths.
CPN(Maoism)’s military struggles has deep roots in Nepal. Nepal is
very poor and depend much on India and the West. Many young men go to India
to do the hardest work. There is not land reform at all in the country
and the peasants have to give more than half of their poor harvests to
landlords. The conditions of women are very bad and more than 200 thousand
women are sold to India as whores. The average lifespan of women is 25
years, while the average lifespan of men is 30 years. Then many women
join the CPN(Maoism)’s army.
Being challenged by such serious conditions , Nepal has no real reform
of poltics and even becomes more conservative. After the Palace’s
Massacre in 2001,the new king centralized more power in his hands and want
to exterminate CPN(Maoism)’s army quickly. Many reformist policies now
are cancelled. CPN(Maoism) now is becoming stronger.
After the collapse of USSR, US claimed the end of threat of Communism.
US was very concerned with the rise of CPN(Maoism) and decided to intervene.
CPN(Maoism)’s army denied that they were terrorists. They didn’t attack
civilians and the tourists. However, US claimed it as terrorist. US’s
Secretary of State Colin Powell visited Nepal in 2002,who is the highest
official visiting Nepal in the last 50 years.Later US suggested Nepal
expand its army to 200 thousand and promised to train them and provide
them with weapons . India is also very concerned with CPN(Maoism) threat,
being afraid of that its rise will cause the rise of Maoist army in its
own country who now already are strong. India has closed the boundary
between the two countries to prevent CPN(Maoism)’s army entering India.
It also promised to provide Nepal’s government with many weapons .
CPN(Maoism) will be faced with great challenge.
The great success of its governance in rural areas and
the rise of Communist Party of India (Marxism)
CPI(Marxism) was separated from CPI in 1966.Now it is the largest left
party in India. In the election in June,2004, it allied with CPI and they
together received 62 seats in senate, among which 43 seats are
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CPI(Marxism)’s. CPI(Marxism) has more than 800 thousand party members.
It also leads many mass organizations of workers, peasants, students and
women, whose membership is more than 40 million .In west Bengal,
CPI(Marxism) has continued winning the elections for 6 times and has
governed the state for 30 years. Now it has governed 3 states and the
population of more than 100 million, which is 1/10 of the whole population
of India.
The greatest success of CPI(Marxism)’s governance is its governance
of Kerala. Kerala is a poor state. However, its social indicators are much
better than many other states. The population’s education level, health
level and life expectancy even are better than those in developed
countries. One scholar from Kerala says: US’s average income is 60 times
as much as Kerala’s.However, if we compare the living indicators of the
two places,we can find that there is little difference.” Kerala’s
development is much better than most states of India governed by right
parties.In the rural places in the North India,more than 64% people live
below the poverty line.
CPI(Marxism) has carried out many good policies as below.1.It thinks
that education is one of the basic human rights. Then education can’t
be privatized and only for elitists. The cost of primary education is paid
by state’s public finance. This can guarantee that children with
different backgrounds can all afford the education.2.land reform has been
carried out in Kerala. There are no landlords in Kerala. Although the
agriculture products are not competitive ,it has little poor
population.3.It has more participatory democracy. Kerala gives more than
40% of the state’s finance to villager’s committee .The villagers has
power to discuss and decide how to use the finance.4.The intellectuals
integrate themselves with the masses. For example, in the People’s
science and technology movement, many intellectuals develop technology
proper to local conditions.5.It doesn’t privatize the health care
system .It establishes community-sponsored medical service and
efficiently provides people with good health care.
In contrast with CPI(Marxism)’s efforts, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s
government privatized many public services and stopped land reform. Those
policies worsened the conditions of most people while only benefited 5%
people. Then it is no surprise Vajpayee were abandoned by Indian people
in 2002’s election.
Conclusion: Rethinking of Neoliberalism and Socialism
Analyzing the reasons of revival of Asian left parties as above,
we can find three facts.
1. Neolieral model doesn’t work in Asia.
After the collapse of USSR, Asia’s new emerging countries took the
place of USSR as the development model for world’s especially
Asia’s
developing countries .Then neoliberalism became popular in
Asia and the Socialism development model once followed by China and
other countries were abandoned .
However, not all countries have such good luck as the emerging
countries. When it could control its politics and economy,when US and
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Japan supported it for geopolitical reasons ,this model might succeed.
When the geopolitics doesn’t need it ,especially when overproduction
cause world crisis, the export-oriented development model won’t work:
the products of lower level will compete each other viciously and
export becomes the way for developing countries to transfer its wealth
and resources to rich countries ,while it is in no way the supplement
of the nation’s economy. Thus, continuing loss leads to collapse of
the reproduction base of the country ,withering of the economy , great
loss of jobs .And it first influences the most vulnerable rural places.
New peasant wars reemerge. The rise of Asian left parties is based on
the collapse of the neolibealism model in Asia.
2. We should reaffirm Socialism development way.
Amartya Sen ,Winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economics says:the
achievements of Kerala prove that even with lower income ,if proper
public service being provided, people’s living will improve and the
conditions of culture,politics and economy will also change.” He also
argues that China’s achievements after 1978 should mainly be
attributed to the popularization of education and the improvements of
health services in the earlier 30 years by socialism. The outcomes of
the efforts by socialism won’t become obvious until after a long time .
This indicates that there is alternative to neoliberalism’s
privatization policy and GDP fetishism. It is no doubt that it will
be not simply a repeat of traditional socialism model. But it is also
no doubt that the good experiences of socialism in history such as
paying more attention to public services, cooperatives, more
balanced-development and no polarization will revitalize their
power.
3. Mao Zedong’s thought still has great relevance to the liberation and
development of the third world in our times.
The great relevance of Mao’s people’s war theory which depends on
people to carry out guerrilla wars is proved by CPP and CPN(Maoism)’s
military struggles today. The relevance of Mao’s theory that the only
way for the third world to develop themselves and get rid of Imperialism’
s control and the ills of capitalism is socialism, is both proved by the
collapse of neoliberalism development model in many Asian countries and
the success of Mao- style socialism model which is still followed by some
parties like CPI(Marxism).When the mist of history disappears after 30
years, we find that Mao Zedong thought still has great relevance both to
the world and China.
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