January 29, 2011 — The progressive movement and peoples of the Philippines stands in solidarity with the Egyptian people and the mass movement in the streets in these critical moments in their struggle for the ouster of the dictatorial Mubarak regime. We salute them for their tremendous courage in fighting a vicious regime, which has an infamous reputation for the brutality of its police and security forces, and that has been responsible for arbitrarily arresting and cruelly torturing government opponents. We support the people’s message that Mubarak must go and that the people no longer want his government and system.

We also salute the upsurge of the Tunisian peoples in overthrowing the US-backed dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14, and how their victory has electrified and inspired the people of Egypt and the Middle East, while dictators shake with fear.

We stand with them in sorrow and anger at the deaths of protesters, ordinary people, who have now become the martyrs of the movement. We note that the bullets that killed them and the tear gas used against the protesters are financed by the United States, which provides billions of dollars of funding to the Egyptian regime, for military equipment and “security” purposes. Despite Washington’s rhetoric about democratic rights, the Mubarak regime has been a key ally of the United States and has been propped up by the US for decades. Mubarak is Washington’s man in the region.

We understand the tremendous odds faced by the Egyptian people struggling in the streets today. However, we also know, based on our own experience in ousting the Marcos dictatorship in 1986, that people’s power can be victorious and prevail against the most cruel regimes backed by the mightiest powers on Earth, in this case the United States.

Revolutionary flames are sweeping across the Arab world. Yesterday Tunisia removed a barbaric dictator. Today is for Egypt. Tomorrow is for Palestine and all those in the Middle East struggling against dictatorships and exploitation and oppression.

Long live the revival of genuine peoples popular power in the Middle East!

Long live the revolution in the Middle East!

Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM, Party of the Labouring Masses), Philippines
PLM