MIM Notes 223   December 1, 2000

MIM policy on meeting with international comrades: security as the 
key link

by International Minister, October 15, 2000

1. MIM has long opposed "revolutionary tourism." That means that 
people can best make revolution in their own countries. We oppose 
the Peace Corps concept. We offer the PIRAO concept instead.

2. MIM opposes the Lori Berenson example in Peru in terms of 
security. There is nothing wrong with solidarity with genuine 
Maoists, but following Yankees around is too easy for the 
imperialists.

The most advanced Amerikans still lack qualities necessary for 
disciplined clandestine work. They should not be trusted by 
comrades operating at qualitatively higher levels in the Third 
World. It is not a secret that MIM had two previous International 
Ministers, who quit in the midst of their work in the 1990s, one 
after six years of detailed party experience. After the second one 
quit, MIM cut its international work drastically and consciously.

3. MIM has no one speaking in tours in countries in its name. Of 
course, MIM comrades travel and talk with people like everyone 
else and revolutionaries everywhere are under obligation to 
exchange and investigate views. However, there is no reason to 
accord any security privileges or clearances to MIM comrades or 
alleged MIM comrades that would not be accorded to ordinary 
middle-class tourists. Any international comrades relying on 
secrecy for their safety from a repressive state should not trust 
any comrades from North America. Whether fully "encapsulated" by 
the state or not, MIM counts itself amongst those who cannot be 
trusted. Aside from the question of infiltrators is simply the 
matter of bungling security.

This is what we said in the February 15, 1998 MIM Notes: " MIM has 
cutback its 'International Ministry' to  reflect its 1997 Congress 
resolution on the subject. This reflects both a reallocation of 
resources and a tightening of security. . . .

We remind comrades internationally to be on their guard against 
people from the imperialist countries posing as communists. In the 
imperialist countries there is not much danger in discussing 
politics with people who may or may not be genuine MIM comrades or 
other comrades. At all times, our Third World comrades should 
protect their own security in relation to the supposed comrades of 
the imperialist countries."

The best sources of information about MIM are its web page at 
www.prisoncensorship.info/archive/etext, the MIM Notes and MIM Theory.