- by Che Janz
- The Guardian
- Issue #2046
On the 24th February 2023, the Australian-DPRK Friendship and Cultural Society Brisbane Branch met for their Annual General Meeting. Members from across Queensland, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and Brisbane attended at the Trades and Labour Council in South Brisbane. Members of all ages came to discuss how the Society can end Western Imperialism and support the peaceful reunification of Korea. The society wishes to work with the CPA to help build socialism in Australia, and to aid socialist states abroad.
We shared how the DPRK society can continue its efforts to make the public aware of the real story behind the US government’s global efforts to undermine this socialist country. The CPA Sunshine Coast Branch commissioned artists to create posters to show and campaign with. One design, by Eddie West, shows two hands reaching out from Australia to the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) signifying friendly relations between Australia and the DPRK. Other ideas were a movie night screening DPRK films, greeting cards designed by a member with the Gregorian and Juche calendars and a stall to sell these creations at events.
The Secretary, Ray Ferguson, spoke on how the society’s bank account had been closed down by one of the “Big 4” banks, with the only given reason being that it was a “risk.” This was an obvious result of the international sanctions placed by the USA. So far other societies, such as the Australia Cuba Friendship Society have not been forced to close their accounts. The DPRK is suffering from the global sanctions and the continuing attacks in the imperialist press of the US, UK, and Australia. This press gives no indications of the many achievements of the DPRK, spanning from a record number of new housing developments, land reclamation projects, and state of the art medical breakthroughs.
It’s an anxious time for members of the society. From the fact that the bank closed our account we must take care in the society’s meetings. The secretary’s report mentioned how AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom and the United States Treaty) serves to destabilise to world peace and attempts to reignite the bloodshed of the Korean War (1950 to 1953).
The meeting concluded on a vigorous note. The society will continue to recruit nationally and with the help of the CPA, socialism will be built here and with fellow comrades will vanquish imperialism abroad.
