Farce of Turkish show

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FAMILIAR FACES looked down at us from the podium if the Labour Party/ Anti Apartheid Movement's third joint conference, last weekend.

They told us how awful apartheid is, with inexhaustible fund of shock-horror that the apartheid regime should act like an apartheid regime -but much less about how to fight apartheid.

The Labour Party's new spokesperson on Southern Africa, Stanley Clinton Davies, reaffirmed our commitment to isolate South Africa in the eyes of the world community and to impose UN economic sanctions. He seemed to think that it is now in the interest of the British government to tighten the screws on South Africa (despite the fact that the same multi-nationals which dominate the economy here also do so there).

He ended on the ritual nate that "ritual denunciations are no use" , and that "resolute action is called for"

An occasional embarrassed aside was made about the less-than-resolute record of the last Labour government on following Conference decisions on South Africa. And no mention of how the next Labour government is unity there actually lies here a thoroughly sectarian attitude towards those union bodies, like FOSATU with its 70,000 black members, which have been waging militant struggles but which are both organisationally and politically distinct from the ANC and SACTU.

Later Andrew Molotsane of SACTU put the boot in further by saying that if Ruth Mompati had revealed ANC's connections with particular trade unions, she would be "dealt with when the ANC came to power'! He dredged up an old allegation originally directed at the Militant's South African Labour Education Project, about the theft of documents from SACTU, seemingly to smear all opposition.

Beneath these wild and irrelevant attacks, there lies a refusal to engage in debate with those who want to broaden the terms of the solidarity movement.

Despise

There were clear rumblings of discontent with this attitude from the floor, which reflect widespread discontent with the leadership of AAM from within as well as without the movement.

Our own view is that the South African liberation movement there exists a longstanding nationalist distrust of trade unions. Outwardly it is because ordinary trade unions are too reformist and only political unions like the exiled SACTU are revolutionary enough. Inwardly they fear the growth of an independent working-class movement, and despise the day-to-day demands of the workers. ACTION At present the AAM leadership - based on the CP and safe Labour stalwarts like Bob Hughes -try to silence opposition by bureaucratic procedure.

The resulting passivity of the AAM as a whole has been the result. At this meeting the workshops provided some relief from the executive's dominance and revealed the undercurrent of dissent.

For a joint Labour Party/ AAM conference, the absence of discussion about the PLP's lack of accountability to conference resolutions on Southern Africa was glaring. These resolutions have indicated a strong current of support for a more radical programme of labour movement solidarity with the black struggle.

Perhaps it is time to organise ourselves more effectively in the Labour Party to give real support to black workers in South Africa. by Bob Fine and Lawrence Welch * Support the "Isolate Apartheid' rally on March 14, Trafalgar Square. * Meeting on February 6 called by the AAM to help build support for the Rowntree strike, at College Hall, Malet St, WC1.

All activity by Turkey's Revolutionary Trade Union Confederation (DISK) was banned following the coup of 12 September 1980.

Immediately the military began arresting DISK leaders and shop stewards. On 14 December 1981 15 months after their arrest, 52 leaders of DISK appeared on trial for the first time.

The military prosecutor is demanding the death penalty for all of them. In his indictment he announced that preparations are under way for the trials of 2,000 more DISK members.

There were 75 lawyers to defend the DISK leaders. In his speech the prosecutor TURKEY бОСІДАТУ САМРАСТ!

demanded a decrease in the number of lawyers. He was asking judges to adopt "wa conditions regulations for the trial. They accepted this demand limited the number of lawyers to 52.

The chairman of the Istanbul Bar Association Orhan Apaydin objected to the decision and added that they had not been able to see their clients until now.

The judges interrupted his speech and didn't allow him to continue. Later they dismissed him from the court. All the other lawyers followed him.

The next day the trial continued and the lawyers and DISK leaders again objected to the decision on limiting the number of lawyers.

Again the judges either refused to let them speak or failed to record what they From the Turkish Solidarity Campaigı said. On the third day of the trial the judges again dismissed two lawyers. In protest the entire defence walked out and since then have not attended the trials.

The second day the military prosecutor issued the following press statement:

"This is a very important trial. Both Turkish and world public opinion have a great interest in the trial.

Everybody is watching us.

We must finish it without any trouble. We are adopting the "war conditions" regulations to• finish this trial quickly. This trial will finish soon because there are not any witnesses, and the number of accused is limited. Immediately after this trial we will open the trials for democratic organisations and Republican People's Party MPs. The trials for DISK-affiliated trade unions will follow them"

Searches

An atmosphere of terror pervades the trial. Thousands of soldiers surround the court, and road blocks have been set up throughout a radius of several miles. People being allowed to attend the trial are severely limited in number, and are sublected to strip searches regardless of their sex, before entering the court room, as are the lawyers. Despite all this, several observers from abroad are attending the trial, including ones from the European Trade Union Confederation, the ICFTU, the Greek Trade Union Confederation, the International Democratic Lawyers' Association, the World Workers Confederation and Amnesty International.

Expel

Yet despite this, Labour MEP Tom Urwin, chairman of the Political Commission of the European Assembly who was an observer in the trial for one day, has recommended to the European Parliament 'further consideration' of the proposal to expel Turkey : Irom i the European Community.

The Turkey Solidarity Campaign sees its duty to defend DISK and calls for an immediate response from the British Labour and trade union movement.

Save the lives of these people! Raise the issue in your union branch, trades council or Labour Party branch.

Campaign for sponsorship of the Democratic Platform speakers tour organised by the Turkish Solidarity Campaign from March 24 to April 3

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SOP ME COUTONS AND TORTUN TURKEY SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN