We Will Make a Positive Contribution to Building a New World

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We Will Make a Positive Contribution to Building a New World

Make A Higher Leap Full of Great Ambition and Confidence

Statement in explanation of the vote by the Delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on the resolution IV under the agenda item 71(c) at the Sixtieth session of the United Nations General Assembly

Key Remarks by President Fidel Castro

Theory Should Be Informed By Life

On the occasion of the New Year, and in accordance with the DPRK’s tradition, the country’s main newspapers published on January 1 a joint editorial which is posted below. The joint editorial reflects the satisfaction with the results accomplished by the socialist Korea during the previous year and determines its future objectives. It concludes: "We will, in the future, too, make a positive contribution to building a new world, independent, peaceful and friendly, holding aloft the banner of anti-imperialist independence and socialism."

These editorials have always been extremely important not only for the Korean nation and the progressive forces supporting its struggle for independent and peaceful reunification of its country, but also for all the people world-wide who strive for a world of justice, security and peace.

In a statement issued in Paris on January 2, Guy Dupré, Secretary General of The International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea (CILRECO), said on this subject: "CILRECO has particularly appreciated the special attention paid in this editorial to the issue of the independent reunification of Korea and durable peace on the Korean Peninsula."

CILRECO is very happy about the way in which the editorial highlights the last year’s success of the reunification movement "for the triple entente in the spirit of the joint North-South Accord of June 15, 2000: national sovereignty, peace against war, and patriotic reunification", and about the proposals put forward in order to accomplish decisive progress in the process of peaceful reunification of Korea.

CILRECO fully agrees with the opinion expressed according to which the US is the main obstacle to Korea’s independent reunification, and the withdrawal of all its troops from South Korea must be imposed in order to eliminate the threats of war.

CILRECO highly appreciates the call for mobilisation of the entire Korean nation to preserve the security and peace on the Korean Peninsula, and to reinforce the unity of the pan-national reunification movement, giving it priority over all differences in ideology, regime, party and political opinion.

The US must stop interfering in the internal affairs of the Korean nation and withdraw without further delay its troops and weapons from South Korea, so that the Korean nation can exercise its inalienable right to reunite peacefully and independently its arbitrarily divided homeland, in accordance with the basic principles of the Charter of the United Nations and in the spirit of the joint North-South Accord of June 15, 2000.

We call on the working class and people to support the cause of the independent and peaceful reunification of Korea, so that the Korean nation can exercise its right to self-determination, and so that durable peace can be established on the Korean peninsula and international security and peace ensured.

Joint editorial issued by Rodong Sinmun, the official organ of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee, Josoninmingun and Chongnyonjonwi on the occasion of the New Year 2006

Last year Juche 94 (2005) was a year of fruitful efforts and a year of great creation and change replete with epochal events and outstanding feats in the history of our Party and the nation.

Last year we splendidly celebrated the 60th anniversaries of the Party and the country's liberation as a great festival of victors in the Songun revolution and fully demonstrated the political and ideological might of our revolutionary ranks.

The grandiose military parade and other celebration events and the mass gymnastic and artistic performance Arirang were the epical scenes showing the solidness of single-minded unity, the might of the People's Army and the dignity of our nation.

Fresh progress was made in agricultural production by concentrating and mobilizing nationwide efforts in farming. The Taean Friendship Glass Factory, the Paekma-Cholsan Waterway and other structures of lasting value in the Songun era were built in all parts of the country and a large number of projects of great importance in the economic construction and the improvement of the people's living standard were reconstructed or updated.

We resolutely foiled the US moves to isolate and stifle the country by maintaining a tougher stance and firmly defended our ideology, system and cause. The proud victory and achievements made in memorable last year are the brilliant fruition of leader Kim Jong Il's outstanding Songun revolutionary leadership.

New Year Juche 95 (2006) is a year of general offensive that will make a great leap forward in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation on the basis of the proud victory and achievements in the Songun revolution.

Make another leap forward in building a great prosperous powerful socialist nation on the strength of Songun! this is the militant slogan that we have to hold high.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Down-with-Imperialism Union formed by President Kim Il Sung.

The DIU's 80th anniversary will be an important occasion to show the faith and will of the army and people to add glory to the great feats performed by the President who made the history and tradition of being ever-victorious under the banner of the Juche idea and complete the cause of socialism solidly united around the leadership of the revolution.

To give fullest play to the superiority of Korean-style socialism in political, military, economic, cultural and all other fields by putting spurs to the general advance of the Songun revolution once again--this is the general fighting task for us at the present stage.

