Issue 188

News

Tarkine Tigers arrested By Ben Courtice HOBART — On May 16 police arrested seven more activists involved in a vigil on Parliament House lawns to protest against the road being built through the Tarkine wilderness. The vigil had been
WA TAFE teachers protest privatisation By Martin Price and Anne Pavy PERTH — Coffins, symbolising the death of TAFE, were carried onto the steps of Parliament House during a rally on May 18 organised by the State School Teachers Union
In an effort to curb signs of student activity, facilities management at Northern Territory University closed student bars and cafes and wrapped black plastic around poster poles to prepare for the 1995 graduation ceremony on May 5. They also wrote
By Ray Fulcher MELBOURNE — At a mass meeting of teachers on May 3, the Victorian State Teachers Association (VSTA) Rank and File Group called for the suspension of standing orders to discuss the case of John Glazebrook. Four months ago,
MELBOURNE — The National Conference on Local Environmental Action was held here on May 10-12. Organised jointly by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Municipal Association of Victoria, its aim was to link Australian and
Melbourne PTU fights for wage increase By Tully Bates MELBOURNE — "The way the union is fighting by going to the Industrial Relations Commission is not the way to fight." This statement by a tram driver at the Brunswick tram depot after a
Kurnell workers end strike By David Mizon SYDNEY — Striking Kurnell workers returned to work on May 19, having gained little in concrete conditions. Their seven-day strike forced Caltex management to negotiate, but the focus has now moved
By Lisa Macdonald Peace activists around the country have condemned the federal government's decision, announced on May 18, to collaborate with the US in the development of new ground-based anti-ballistic missile technology. Australian
Albert Park arrests go to court By Felicity Whitworth MELBOURNE — Over the past six months there have been 246 arrests at protest actions at Albert Park. One hundred and one people have been charged. Their hearings will take place on May

World

Beijing admits holding democracy activist By Eva Cheng Chinese officials have at long last indirectly confirmed that veteran pro-democracy activist Wei Jiangsheng is in their custody, a year after he had disappeared into a police van.
By Michael Tardif AUCKLAND — Students across New Zealand demonstrated against fees for tertiary education on May 3 as part of a national day of action timed to coincide with similar student actions in Australia. The actions demanded an
By Max Lane On May 14 the Indonesian press reported that the prison memoirs of the country's most popular and respected novelist, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, had been banned. The banning order for Silent Song of a Mute had been signed by Attorney
By Melanie Sjoberg The 1990s have been hailed as the beginning of the "Asian century". We find feature articles in journals like Far East Economic Review titled "Getting in Tune with Asia", and "Dawn of a New Generation". There is no doubt that
Timorese student killed According to Portuguese press reports, on May 18 East Timorese student Filomeno dos Santos, 26 years old, died in prison in Dili after being tortured for several hours by three Indonesian intelligence agents. Family
By Max Lane Twenty-one people were detained for several days following demonstrations on May 1 in Jakarta and Semarang. The demonstrations involved at least 1500 workers and students organised by the Centre for Working Class Struggle (PPBI) and
By Eva Cheng A gas explosion in Taegu on April 28 in which 101 PEOPLE — mostly children — were killed is the latest in a long list of disasters in South Korea which are suspected to be caused by substandard construction or maintenance.
ROTTERDAM — Greenpeace has found alarmingly high levels of a highly toxic organochlorine chemical in sediments along the eastern edge of the North Sea in the Wadden See, the environmental group said on May 15. The chemicals, chlorinated
In response to a bill which aims to further tighten the United States economic blockade of Cuba and undermine the sovereignty of third countries, the following message by the Department of International Relations of the Communist Party of Cuba was
By Frank O'Brien Donncha O'Kane sees his family three times a year. They travel from Castlewellan in County Down to visit him in prison in Celle in Germany. It is a long, expensive journey and, like the families of the other Irish prisoners held
Bangladesh is often portrayed in the Western media as a place where women are victimised and subordinated by Islam. Fundamentalist outrage against writer Tasleema Nasreen has reinforced this image. But Bangladesh also has a very vibrant and strong
A legal litany July 12, 1989: Donna Maguire and Leonard Hardy arrested at Rosslare, Ireland. Charged with possession of bomb-making equipment. July 14, 1989: Pat Murray, Donncha O'Kane and Pauline Drumm arrested in France. Charged with
The President of the Bougainville Interim Government, Francis Ona, on May 16 called for an end to armed conflict with Papua New Guinea on Bougainville. The resolution of the interim government: reiterated its demand for the withdrawal of
Nuclear dumping in Japan By Eva Cheng Japan's central government and power industries have dumped 14 tons of highly radioactive waste in the northern fishing and farming town of Rokkasho despite strong objection from the local residents.
By Chris Beale Thailand's longest serving elected government — just two and a half years old — fell on the anniversary of enormous pro-democracy demonstrations three years ago, which defeated soldiers bent on a massacre. There's no

Culture

Les Patriotes Directed by Eric Rochant At the Academy Twin in Sydney and Cinema Como in Melbourne from May 25 Reviewed by Jennifer Thompson Many fawning journalistic words have been written about Israel's secret service agency, the
The Nicotine War The Cutting Edge, SBS TV, Wednesday May 31, 9.30pm (8 in SA) Previewed by Lisa Macdonald Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known. Despite this, in the US, tobacco is defined as an agricultural product and so
The Long Black Veil The Chieftains RCA Reviewed by Bernie Brian The Chieftains were bringing Irish traditional music to world audiences long before the recent upsurge in interest in Irish music and certainly before WOMAD existed. They have
Votes For Women: The Australian Story By Kirsten Lees Allen and Unwin, 1995. $24.95(pb) Reviewed by Bernie Brian The next time Paul Keating promotes his minimalist republic with little or no change to the Constitution, we should remind him
'Tricontinental' is back By Leonardo Anoceto After approximately four years without being published, as a result of Cuba's severe economic crisis, Tricontinental magazine is once again poised for circulation on a quarterly basis.
The Aryan Nation: A Cross to Burn SBS TV Monday, May 29, 11.55pm (11.25 in SA) Reviewed by Norm Dixon This short report, produced for a Utah news program, kicks off a week of programs on SBS that look into racist and far right groups and
Sydney Film Festival The 42nd Sydney Film Festival, which opens on June 9, will mark the centenary of cinema. As well as the 150 plus films from 30 countries, there will be a larger group of retrospectives including a selection of underrated
A cut above many Come Taste the Beast Taurus Run (Distributed by Disculture) Reviewed by Rob Graham This self-financed four track CD is the debut album from Taurus Run, and it's a great effort. Come Taste the Beast opens strongly
Until June 3, an exhibition of "Contemporary Art of the South Pacific" is being held at the Gallery of the Alliance Francaise de Sydney. TABAH SILAU, a Papua New Guinean painter, activist and member of the provincial government of Madang, spoke to
Amateur Written, directed and produced by Hal Hartley Starring Isabelle Huppert, Martin Donovan and Elina Lowensohn Screening at the Sydney Film Festival Reviewed by Barry Healy Here is the strange world of Amateur: an ex-nun writing
By Jorge Jorquera The Labor National Herald: This is undoubtedly what the true believers have been waiting for. It is, sort of, what the headline on the cover of the first issue proclaims — "the first national Labor paper". A memo from

Editorial

Racial Hatred Bill Lisa Macdonald's "Issues" story (GLW 19th May 1995) "What's wrong with the Racial Hatred Bill", is spot on. Whilst not wanting to get up the nose of a group of people who seem to take great delight in bashing the shit out