Green Left Weekly - Asia

Pakistan: Elections a win for the right

stuart_m — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:14:29 +0000

Mon, 20/05/2013

A right-wing wave swept Pakistan in the May 11 general elections. At the federal level, the conservative Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) will form the government having won 35% of the vote.

Former Pakistani cricket captain Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf, came second with 19% of the vote and surprised many. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the ruling party for the past five years, came third with only 15% ― thanks to Sindh where it was able to fetch most of its votes.

PHOTOS & STORY: 120,000 protest fraudulent election in Malaysia

stuart_m — Sat, 11 May 2013 15:58:49 +0000

Fri, 10/05/2013

By Peter Boyle

With photos by Lee Yu Kyung in Kuala Lumpur

Up to 120,000 people packed and overflowed a large stadium in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur on May 8 to protest the fraudulent re-election of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government on May 5.

The crowd defied a police threat to arrest all who attended the opposition-called rally. The police did not dare confront the huge crowd but, since the rally, the police have called in 28 rally speakers for questioning.

Indian left party insists: 'Stop corporate plunder!'

mel_b — Wed, 08 May 2013 03:43:02 +0000

Tue, 07/05/2013

By Sue Bolton

Australian politicians often describe India as “the world’s biggest democracy”. The reality is somewhat different.

I found this out when I attended the ninth congress of the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML) from April 2-7. Two CPI-ML members were killed in the lead-up to the congress.

Sri Lanka: Tamils march against land seizure

stuart_m — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:53:15 +0000

Tue, 07/05/2013

By Chris Slee

More than 800 people rallied in Thellippazhai on April 29, a town in the north of the island of Sri Lanka. They marched towards the entrance of a nearby military zone.

The Tamilnet website said the rally organisers had been warned by police that a march would not be permitted, but rally participants spontaneously decided to march regardless. They were blocked from reaching the military zone by the army and police.

They were protesting against the confiscation of their land by the Sri Lankan army.

East Timorese doctor: 'Cuban medicine is about human values'

stuart_m — Mon, 06 May 2013 05:33:02 +0000

Mon, 06/05/2013

By Marce Cameron

When East Timor won its independence from Indonesia in 1999, the country's medical infrastructure in rural areas was almost non-existent.

When then-Cuban President Fidel Castro heard about the problem at a regional summit, he offered to send Cuban doctors free of charge — as many as were needed.

So began the largest Cuban medical assistance program outside Latin America.

In 2010, after a six year program of study in Cuba, the first of nearly 500 East Timorese medical students graduated and took up their posts in East Timorese villages and towns.

Bangladesh: Huge May Day march mourns dead, demands justice and change

stuart_m — Mon, 06 May 2013 05:13:31 +0000

Thu, 02/05/2013

Thousands of workers paraded through central Dhaka on May Day to demand safety at work after the collapse of garment factory on April 24 -- the country's worst industrial disaster. The collapse killed 402 people and injured 2500.

A huge procession of workers on foot, lorry and motorcycle wound its way through central Dhaka waving banners, beating drums and chanting "direct action" and "death penalty" for the owner of the factory.

From a loudspeaker on the back of a lorry, one participant said: "My brother has died. My sister has died. Their blood will not be valueless."

Philippines: Solidarity on May Day with Venezuela's revolution

stuart_m — Mon, 06 May 2013 05:13:18 +0000

Thu, 02/05/2013

On this May 1, a day of international working class solidarity, we in the Philippine labor and progressive movement, stand with the Venezuelan working class and the people of Venezuela in their struggle to elect the government of their choice to pursue their demands and goals for Socialism of the XXI century.

We congratulate Nicholas Maduro from the Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela on his election victory and condemn the destabilisation campaign conducted by the US backed opposition coalition of Capprilles to undermine the election results and the newly elected government.

Sri Lanka: Muslim shop attacked amid campaign of hate

stuart_m — Wed, 01 May 2013 04:26:30 +0000

Wed, 01/05/2013

By Chris Slee

A mob led by Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka attacked a clothing shop owned by Muslims in March, setting fire to clothes while police looked on.

The attack on the Fashion Bug shop in Pepiliyana, a suburb of Colombo, followed the spreading of a false rumour that a Sinhala Buddhist employee had been raped by a Muslim employee on the premises.

Malaysia: Socialists aim for end of regime in May poll

stuart_m — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 04:42:13 +0000

Mon, 29/04/2013

By Peter Boyle

The Malaysian Socialist Party (PSM) is contesting four seats in the May 5 general elections, one federal parliamentary seat and three state assembly.

The PSM won two of these seats in the 2008 election: Jeyakumar Devaraj, or “Kumar” as he is better known, won the federal parliamentary seat of Sungai Siput from a high profile former minister. PSM chairperson Nasir Hashim won the Selangor state assembly seat of Kota Damansara.

Bangladesh: Factory boss arrested as rage hits streets

stuart_m — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:08:22 +0000

Mon, 29/04/2013

The owner of the eight-storey Bangladesh factory complex that collapsed on April 24 killing at least 362 people has been arrested at the country's border with India. Three owners of garment factories in the collapsed building on the capital's outskirts have also been arrested. They are suspected of forcing staff to work, ignoring safety warnings.

Two government engineers involved in approving the building's design have also been detained.