BHURLO
The ben on demonstrations and public meetings in Ceylon was temporarily lifted on May Day this year (though re-imposed on 2 Mayi so that the coalition partiet could hold a public rally. The aim af this rally was to boost the sagging morale of the govern ment's supporters and prevent the disintegration of the popular front led by Madame bandaranaike. in faor of their unpopularity the coalition leaders have resorted to the "Nasserite" tactic of a partial mobilisation of a section (generally the more back: ward layers) of the masses. Govemment spokesman at the May Day rally made new "promises to Implement socialist policies. The Prime Minister, however, despite all her demagogic rhatoric, called on The masses to work nata to mako une country prosperous, She announced that next year the povernment will stop importing rice lat present 50% of the food requirement importedi and the people While the government's hollow promises cannot stop the rot, even such pertial mobilisations may be turned against them. On May Day the LSSPIRI. Ceylon section of the Fourth Internationel, took advantage of the temporary relaxation of emergency regulations to call a demonstration and meeting through the Ceylon Mercantile Union at which a resolution was adopted calling on the government to stop imports of armi, not rice, to restore all democratic rights induding the right to strike, and to release all political prisoners. The meeting also decided to form miss committees to campaign for these demands.
The Ceylon Solidarity Campaign has lunched a denature compe on in solidarity with inese deman cs, which have now been andorsed by six mast organisations in Ceylon with a total membership of more than a million. More details from Ceylon Solidarity Campaign, 9 Dennington Park Mansions, London, A series of bloody clashes between the Lebananniversary of the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance. In orgenising them the two governments aim to bolster up and give a popular' glow to their collaboration in the repression of the liberation struggles, which pase an increasingly successlul threat not only to Portuguese colonialism but to the interests of Western imperialism. As two of the oldest colonising powers in Europe, they have between them a vast experience of ruthless repression and counter-revolution against colonial wars in the imperialist epoch, which is brought to bear today in the Arab Gulf, in Ireland and in Southern Alrice.
Anglo-Portuguese callaboration in Africa is, not End the Allence campaigners picker Duke of Edishungl Portugucse Allant surprisingly, based on mutual self-interest. Portuge plays for Britain the useful role of policing a lange proportion of its vast economic interests in Southem Africa, Among the British firms explaiting the people of Mozambique and Angole are such familiar names as British Oxygen, ICI, Tate and Lyle, Metal Box and Rio Tinto Zine. In return Britain, along with West Germany, France and the U.5., Provides Portugel, especially through NATO, with a major part of its rapidly growing defence needs. Britain also safeguards Portugal on the diplomatic front: a significant part of Britain's EEC negotiations involved ensuring that Portugal's economic interests would be B050159 A campaign to end Britain's collaboration with Portugal's colonial wens and in solidarity with the liberation movements is being orgenised by the Committee for Freedom in Mozambique, Angole and Guint, with the support of an increasing number of in Amman and Beirut would also quickly disFRELIMO. There will be a sim lar rally in NATO guns in AFRICA Slovo.
metropom or broost any organisations. The first stage of the campaign is to organise pickets against the Duke of Edinburgh, whose visit to Portugal next month is intended as a This with be fol owed by the organisation of pickets st all 21 Portuguese consulates in Britain on 16 June, the acrual dare of the anniversary. On 20 June there вумать." will be a mass rally in Central Hail, Westminster, on "Southern Atrica in Struggle.' One of the speaker will be Marpeting dos Santos, vice president of The End the Alliance Campaign is not intended as a ance and for all initiative, but is planned in the END TH 4E Pacon Israel, context of the need to build a mass movement against British collaboration and in support of the liberation struggle, The political education of activists in this movement is one of the purposes of the confereno: on Revolution Against Portuguese Colonialism' to be held in Manchester on 23-24 June, Speakers include dos Santos, Besil Davidson, Bob Sutcliffe, John Seul, Fred Halliday and Joe The dimax of the political mobilisation of this campaign will be a demonstration against Premier Caetano when he comes to Britain on 15 July to clinch the "goodwil" that both imperialist powers hope to engender by the orlebrations. The first wisit by a Portuguese Prime Minister in 50 years. it indicates the growing concern of imperialism with the wars in Africa. An effective demonstration on 15 July will be a blow against Portuguese colonialism even on what it expects to be the safe ground of the