Parte 2 - LA36 KB articles 1988 98 and cuttings 050 002

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acts carried out by Islamic separatists and such incidents may well increase following the rise of the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan." Unfortunately, although some comrades may not want to face it, whilst it is the case that a (pro-US as well as obscurantist) Taliban Afghanistan poses a threat to China's security in the 1990s, a pro-Soviet government in the country posed a threat to China's security in the late 1970s and early to mid 1980s. A responsible Chinese government could not but fail to take this into account. c) The nature of the Afghan revolutionary movement - one that was nascent and in many respects unstable and confused. The two main factions, Parcham and Khalq, of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), were not the only two components of this movement. There were also a number of significant organisations that, over fairly protracted periods, maintained a large degree of political and ideological unity with the Chinese Communist Party as well as a certain level of practical, if not generally overt, organisational relations. The most well-known of these groups went by the name of Eternal Flame. (Later, some other organisations adopted positions close to those of the Party of Labour of Albania while still others expressed support for the 'Gang of Four'.) These organisations all faced harsh suppression at the hands of PDPA governments - hardly surprising when one considers also the degree of inter and intra-factional bloodletting in and around the PDPA itself. While maintaining a general position of solidarity with the Afghan revolution, I do not think that we should adopt a glib attitude to these factors from the distance as well as the relative comfort and safety of Britain. Thirdly, I think British communists should be very cautious and circumspect before pronouncing on the supposed "guilt" of their Chinese comrades, when one considers the negligible scale and achievements of our own movement and the stupendous scale, achievements and significance of the Chinese revolution. For a British communist to do this from Taiwan, of all places, is nothing but the height of impertinence and sheer social-chauvinist arrogance. Still, I suppose a bit of 'Beijing bashing', even from the 'left', might help persuade the Guomindang authorities to renew Jonathan's visa and residency permit! Yours fraternally K.A. Bennett Keith Bennett South London (For confirmation, phone: 0973 824742)

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