The Defeat of the Tamil Tigers and the PKK
A look at the theory of the Right
of Nations to Self-Determination.
In his article titled "The
Fate of the Tamil Tigers and the PKK", Garbis Hodja presented his
analysis and interpretation of the subject on a strategic and tactical basis in
an informative way, and by making a comparison with the PKK, he came to the
conclusion that the PKK is less likely to suffer the same or a similar defeat
on a strategic and tactical basis, or that there is no possibility of such
thing.
One wishes that in his conclusion
of these analyses, Garbis Hodja is right,
and the Kurdish working and peasant people will not and should not suffer such
a defeat under a leadership like the PKK.
However, Marxists' approach and analysis of events should not be based on subjective wishes and desires, but in the light of Marxist theories, regardless of however painful the conclusion is. In this sense, I will try to make an interpretation and comparison on the basis of Marxist theories as briefly as possible.
On the Right of Nations to
Self-Determination
When approaching the theory of
the right of nations to self-determination, as in almost every basic issue,
two historical periods (capitalism -bourgeois democratic revolutions, and
imperialism) and the application and practice of the theory according to
these periods are confused with each other. In the same way, the question
of the nation-State and the emancipation of the national societies (nations)
within these nation-states (which has been transferred to the second period)
has been detached from its content and meaning, the right of (oppressed) nation-states to self-determination has been completely
abandoned or, at best, subordinated to the bourgeois liberation
struggle of the National societies (minority nations) within
this nation-state.
As I tried to emphasize
briefly in the article titled "The Right of Nations to Self-Determination
and Turkey", this approach, contrary to one of the main goals of
the theory and perhaps the most important one, which is to ensure the trust, cohesion, unity
and brotherhood of the peoples (especially within an oppressed
nation-state), has led to the formation of distrust, separation, and hostility
among the peoples within this nation-state .
The general question has been
stripped of its class content and position and transformed into nationalist
content and a bourgeois practice of emancipation.
The Imperialists, who claim the
right of self-determination of nations with the theories and practice of
globalization, in fact, in line with Rockefeller's words "If we increase
the number of nation-states/countries in the world to 1000, we will extend our
domination over the world for 10,000 years", it aimed to divide,
dismember, suppress and destroy the struggles of oppressed peoples, and
only, as long as it suits their own interests, they practice the deception of
giving the right of self-determination to nations.
The theory of the NRSD advocated
by the Marxists is, as the masters stated, "not to encourage the establishment of small states
in any way, but on the contrary, to prepare the establishment of larger
states and federations, freer from fear, and therefore wider and more
universal." In this sense, the theory of the NRSD has revealed the great
differences between the capitalist period and the imperialist period in terms
of both theoretical and practical approach.
"In fact," says Lenin,
"the practice of recent years has once again confirmed that the national and colonial question is inseparable
from the question of liberation from the domination of imperialism, and that
nations and colonies that do not
possess all their rights cannot be liberated without the overthrow of the
power of capital." The
Marxist analysis and theory, sadly, constitutes and summarizes the theoretical
explanation of the reason for the defeat of the Tamil Tigers.
The essence and content of this
theory is that in the period we live in, which corresponds to the imperialist
period of "capitalism that has matured and is moving towards a socialist
society", Marxists have waged and must wage their irreconcilable
struggle against bourgeois nationalism in the "National
movements", that it is a period of anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist
struggle, and that the theory is based on the emancipation of (oppressed)
nation-states in general, (dependent
on the emancipation of this oppressed nation-state), and this nation-state, It focuses on the fact that it is about the
right of self-determination of national-societies (nations) within it.
Tamil Tigers and UKKTH
The fact that the leadership of
the Tamil Tigers is not Marxist Leninist has led to their isolation (and the Tamil laboring
peasant people they lead) from the entire working and peasant people of Sri
Lanka, and explains the basic theoretical and therefore, practical
truth of the formation and deepening of nationalism and animosity within
the Nation-State between the nations.
At this point, it cannot be beyond imagination to argue that
the bourgeois emancipation of a national society even if it is won for a period of time (as long as it
is not completely under the guidance and control of imperialism) can not be
long-lasting, let alone socialist within that nation-state without ensuring fraternity,
solidarity and unity among the working and peasant peoples existing in that nation-state,.
The defeat of the Tamil tigers,
who were isolated from the working and peasant population of Sri Lanka,
was another bitter proof of this fact.
Tamil Tigers and PKK
Although the history of oppressed
peoples within a nation-state differs in form, in essence the oppression of the
State has involved , from the denial of freedoms to the rejection of the
national character of the national society in question continues to contain the
same theory and practice.
