BY GRAHAM MATTHEWS
MELBOURNE — Australian and international delegates met at the "Keep space for peace" conference on May 17-18 to discuss greater cooperation of the international peace movement, especially to combat the increasing militarisation of space.
On May 16, conference organiser OzPeace picketed offices of Optus Communications. Optus, which is owned by the Singaporean government, has entered into a joint venture with the Australian government to launch Australia's first military satellite.
The satellite will be able to track "suspected terrorists" over a huge area — from central Asia to the eastern Pacific. It could also enable battlefield communications for Australian troops in that region.
On May 17, conference delegates heard a range of presentations from peace movement activists from Australia, the United States, India, Fiji and Britain.
Ali Kazak, the head of the Palestinian delegation to Australia, gave a well-received presentation on the crisis in his country. Kazak carefully explained the main causes of suicide bombings, describing the desperation invoked by the Palestinian situation. He said the US should deal with the root causes of terrorism: "war and dispossession".
Kazak also called for international pressure to be brought on Israel to force it to obey international law, United Nations resolutions and Palestinian human rights.
Workshop presentations included "the challenges for the Indian peace movement" from Sri Jagadisa from the Indian Movement Against Nuclear Weapons based in Madras, and "the nuclear situation in the Korean peninsular" from John Hallam from Friends of the Earth.
From Green Left Weekly, May 21, 2003.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.