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-4- the Soviet Union was not the socialist system itself. Rather, these dramatic events were the culmination of a long process of departure from Socialist principles and methods, particularly of party leadership, revolutionary party building, ideological education and proletarian internationalism, including the principles that should govern the relations between revolutionary parties and countries. Those parties and countries that have remained faithful to revolutionary principles have been able to continue building Socialism even amidst all the difficulties, twists and turns, of the international situation. The foremost example in this regard is, of course, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea itself, the homeland of Juche. Furthermore, leaders with a real commitment to anti- imperialism cannot be so easily pushed aside and frustrated as the traitors and renegades to Socialism. As President Saddam Hussein of Iraq recently noted, in the two years since the Gulf war there has been a change in the international situation in that there is now a growing number of countries that are not afraid to stand up to the United States. A key lesson that must be learned from the trials and vicissitudes of recent years is that first importance must be attached to the question of independence. In his classic work, 'The Historical Lesson of Building Socialism and the General Line of

-5- Our Party, made public one year ago, the dear leader Comrade Kim Jong Il noted that a key reason for the collapse of socialism in a number of countries was that they failed to establish and apply Juche. Without this key one can scarcely understand why countries that had been building socialism for decades could collapse like a pack of cards in such rapid succession. It is only when one upholds independence that one can adequately and correctly discharge both national and international responsibilities. In his talk, "Let us achieve the great unity of our nation", the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung explains that only a genuine patriot who loves his country and people can be a true patriot communist faithful to the cause of the world revolution. Consequently, the great leader points out, he always describes himself as a patriotic communist, a nationalist and an internationalist. It is this living and real definition of true internationalism, as opposed to the abstract and self-serving distortions promoted by revisionists and great power dominationists in the past, that is providing the basis for a regrouping and reorganisation of revolutionary forces on a national and international scale. As the historic Pyongyang Declaration, "Let us defend and advance the Socialist Cause", originally adopted by communist and workers' parties, and

-6- Other parties aspiring after socialism, who participated in the gala celebrations of the 80th birthday of the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung, makes clear: " The Socialist Movement is an independent one. Socialism is carved out and built with a country or national State as a unit. The socialist cause in each country should be fulfilled on the responsibility of the party and people of that Country... "The Socialist Cause is a national one and, at the same time, a common cause of mankind... International solidarity is essential to the Struggle for socialism. Now that the imperialists and reactionaries are attaching socialism and the people in an international collusion, the parties which are building socialism or aspiring after it should defend and advance socialism on an international scale and strengthen mutual support and solidarity in their efforts for social justice, democracy, the right to existence and peace against imperialist domination, subjugation by Capital and neo-Colonialism." These principles of the Pyongyang Declaration have been further clarified and developed by the dear leader Comrade Kim Jong Il in his treatise, "On the fundamentals of revolutionary party building", which was published to mark the founding anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea on October 10 1992. In part 3 of this treatise, dear Comrade Kim Jong Il stresses the necessity

-7- of strengthening the internationalist unity and solidarity of the revolutionary parties. The struggle to realise the independence of the popular masses in each country is closely related to the struggle to make the whole world independent. The victorious advance of the socialist cause in a country gives active support to the socialist cause in other countries and creates a favourable climate for it. The internationalist unity and solidarity of the revolutionary parties creates a favourable condition for the struggle for independence in each country and becomes a powerful driving force accelerating global independence. This proves that to strengthen the unity and solidarity of the revolutionary parties is a necessary demand based on the community of revolutionary duty. In particular, in league with one another, the internationally united imperialist and reactionary forces of all shades are challenging the independent, socialist cause of the peoples and trying to destroy them one by one. This makes it absolutely necessary for all the revolutionary parties to unite and fight against them. Dear Comrade Kim Jong Il also clarifies in the treatise that the unity and solidarity of the revolutionary parties should be realised on the basis of the socialist idea. The internationalist unity and solidarity of the revolutionary parties must also be