We must fully display the might of the political and ideological position of Korean-style socialism.

The unshakeable creed and the revolutionary mettle of our people who regard socialism as the lifeblood should be demonstrated to the full. It is necessary to have transparent anti-US class awareness and consolidate the working-class position of socialism as an iron wall and eternally glorify the gains of revolution defended in a do-or-die spirit on the road of Songun.

It is necessary to prepare all the Party members and the working people into staunch revolutionary fighters who are thoroughly equipped with the Songun philosophy and the Songun revolutionary line of our Party and who have acquired the revolutionary soldier spirit as their lifeblood by decisively strengthening education in the Juche idea and the Songun idea.

We must strengthen the military might of Korean-style socialism in every way.

Ours is invincible socialism with a strong military foundation and national defence is the most important matter in building a great prosperous powerful nation. Whatever situation is, the principled stand of our Party and state to give top priority to the military remains unchanged. The People's Army is the core of the self-reliant defence capability and the pillar of socialism.

The People's Army must become the first adherents to the Songun idea and must be the first to defend and implement Songun politics. All the servicepersons should become fighters of Ri Su Bok and Kang Ho Yong-type in the era of Songun who readily dedicate their precious lives to the fight for the only motherland in the staunch spirit of defending socialism and ardent patriotism.

They should be in perfect combat preparedness to destroy the aggressors at a stroke if the enemy troops invade an inch of the airspace, land and waters of our country.

The habit of attaching importance to the military affairs should be thoroughly established throughout the society. Top priority should be given to ensuring everything necessary for the national defence industry as required by the line of economic construction in the Songun era. The proud traits of Songun Korea that the people assist the army and vice versa should be brought into fuller bloom.

A radical turn should be brought about in socialist economic construction and the improvement of the people's living standard. It is the intention of the Party and our fighting objective to revitalize all the economic sectors and get the people to benefit virtually from our economic foundations in the near future.

We should confidently build an economic power in the 21st century through a high-pitched drive for effecting a great Songun revolutionary surge just as we brought about the great Chollima upswing in hearty response to the decision of the December plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee 50 years ago to advance toward a socialist power.

Agriculture should be put forward as the main front of the economic construction this year, too, and all the forces be mobilized and concentrated on farming once again.

The whole country must turn out as one in the agricultural front true to the vital instructions of President Kim Il Sung who said that Rice means socialism. Labour forces, equipment and materials needed in the agricultural sector should be provided preferentially without any reservation. It is important to buckle down to a job in a revolutionary way as the People's Army does so as to make fresh progress in implementing the Party's policies of bringing about innovations in seed production, potato and soya bean cultivation and two-crop-a-year farming.

The officials and other working people in the field of agriculture should do the farm work tenaciously as befitting the master responsible for the nation's rice supply while all helpers should sincerely assist the countryside just as they did last year.

Workers in the power industry should ease the shortage of electricity, fully conscious of the heavy responsibility they have assumed in the building of a great prosperous powerful nation. Nationwide efforts should be put into the coal industry and efforts be concentrated on major coal mines with rich deposits and favourable mining conditions so as to boost coal output. The metal industry should positively apply the Juche-oriented steel production method and bring about a turn in the production of iron and steel. The railway transport sector should organize and manage transportation scrupulously and in a revolutionary manner and establish strict discipline and order like in the army so as to satisfy the growing demands for transport. All the sectors of the national economy such as the mining, machine-building, chemical and building-materials industries and forestry should first solve basic problems while consolidating material and technological foundations to effect a fresh upsurge in production.

Light industry should positively update production processes to turn out quality consumer goods en masse. All the people should turn out in land and environment conservation to turn our country into a socialist land of beautiful scenery which is good to live in.

All the sectors and units of the national economy should push ahead with modernization work audaciously and in a big and innovative way, proceeding from the standpoint that they start anew by setting the work as an important economic strategy. It is needed to speed up updating on the principle of self-reliance and in such a way as to give priority to the projects that are of weighty importance and profitable and complete them one by one. It is necessary to establish a well-regulated system and order whereby economic work is left to the Cabinet and it is handled under its uniform command. The guiding officials in the economic field should have scientific management and business strategies to ensure profitability and plan and command the economic work in a responsible manner on their own initiative.

It is one of the major targets in the building of a great prosperous powerful nation to develop socialist culture in the Songun era by boldly bringing about innovation in all fields of cultural construction.

The joint editorial refers to the tasks facing the fields of education, science and technology, public health and literature and art. It goes on: The young people should exalt infinitely the idea of youth movement and achievements of President Kim Il Sung and display greater stamina of the young vanguard who builds the future of the Songun cause in this significant year of the 60th anniversary of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League. The key to sure victory lies in steadily maintaining the socialist principles.

It is the steadfast stand of our Party that all work should be done in a creative and innovative manner as required by the developing reality and, at the same time, there should be not the slightest deviation in observing the revolutionary principle. It is necessary to continue to strictly abide by the revolutionary principles maintained by us with all consistency including the issue of ensuring the Party's unitary leadership and the state's uniform guidance.

All the problems arising in the economic management and social life should be solved strictly in line with the collectivist nature of socialism. All the fellow countrymen in the north and the south and abroad should more vigorously push the cause of national reunification that has entered a new phase.

Let us vigorously forward the patriotic movement for independent reunification, peace against war and great national unity under the banner of by our nation itself! this is the slogan to be held up in this year's movement for national reunification.

We should solve all the problems arising in accomplishing the cause of reunification by placing the dignity and interests of the nation above anything else in line with requirements of the idea of by our nation itself. The spirit of giving top priority to the nation and the nation-first manner should prevail and the hurricane of independent reunification should sweep everywhere Koreans live. The grand celebration of June 15, the day of the publication of the North-South Joint Declaration, as the "day of by our nation itself" should be made a tradition.

All the Koreans in the north and the south and abroad must resolutely reject the US intervention and domination with inter-Korean cooperation and must never tolerate treacherous acts of anti-reunification forces who are conspiring with foreign forces.

We should launch a dynamic campaign against war and for peace.

The entire nation should firmly defend peace and security on the Korean Peninsula by turning out in the struggle to resolutely foil the US attempt to launch another war. We must remove the root cause of war completely from this land by launching a nationwide campaign for driving out the US troops. An atmosphere of promoting national reconciliation and unity should be heightened continuously and solidarity be promoted further between reunification-oriented organizations.

The pro-US conservatives in south Korea are now making last-ditch efforts to reverse the era of June 15 reunification to that of confrontation in the past and achieve their ambition for power. The people from all walks of life in south Korea should destroy the tie-up and challenge of "neo-conservatives" by dint of great alliance of progressives and push the group of traitors to final ruin.

This year all the Koreans in the north and the south and abroad should wage a vigorous struggle with the basic tasks of the patriotic movement for independent reunification, peace against war and overall national unity, thus demonstrating once again the might of the Koreans who are closely united under the banner of the June 15 Joint Declaration and setting up a new milestone in the cause of national reunification. The cause of our revolution is the cause of justice and invincibility for successfully shaping the destiny of the motherland and the nation and realizing global independence. We will, in the future, too, make a positive contribution to building a new world, independent, peaceful and friendly, holding aloft the banner of anti-imperialist independence and socialism.

December 16, New York

Mr. President,

The Delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea categorically rejects the draft resolution IV entitled "Situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea", tabled by the EU as political plots against the DPRK by the USA and its allies.

The Delegation of the DPRK questions the legitimacy of the draft resolution as follows:

First, the Delegation of the DPRK draws the attention of the member states to the fact that the draft resolution was tabled by the kingpins of human rights violations, namely, the US, Japan and the UK on behalf of the EU.

As for the US, it is a criminal state, historically living on war and massacre. At this moment, the US, having occupied sovereign states by force, is indiscriminately killing innocent peoples by using chemical weapons such as white phosphorus without hesitation. The US is routinely kidnapping innocent peoples on the pretext of being terror suspects, torturing them in secret prisons. Now, the President, Vice-president, Secretary of State and other high officials of the Administration are all claiming legitimacy of torture in defiance of international law.

As for Japan, it is a war-criminal state of the Second World War, which has not settled the crimes against humanity committed in the past 20th century, but is embellishing them and pushing forward with preparations to repeat the criminal history.

Now, Japan, having an "abduction" clause included in the draft resolution, is demanding that the countries of Asia and Africa support it. The "abduction" issue about which Japan is talking refers to incidents which happened by chance in circumstances of hostile relations between the DPRK and Japan in the 1970s, and which was resolved during Prime Minister Koizumi’s visit to Pyongyang. The problem here is that the conservative hard liners continue to use it politically.