In practical terms, it is a historical fact that the Tamil Tigers
were born and developed out of the struggle of the Tamil people, while the
PKK seized the revolutionary struggle of the Kurdish working and peasant
people externally with the help of
the Nation-State bourgeoisie (consciously or unconsciously) and turned it
into a nationalist struggle.
Again, in practical terms
(perhaps as an explanation for the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, the massacre of
the Tamil people in front of our eyes, the demonstrations in Iran can be
broadcast 24 hours a day in all imperialist media, but this massacre was not
broadcasted for even 24 seconds), the uncompromising stand of the Tamil
Leadership with the imperialists and the calls of PKK leadership for
reconciliation not only with the imperialists but also with the nation-state,
is another theoretical and practical, difference between the two.
Since our subject is a comparison
on a theoretical basis, when we look at it on this basis, we see that
neither of them is a Marxist-Leninist leadership, that they do not embrace
other working and peasant peoples in the nation-state, that they do not
make any effort in this direction, that they engage in actions targeting the
people, and that their practice ensures the formation and ossification of
hatred between the peoples… In short, we can see that the practical
consequences of the division and
fragmentation of the working and peasant people's power within the
nation-state, the Nationalist-ization, opportun-ization, or tail-ization of
even the left-wing movements within that nation-state, are not
fundamentally different for both.
Conclusion
The theory of the right of
nations to self-determination cannot
be reduced to the theory of the self-determination of a national society
(nation) within an oppressed
nation-state. The right of self-determination of an oppressed nation-state,
that is, the struggle to establish revolutionary democracy by freeing itself
from the yoke of imperialism, cannot be secondary and subordinated to the
bourgeois liberation struggle of a national society within a given country.
The struggle for revolutionary
democracy is a general question, and the liberation of national societies is
a special question. It has general priority, specific is subordinated to
the general interest.
The struggle over democratic
demands is within the minimum program of the general struggle, and
the maximum program cannot be
subordinated to the minimum program struggle.
As summarized in an analysis made
many years ago, the defeat of the Tamil tigers "has once again confirmed
that the national and colonial question is inseparable from the question of
liberation from the domination of imperialism, and that nations and colonies that do not have
all their rights cannot be liberated without the overthrow of the power
of capital."
The real emancipation of the
Kurdish working and peasant people cannot take place independently of the
emancipation of all the toiling and peasant peoples in Turkey, and especially not under a petty-bourgeois
leadership such as the PKK.
Lenin's '... The question is
not the size of an organization, but the question of the real and objective meaning of its policy:
does it represent the masses, does it serve them, that is, does
it aim to liberate them from capitalism,
or does it represent the interests of the minority, or the reconciliation of the minority with
capitalism? The answer to this theory "" will also be the
answer to the policy of the PKK leadership, and the question of where it is leading
the struggle of Kurdish laboring people.
As I emphasize in every article
on this subject;
At this point, national movements (of the peoples of the
nation-state or the national community -nation within that country) that do not target and exclude imperialism,
do not include real democracy in the maximum program, and do not implement
revolutionary solidarity, will be condemned to become toys in the hands of
imperialism and the collaborating ruling classes, and will end up betraying both to their
own people and to the revolutionary struggle in the country they live in.
"It will be an inevitable consequence
of any revolutionary leadership that contributed to or remained spectators
to this betrayal for emotional, opportunist and similar reasons will meet the same fate.
"Even if it is the most
'just,' the 'pure,' the most refined and the most civilized, Marxism is
incompatible with nationalism." Lenin
Erdogan Ahmet
June 2009
* Lenin, both in his speech at a
meeting of Activists and on Imperialism and
in many others when he says "nation", speaks of the "nation
state" and its people, their liberation from the yoke of
imperialism and capitalism, and when he speaks of the oppressed nation
within a nation-state, he emphasizes this in particular, or the issue is
about the right of self-determination of the nation within a nation-state.
"Oppressed
nations constitute not less than seventy percent of the world's population.
To these the Peace of Versailles added another hundred or one hundred and fifty
million people.
"Now, we are not only representatives of workers of all countries, but also
representatives of oppressed peoples. ..... the slogan "Workers
of all countries and all oppressed peoples, unite".... Of course, this
amendment is wrong from the point of view of the Communist Manifesto,
but the Communist Manifesto was written under completely different
circumstances... From today's political point of view, change is
right." Lenin, Speech Delivered at a Meeting of Activists Of The
Moscow Organisation of the R.C.P.(B.) December 6, 1920
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