-8- achieved on the basis of independence. This is because independence is the life and soul of the revolutionary parties. They are the independent political organisations leading the socialist cause of the popular masses. The socialist cause in each country advances and can emerge victorious through their independent activities. Therefore, their Unity and solidarity must be based on respect for their independence and the promotion of their independent activities. They must establish a comradely relationship on the basis of independence and equality instead of a relationship in which one is higher and the other lower and one dictates whilst the other is dictated to. In the treatise, Comrade Kim Jong Il also presented an urgent, common task facing the revolutionary parties - that is to defend Socialism from the counter-revolutionary offensive of the imperialists and reactionaries. Following the events in the former Soviet Union and the east European Countries, the imperialists are concentrating the spearhead of their attack on the socialist countries which are faithful to revolutionary principles, while resorting to every manner of trickery to prevent Socialism from reviving in the former Socialist Countries. They are also resorting to every conceivable heinous plot to hold in check the advance towards Socialism of the people of those countries which were subjected to national oppression

-9- and exploitation in the past and which have now embarked on the building of a new society and are repressing the working people's struggle for independence in their own countries. Therefore, the revolutionary parties and peoples must give active support and encouragement to those parties and peoples that are waging an undaunted struggle for socialism under complicated and difficult circumstances and conditions. Then, the victory of the common cause of socialism will be further acclerated. The revolutionary parties adhering to socialism must not only unite with one another - they must also form a united front with the democratic political parties and organisations of various kinds. This is particularly important at the present time when, overall, the world revolution is at the stage of democratic revolution. The main content of this democratic revolution is to win the right to independence of every country and people, to ensure the right to development, democratise international relations and realise a new international economic order. The victory of this democratic revolution will serve not only to cut the lifelines of imperialism, but also to realise the goal set by Marx and Engels in The Communist Manifesto, whereby the free development of one becomes the precondition for the free development of all. Inheriting and carrying forward the glorious

-10- revolutionary banner of the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung, the dear leader Comrade Kim Jong Il is today not only leading the socialist revolution and construction in Korea, but is also giving priceless guidance and leadership to all anti-imperialist and revolutionary forces throughout the world in their struggle for independence, freedom and socialism. All students and adherents of the Juche idea warmly congratulate the dear leader Marshal Kim Jong Il on his 51st birthday, wishing him a long life in good health and being firmly resolved to deeply study, apply and disseminate his teachings in accordance with our national realities and so as to realise our common goal of the Chajusong of the popular masses.

Friends and Comrades, two years after 'Operation Desert Storm' to draw attention to the double standards of the United States, Britain and other imperialist powers and to reaffirm our solidarity with the peoples of Iraq, Palestine and other peoples fighting for their freedom and self-determination. That we do so is a sign of the strategic failure of imperialism. The boast of former US president George Bush - a man rejected by his own people- that his brutal 'Desert Storm' would usher in a stable 'New world order' in which the US could rule the roost unchallenged and unswayed has have been proven to be about as realistic as the boast that the Carnage of 1914-18 would be the "War to end wars". What remains the case for the present, is that the disintegration and collapse of the Soviet Union, whatever precise analysis we might have made of the nature of its society or whatever judgement we might have passed about this or that aspect of its domestic or foreign policies, has removed a global counterweight to US hegemony and made a travesty of the democratic principles of international law. Both Bush and Clinton seem to think that, providing they come out with snappy one-liners, people will lose their capacity to think, reason and remember. "United Nations Security Council resolutions

-2- must be upheld", they say - and then proceed to bomb Iraq so as to enforce air exclusion zones that the United Nations has never proposed or endorsed, whilst remaining silent on the Unanimous demand of the UN security Council (that is to say, including even their own grudging vote) that the 415 Palestinian deportees be allowed to return to their homes. But why such disrespect for the UN and its resolutions? Things were not always this way. During much of the 1970s, a United front of Socialist and third world countries enabled the UN to take up a number of progressive positions - there were demands for the establishment of a New International Economic Order, a New International Information order and for the return of Cultural relics plundered from the oppressed nations in the heyday of colonialism; the status of liberation movements as representatives of their peoples, such as the PLO, the ANC and PAC in South Africa and the Puerto Rican Socialist Party, was underwritten in international law, and there was the landmark resolution branding Zionism as a form of racism. This is what Henry Kissinger described as the "tyranny of the majority" - and the USA piled up millions upon millions of unpaid dues to the United Nations, as well as, along with Britain, withdrawing from UNESCO