However, Japan’s abduction of Korean people has not settled at all. During the 40 year occupation of Korea, Japan mobilised by force or by abduction 8.4 million people for military service, forced labour at coal mines and for Japanese army sex slaves, and Japan has not given up to now any information of their fate or their whereabouts. Even today, Japan continues to engage in criminal acts of abducting DPRK citizens. In this regard, I am going to announce incidents of Japan’s abduction of DPRK citizens which are not known to the international community up to now. Japan is sending various NGOs to the DPRK-China border areas, and they are engaged in the secret operations of luring and abducting Japanese Korean citizens to take them to Japanese islands. Some of the Japanese NGO members were arrested by the Chinese Public Security authorities for their illegal activities and expelled.

I would like to recall that at the DPRK-Japan normalisation talks held in Beijing in early November this year, we raised this issue with the Japanese side, and demanded that our citizens abducted to Japan be sent back to the DPRK.

The United Kingdom grew fat on hundreds years of colonial exploitation and massacre. Today, the UK is a zealous junior collaborator of the US in its aggression against sovereign states and violation of international law and human rights under the slogan of war on terror.

In this regard, the Delegation of the DPRK makes it clear that the EU is nothing else but hypocritical, although it poses as a human rights champion. It is cowardly and hypocritical for the EU to cry about human rights in small and weak countries while turning away from horrible human rights violations of the US and the UK.

In conclusion, the Delegation of the DPRK raises the following question: What on earth are justice and fairness and legitimacy, when kingpins of human rights violations are free to use their might to blame other countries for human right issues?

Secondly, human rights are utilised for political purposes against the DPRK.

The US, UK and Japan are pursuing their aim of overthrowing our social system by using human right issues together with the nuclear issue. The US has enacted a "North Korean Human Right Act", and is investing 24 million dollars on "North Korean human rights" every year. And innumerable bogus human rights organisations of the US, Japan, south Korea and European countries are engaging in subversive operations against the DPRK to get paid from this fund. In this regard, I once again highlight the fact that the draft resolution has been based on false informations fabricated by these bogus NGOs.

The anti-DPRK manoeuvrings by the US and Japan in using human right issues are themselves violations of human rights and international law. Third, the EU’s resolution damages the authority and credibility of the UN.

The US, UK and Japan are pressing hard the developing countries to change their positions in support of the draft resolution.

At the Third Committee, many of the Asian and African countries voted against or abstained on the EU’s draft resolution from the principled position against politicisation, double standards and selectivity of human right issues. The US, UK and Japan were alarmed by the result of the vote, and stepped up pressure on those countries to change their positions. We feel particularly sick of Japan’s desperate campaign to force its will on other countries by using its economic influence.

All these facts and realities eloquently prove that the draft resolution, even if it is adopted by majority support, would not carry the lofty authority and legitimacy of the resolution of General Assembly of the United Nations. Mr. President,

The DPRK is a country of small territory and population, while the US, UK, Japan and EU are big powers boasting of military and economic strengths.

The people of the DPRK are highly proud that they firmly safeguard their sovereignty against the pressure of the united forces of the US, UK, Japan and EU, and are resolved to defend and further develop the people-centered superior system which they have chosen with their own hands.

Thank you.

These remarks by Fidel Castro Ruz, President of the Republic of Cuba, to the people of Cuba, to the American people and to the world public opinion were made at the onset of the Cuban people’s march on the US Interests Section in Havana on January 24, 2006. The march was held to protest against the latest provocations launched by the Bush administration against Cuba.

Dear compatriots:

At the onset of this march on the perfidious and provocative representatives of imperialism, I wish to reiterate what I said on Sunday in my closing remarks to the heroic people of our beloved homeland, to the noble American people and to the world public opinion.

"The United States government is deliberately in pursuit of the following objectives:

