A statement from the Kurdistan Free Women's Movement—on the German-based website Hezen Parastina Gel, apparently linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerilla movement in eastern Turkey—notes the passing of Comandante Ramona of southern Mexico's Zapatista National Liberation Army:

On the occasion of the unexpected and painful death of Commander Ramona

January 9, 2006 - We are in deep mourning about the death of the Zapatista freedom-fighter Ramona. As Kurdish women we would pronounce our condolences to all freedom-loving people and in particular the Chiapas Community.

Ramona is a symbol for the women's liberation struggle of suppressed peoples. Her guiding role in the uprising of San Cristobal has made clear to the world that women of all nations take their destiny in own hand and do not surrender to injustice. The determination, the courage and strength which commander Ramona - in spite of her severe illness - has emanated in her struggle for freedom and human dignity have shown that the desire for independence of women can be detained by nothing. Her insisting efforts for the draft and the implementation the "revolutionary women's laws" of the EZLN shows that the organized women's struggle can create a revolution within the revolution. As Kurdish women we know from the experience of our own liberation struggle only too well how much strength and perseverance this requires.

Revolutionaries like commander Ramona or Kurdish freedom-fighters like our comrades Beritan, Ronahi, Berivan, Zilan, Silan, Nurcan and countless other women fighters have proved with their personalities, their lives and struggles that that women's liberation struggle cannot be delayed on "after the revolution", but has to start here and now. Hereby these women have created the fundament of hope and courage for millions of women, men and children in the whole world who are in search of freedom, justice and human dignity.

The success of the "Other Campaign " of the EZLN; the realization of the Democratic Confederalism in Kurdistan; the origin of any ecological-democratic order which overcomes patriarchal ruling structures will also be a result of the fight of these women and will show that another world is possible!

Commander Ramona will live on in our hearts and struggles for freedom, democracy and justice.

Libertad, Democracia y Justicia!
Kurdistan Free Women's Movement

See our last posts on the Kurdish struggle and the Zapatista struggle.