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Socialist Alliance hunger strike for refugees

BY JAMES VASSILOPOULOS CANBERRA — Socialist Alliance members held a 30-hour hunger strike, beginning on February 11, to publicise the February 12 refugees' rights convergence at Parliament House. The action was reported by the local WIN and ABC

The 'Great Game'

BY URI AVNERY JERUSALEM — Some weeks ago, something curious happened: Israel discovered that Iran is the Great Satan. It happened quite suddenly. There was no prior sensational news, no new discovery. As if by the order of a drill-sergeant, the

ZIMBABWE: Mugabe targets socialists

BY TAFADZWA CHOTO HARARE — The Zimbabwe government's repression against the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and other activists continues as the March 9-10 presidential election nears. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his ruling

BRAZIL: Mayor's murder indicates political polarisation

BY BEN REID PORTO ALEGRE — The second World Social Forum occurred at an important time in Brazilian politics. On January 19 Celso Daniel, mayor of Santo Andre in Sao Paulo state, was found murdered. Daniel is the second mayor belonging to the

Black Hawk Down a hit in Mogadishu

BY BUSTER SOUTHERLY Black Hawk Down, the first of the wave of patriotic US war and action movies being rushed to the screens following the September 11 incidents, opens across Australia on February 21. The film's Pentagon advisers hope that Black

'I feel ashamed to be Australian'

BY SARAH STEPHEN "I feel ashamed to be Australian", is the most frequently appearing comment on the online petition calling for a royal commission into the Australian government's treatment of refugees. More than 7000 people have signed on to the

Hospitality workers get organised

BY KIM LINDEN& KATHY NEWNAM NEWCASTLE — When you're on your next holiday, spare a thought for the people cleaning your hotel room. Chances are that their pay and conditions are below those set out in the award, they are being bullied and harassed

Godfrey Hirst workers win trust fund

BY GRAHAM WILLIAMS GEELONG — Production workers at the Godfrey Hirst carpet factory are one of the first groups of workers in the country to win a trust fund that guarantees all their entitlements if the company goes bankrupt. The Manusafe

ACEH: 'Australia is helping the army to kill my people'

BY MAX LANE "It was extremely disappointing to see Australian Prime Minister John Howard shake hands so enthusiastically with Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Doesn't he know how her government treats the people, not just in Aceh, but

Why protest at CHOGM

BY TIMOTHY KERSWELL BRISBANE — Premier Peter Beattie's February 12 media statement, entitled "50 reasons not to protest this years' Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting" (CHOGM) is a deceptive attempt to prevent people from joining the March

Action Updates

Refugees' campaign builds in Rockhampton ROCKHAMPTON — Forty people gathered on February 15 to greet the Freedom Bus that has been visiting refugee detention centres across Australia. The meeting also launched the Rockhampton Rural

Why they have to lie about refugees

BY SARAH STEPHEN It's now common knowledge: the federal Coalition government lied to win the November 10 election. Prime Minister John Howard and his ministers continued to maintain, long after they knew it wasn't true, that in October some