"First, the release of terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, who was trained by US authorities – Bush Sr. included – and used to perpetrate monstrous crimes against the Cuban people. Recruited in 1961, this repulsive character was trained to carry out special operations during the Bay of Pigs invasion. [Posada, a co-author of the 1976 mid-flight bombing of a Cuban airliner off the coast of Barbados that killed all 73 people on board, has been detained only under common immigration charges for having illegally entered US territory, and now Washington intends to release him.] He and Orlando Bosch, officially pardoned by Bush Sr., subsequently received rigorous training to execute despicable acts of terrorism against Cuba. Likewise, he was given instruction to take part in Operation Condor, an international terrorist organization responsible for odious crimes against Latin American personalities. He is the mind behind the midair bombing of a Cubana de Aviación airliner, which claimed the lives of 73 people, off the coasts of Barbados, on October 6, 1976. Taken out of a Venezuelan prison by the CIA on August 18, 1985, he immediately became involved in the dirty war against Nicaragua, supplying weapons to the ‘contras’ in El Salvador and introducing drugs in the United States in the same planes that brought them weapons. For over four decades, Luis Posada Carriles maintained close ties with US intelligence agencies, received financing from various administrations and was used by the Cuban American National Foundation in attempts to assassinate the Cuban head of state. Efforts by the current US President, and a pardon signed by Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso, finally secured his release from prison on August 26, 2004. Then, taken to a Central American country under protection from the US government, he was authorized to secretly enter the United States. Between March 18 and 20, 2005, he entered the country on the Santrina, a yacht captained by the notorious terrorist Santiago Álvarez, a man who, strangely enough, is also being held for weapons trafficking and gross violations of US national security laws. These are irrefutable facts.

"Second, the current US administration has utterly failed in its efforts to isolate and stifle Cuba economically. But it does not accept this failure, and grows dangerously desperate.

"Third, the government of the United States has done everything in its power to please the Cuban American terrorist mafia, which resorted to fraud, in Florida, to put President George W. Bush in office.

"Fourth, President Bush and his administration have committed themselves to implementing a macabre transition plan in Cuba, an act of flagrant interference in the internal affairs of our country, which would return it to a state of backwardness.

"Fifth, the government of the United States has implemented every imaginable measure to deprive Cuba of completely legitimate sources of income. It has made it more difficult for people to send remittances to Cuba and even, callously, forbidden, or made it next to impossible, for Cuban-born US residents to visit their relatives on the island.

"Sixth, under pressure from the Cuban-American mob, and as one their next step, the government of the United States is intent on openly violating the US – Cuba Migratory Accords.

"Seventh: The government of the United States is looking for any pretext to prevent, at all costs, the sales of agricultural products to Cuba, which have been growing, while our country has paid every cent on time during five years, something that government did not expect from a blockaded nation facing constant aggression.

"Eighth, the government of the United States, unhappy about President Carter’s decision of May 30, 1977, is intent on breaking the minimal diplomatic links which exist between Cuba and the United States today. The gross acts of provocation of the US Interests Section in Havana do not and could not have a different objective.

"The Bush administration is well aware that no government on earth can tolerate such an affront to its dignity and sovereignty.

"Cuba’s attitude, and its response to the empire’s provocations, will be entirely peaceful, but we shall counter the insult with all the strength of our moral fortitude and we shall persist in our determination to fight to the death, against whatever act of belligerence of the restless and brutal empire that threatens us. Let no one for a minute forget the oath of Maceo, our Bronze Titan, when he said that ‘whosoever attempts to take possession of Cuba shall conquer but the blood-soaked ground beneath his feet, if he does not first perish in battle’.

I will be witnessing this march together with our spirited children and students who, from the Anti-imperialist Square, will encourage our brave and combative people that will be marching today on this perfidious and provocative representation, the same as they will march on to battle against any aggressor.

Homeland or death! We shall overcome!

The Vietnamese Party leader on January 24 emphasised the need to increase the practicality of theoretical thought by ensuring that it is informed by and reflective of daily life.

Addressing at the 16th session of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee's Council for Theoretical Studies, General Secretary Nong Duc Manh said: "Theoretical thought should be closely reflective of as well as applied to people's daily lives to ensure it is capable of addressing critical issues."

Various important achievements in theoretical studies have been made over recent years but much remains to be done in the future, General Secretary Manh said.

The Party chief went on to say that the draft Political Report, which will be presented at the 10th National Party Congress, focuses on the necessity of raising public awareness about socialism and the advancement of socialism in Viet Nam, and on increasing the Party's capacity and vitality in the new period.

The report also points out to the need to meet new requirements of the socialism-oriented market-driven economy and of the processes of industrialisation-modernisation, political reform and imbuing the Vietnamese culture with national identity.

The Party leader praised the Council for the accomplishments it has made over recent years, particularly its summation of several theoretical and practical affairs in the 20 years of renewal in Viet Nam.

The renewal process has achieved great victories and has been of historical significance in both theoretical and practical areas, having proven that the Party's actions are well-conceived and creative and that the advance towards socialism is a realistic path for Viet Nam, General Secretary Manh said.

In the 2006-2010 period, the council plans to improve the quality of State-level studies and improve its activities in order to create breakthroughs in theoretical studies.

Ha Noi  (VNA)