Feminist Book Fair
I am Lidia Falc¢n, feminist writer from Spain, and have had 22 books published in various languages and I came to Melbourne to attend the Sixth International Feminist Book Fair. I realised with surprise and anger that at the Fair there were no Spanish translators and that no Latin American countries had attended even though the Fair considered itself international and dedicated to the Pacific and Indigenous people. The response to my protest stated that this was due to a lack of financial resources and hence it was not possible to have translations in other languages; I am also aware that the Spanish speaking community had no information regarding the Book Fair or my arrival, even though both had been requested weeks prior to the commencement of the Book Fair.
Furthermore, considering the attitude of indifference that the Fair organisers had regarding the lack of communication of the Spanish speaking women and the significant absenteeism of Latin women, I have no doubt that they had no interest in the attendance of women from other countries unless they were English speakers. They seemed to ignore that the Pacific borders all of America, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, where women have been working in the feminist movement for many years, striving to better the conditions of their people under heroic conditions.
For me it has been a real setback to confirm this attitude which I can see as nothing more than racist. From Spain I thought that Australian women would be more understanding and open, given that this country's growth has been due to the work and strength of millions of migrants from all over the world, including Spanish speakers.
Feminism cannot be constituted in making business, and I, who have strived for feminism in my country for 40 years, would not have travelled from the other side of the world exclusively to sell books. Feminist Book Fairs should be the vehicle of expression, of knowledge and exchange of ideas and strategies for international feminism.
To make businesses we already have the Frankfurt fair; the Feminist Book Fair was specifically created as an alternative to it. But if women who have come from other continents cannot exchange experiences and ideas with those women who work here due to language barriers, as we perceive the lack of interest of the English speaking women towards those of other languages, they can be assured that we will stop attending the Feminist Fairs, and these will be reduced to a small number of stalls, limited to selling books thereby killing the aims pursued by Feminist Fairs.
Lidia Falc¢n
Madrid
Haiti
How quickly in 1989 US forces were able to invade Panama, kidnap its President Noriega (a leader not detested by his people), and put in a puppet, Endara. Why not the same speedy treatment for Haiti's military thugs? Did anyone seriously think the US would return legally elected Aristide, 3 years after the coup? Obviously Clinton wants a large American "presence" in Haiti as a jumping-off point for an invasion of Cuba, and will probably try to persuade the Cubans he has incarcerated in Guant namo to join it.
Miranda Kelly
Malvern Vic
A proposed experiment at the Australian University called "Visual Response in a Conscious Monkey" involves the surgical removal of a section of the monkey's skull, the implantation of a steel recording chamber fixed with screws and nuts (which protrudes above the head), the insertion of probes and electrodes to a depth of 30mm into the monkey's brain (which will likely cause inflammation of the brain, great distress and adversely affect research results) and restraint in a "primate chair" including a metal head clamp for 4 days a week, 3-4 hours a day for a period of 5 months.
As well as being extremely cruel the experiment is scientifically contentious. Two former ethics committee members, and various veterinary specialists and doctors oppose it, on the grounds that it is scientifically unreliable, extremely cruel in methodology and expensive. The monkey will ultimately be killed for histological study, study of the brain at the cellular level. Opponents contend that the likelihood of discovering any useful information about vision through single or groups of cells is remote.
At a time when many primate species are threatened in the wild, it is a great shame that there should be an international trade in them destined for this kind of fate. It is also a case of mistaken priorities for a government to be allocating vast sums for this kind of experiment when other areas of the health system are floundering for lack of funds. In my opinion the majority of Australian taxpayers would not willingly fund this experiment.
Morna Wood
Balmain, NSW
[If you wish to register your objection to this experiment, you can write to: The Vice-Chancellor, Australian National University, PO Box 4, Canberra ACT 2601 and/or Hon. Carmen Lawrence MP, Minister for Health, Parliament House, Canberra ACT.]
Land rights
No-one seems yet to have pointed out, at least in print, an important issue of the Land Rights debate, which is that we all as Australian citizens, have land rights. If most of us choose to waive the right to our rightful share of this continent, then we still have a right to our fair share of work in processing our property, and to a fair share of the profits. That is, everyone should have work, and everyone should have a substantial wage, at the very least.
And if the land is ours, then we have custody over it; a mandate to protect our environment, so that it is no accident that the land rights issue is based on the guardianship of sacred sites.
Fighting to ensure their land is given back to the Aboriginal people should thus present no problem for most of us. Our land has been taken away too.
