Malaysian socialists: 'Stop the massacres and political violence in Egypt!'

By the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (Socialist Party of Malaysia)

August 19, 2013 – The Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) strongly condemns the bloody crackdown on protesters by the Egyptian army. We are deeply concerned over the current situation in Egypt where the revolution is hijacked by the military establishment.

The use of excessive force for the last few days has killed more than 800 people and wounded thousands. Political violence has spread across the country as retaliation to state repression, and innocent people have been victimised.

Morsi was removed in a military coup on July 3 after massive protests initiated by Tamarod, a movement that opposes Morsi and calls for an early election. The military coup was not aimed at deepening the revolutionary process but to contain the revolutionary waves. The current atrocities committed by the military is not just aimed at crushing the Muslim Brotherhood, but is also part of a plan to derail the Egyptian revolution and bring back Mubarak-era repressive rule.

Today, supporters of Muslim Brotherhood have become the target of the violent crackdown, but tomorrow any other forces that pose a threat to the military ruling elites will by also subject to brutal repression. The military and security forces in Egypt have been committing atrocities all the while with impunity, making them the fundamental threat to Egypt's struggle for bread, freedom, social justice and human dignity!

The PSM calls for:

1. An end to the violent crackdown on public protests, sit-ins and assemblies.

2. Stop using excessive force on unarmed protesters.

3. Release all political prisoners in Egypt.

4. Initiate a reconciliation process to re-establish democracy in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood cannot be excluded from the democratic process in Egypt.

5. The US must end all its military aid to Egypt.