PM-LP Hong Kong Launch, a Success

We had expected individual delegates from disparate organizations with a combined membership of over 20,000 workers to attend the launch of the Partido ng Manggagawa - Labour Party Hong Kong on the 24th January. In the end the figure was more like 30,000! Delegates from all the major grass-roots, labour and church organisations of the migrant workers attended or gave greetings. Significant amongst the attendees were small delegations from the Chinese and Indonesian worker organizations, including representatives of Migrant Workers in Guangdong Province. What was of further significance is that 90% of the delegates were women workers.

The slogan of the congress was – `Defence of the Migrant Worker – Defence of the Working Class'. This reflects our fundamental belief that the Migrant Worker in the era of globilisation is the new gravedigger of capitalism.

A festive atmosphere greeted the delegates with banners flying from all corners. The clenched fist holding a hammer, the logo of the party, was hung around the room. Singers and the PM dancers performed cultural pieces. Lunch was buffet style Filipino cuisine. The bookstall contained mainly Marxist materials on women's struggle,
GLBT, China and on Socilaism. Advance orders were taken for a new set of publications currently being formulated of the writings of Filemon `Ka Popoy' Lagman.

The major speaker was Brother `Ka Jerry', President of the Philippine Airlines trades union and Vice–Chairman of the PM in the Philippines who brought solidarity greetings from the struggle of the Filipino working class. Of key note in his speech was the reinforcement that PM-LP HK was a sovereign organisation of China with a red streak of internationalism. The struggle of the OFW was the lead aspect of his inspiring speech.
 
Other highlights included a speech and an advisory session by a Hong Kong lawyer from the CLCA panel, on the launch of a legal defence campaign with free legal advice and support for all LP members, their friends and families and how this would be linked to the general struggle of the class.

International messages of support were circulated from all corners of the world. The LRA of Afghanistan's message was in particular appreciated as with those from Sanlakas and IndyMedia in Philippines, Workers Action and the Labour Party in the USA, WIMTEC Malaysia, Proletarian Society as well as individuals.

The congress agreed its constitution and program of struggle and vowed to build for the next mass congress in April/May and also to reciprocate a solidarity speaker to the PM congress in Manila February 4-7. They have also agreed to host international delegations starting with Hon. Rep. Rene Magtubo of PM Philippines who will visit in early February.

A 20 member general committee was elected as well as a 9 member executive charged with the day-to-day affairs of the party. A fighting fund of US$12,500.00 was officially launched.

An indication of the power of the congress was that members of the Methodist Sanctuary, where PM had booked the hall, asked to attend being curious upon witnessing the delegations. They joined that day vowing to recruit the members of their own 500 strong organization.

This is only the beginning and launched that day was `Obrero' (The Worker) the workers' newspaper for Hong Kong & Macao. Currently a monthly in Tagalog and English it will expand to cover Bahasa I/M, soon it will go bi-monthly and then weekly and will be complimented by the intended launch of a sister newspaper in the Chinese language.

The current individual membership of 400 who are members in turn of organizations representing some 30,000 workers makes PM-LP the largest left-wing organization in Hong Kong. From this base of mainly migrant Filipino workers the PM-LP HK will expand in the next period to recruit further in the Filipino sector (180,000 workers), the Indonesian workers (90,000), the Chinese workers of Hong Kong and Macao (5 million) as well as Pakistani, Afghan, Thai, Malay, Indian, Tamil and other international workers.Such will make the Labour Party Hong Kong the most formidable political force of the working class in Southern China. That Migrant Workers of China were represented indicates where the activities of the Hong Kong left will lie in the future.