(Dr) Peter Gilet
Hilton WA
Drugs and profits
Federal Police have reported the seizure of 50 kilos of pure grade heroin, valued at $50 million, coming in through WA. The disturbing news was that at least 100 times that amount arrives in this country each year, most for trans-shipment. Our Federal (and State) governments reduce the police numbers to make us more efficient. But in our capacity as the most favoured junior assistant to the US dream of being the world's top cop we can find 30 police to support US occupation of Haiti to help retrain General Cedras' present crop of police murderers, who with all US friends are granted amnesty!
Thinking of other US supported Generals Ne Win and Than Shwe in Burma, one wonders why the US demand for "democracies" everywhere was slightly overlooked in the case of the freely elected President Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi languishing under arrest for the past six years. There have been many reports linking the CIA with the protection of the "golden triangle" heroin production as its secret source of finance. Many speeches come out of the White House but Mrs Suu Kyi is still in her prison house and the Burmese Generals still occupy the best houses.
The scales of justice everywhere have been corrupted by the greed and malicious contempt for others so explicit in those controlling the drug trade. Politicians from Australia make regular flights over Timor and Burma to launch criticism of poor Vietnam. How insulting to Vietnam and to us!
J. Clancy
Sutherland NSW
[Edited for length.]
Tipperary
The NT's Sunday Territorian of 2/10/94 reported the imminent 100% ownership of Tipperary Station by Indonesian owners.
Tipperary is a huge slice of the best Top End land, with NW coast and Daly River borders, and a huge airport already in place.
The transfer of the 50% owned by Warren Anderson to the company PT Bakrie and Brothers will complete the deal if allowed.
This company like any large business operating in the 30 year military dictatorship that is our near neighbour only does so as a result of the patronage of General Suharto.
It is crazy that Australia allows 100% ownership of its land by foreigners, and Keating should not only change the basic policy but also block this particular deal.
If not, there is the very real prospect of Tipperary being the step-off point for incursions/invasions, or alternatively a first stop refuge for Suharto and his corrupt clique and family when the people manage to rid themselves of these dictators.
With APEC due in November in Jakarta, and the growing cronyism between Keating/Suharto, Evans/Alatas, and certain senior NT politicians getting in on the act, I can't see any action to ensure Australian sovereignty from this mob, can you?
Rob Wesley-Smith
Darwin
Guatemala
The poem by Guatemalan Eliseo Balcazar (GLW #159) has prompted me to write in response to the anguish of her and the other families whose loved ones have been murdered by the military in Guatemala.
I travelled in Guatemala early last year. At that time I had no idea of the past massacres and ongoing violations and "disappearances" which are a part of daily life in that country; but when I left Guatemala I took with me strong memories.
At military checkpoints everybody gets off the bus. Women stand to one side, clustered together. Tension. The men are lined up. They place their hands against the side of the bus whilst they are body-searched.
At other times soldiers merely get on to the bus and walk up the aisle, their eyes flickering over the passengers, checking identity papers at random.
Fear. The people, the Indians, chatter and laugh amongst themselves, but to outsiders, soldiers, foreigners, gringos, they speak carefully, suspicious, their dark eyes guarded.
Luckily, before I left Guatemala, I met Jose, who trusted me enough to really speak to me and tell me something of life beneath the colourful surface shown to gringos like myself. He spoke of rigged elections, no chance to make a decent living, no education and no medical care for the Indians, whilst the rich â the friends and relatives of the government â had everything.
The policies of the Guatemalan government appear to be very similar to those of the Indonesian government in East Timor: integration, or rather, disintegration, of the indigenous people. Sterilisation of indigenous women without their consent. Forced labour. Anyone suspected of supporting guerillas "disappeared", never to be seen again. Their aim is the same: genocide of the indigenous people.
Please, anyone who wants to know more about the Guatemalan people and their situation or would like to donate to help Guatemalans in Australia in their fight for justice in their country, contact: Committee for Human Rights in Guatemala, Brisbane Branch, PO Box 337, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006.
Sarah O'Dowd
Darwin
[Edited for length.]
Uranium mining
So the rabid ratbag right has got its nose out of joint over its loss on uranium mining!
Insults like "the loony left" and "green crazies" are being flung around by these morons like confetti at a wedding.
Oh such spite over such a temporary setback to their relentless attack on our environment and life support systems!
A sudden onset of concern for the greenhouse effect fools no-one, given the history of concerted attempts to maximise the use of energy, almost all of which is still provided by carbon dioxide producing fuels.
C.M. Friel
Alawa NT