A Nova Democracia: Communists around the world pay homage to Jose Maria Sison

Since the death of communist leader Jose Maria Sison, founding president of the Communist Party of the Philippines (PCF), various organizations and communist parties that define themselves by Marxism-Leninism-Maoism have expressed their condolences and tributes.

In a statement published on January 3, the Communist Party of India (Maoist) characterized Sison as a “respected revolutionary, intellectual, patriotic and internationalist leader” and one of the “brilliant leaders of the International Communist Movement”. The Indian Maoists still called on the masses to celebrate their trajectory and exalt their role in the Revolution.

The newspaper Internacional Comunista (CI-IC), in a December 20 publication signed by its editorial committee, offered “heartfelt condolences to the PCF, its leaders, cadres, militants, combatants and masses, to the Filipino people, as well as to the families and friends of comrade Jose Maria Sison”. He also affirmed that “the International Communist Movement (ICM) loses an important leader, the Filipino people lose an exceptional leader, but we are firmly convinced that they will know how to reap and maintain their patrimony high and carry forward the people’s war to its victory”.

The same newspaper published a note from the Communist Party of Brazil (P.C.B.), in which condolences are offered “to the PCF, its Central Committee, to the New People’s Army and to its combatants and commanders and to the masses” and states that “his death mourns the heart of the international proletariat and the oppressed peoples of the whole world”. The note underscores Sison’s role as “fundamental to the proletarian movement in the Philippines” and “prominent to the MCI over the past five decades.” The signing party also points out that “Sison represented divergent points of view with the positions of the left in the MCI, and unfortunately these serious divergences could not be dealt with in an organized, broad and deep way to achieve true unity” due to “his premature death”.

“Our country, Brazil, is also going through decisive days for the Revolution. The fight between revolution and counterrevolution is entering a new stage and great leaps are being gestated. At this moment, the example of the PCF and the People’s War initiated under the direct direction of comrade Jose Maria Sison are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for communists in Brazil from which we seek to extract lessons and lessons learned”, concludes the note.

In a note, also published in the CI-IC newspaper, the Central Committee of the Red Fraction of the Communist Party of Chile (FVPCC) “expresses its solidarity with the PCF, with the New People’s Army” and with the Filipino proletariat “before the death of Comrade Ka Joma”.

“With his death, comrade Ka Joma joins the ranks of the heroes of the international proletariat. The proletariat and people of the Philippines will know how to overcome this obstacle and the people’s war will develop vigorously”, concludes the communiqué.

The Communist Party of Ecuador (Red Sun), in a statement published on the internet, describes Sison as “a historic leader of the revolution in the Philippines”, a “Maoist convinced of his ideas and purposes; a thorough internationalist”, who knew how to “apply and develop Marxism-Leninism-Maoism in a creative way to the concrete reality of his country and at the service of the World Proletarian Revolution”.

The Communist Workers’ Union (MLM) in Colombia highlighted that Sison was forged and inspired by “the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China” and that “his death carries the weight of a mountain for the proletariat and oppressed masses of the Philippines”.

Sison died at the age of 83 in a hospital in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and the exact cause of death has not been released. Ka Joma was the founding president of the Communist Party of the Philippines (PCF), spearheaded the party’s reconstitution in 1968, founded the New People’s Army (NEP) in 1969, and unleashed the people’s war in that country in the same year, having recently acted as chief political adviser to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (FDNF).