Issue 286

By Helen Jarvis SYDNEY — In a major public address at the University of New South Wales on August 14, Nobel Peace Prize co-laureate Jose Ramos Horta spoke out strongly on a number of critical issues of human rights in Australia and

Regular readers of Green Left Weekly will be aware of our extensive coverage of developments in the struggle for democracy in the Asia Pacific region. From its beginning six years ago, Green Left has placed particular importance on this region,

Action against uranium mining at Jabiluka By Tim Walgers BRISBANE — A week of action August 18-22 has been organised by a collective of environmental organisations opposed to the Energy Resources Australia uranium mine planned for

By James Vassilopoulos On August 13, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) recommended to the Hunter Valley miners to continue negotiations and not resume their strike, following a recommendation by Justice Alan Boulton of

Debate in WA union struggle By Anthony Benbow PERTH — Unions are discussing the "workers' embassy" established next to Parliament House in late April after more than 30,000 people demonstrated against the WA government's "third wave" of

By Marina Cameron In a submission to the government's West review into higher education, the Industry Commission has argued that radical "market-based" reform and more competition are the logical next steps after the deregulation of the 1980s.

Vigilante gang formed in Ipswich By Brian Fuata BRISBANE — Police have received two firearm-related complaints and at least four complaints of harassment from young people against a local vigilante group known as White Knights. One

By Jim McIlroy BLACKWATER Striking Curragh coal miners remain defiant despite attempts by the company, ARCO, to break their picket line and intimidate workers. The strike has entered its 15th week, as ARCO steps up its pressure on the miners to

Correction In our previous issue, an article on a University of Tasmania rally against exam changes reported that a motion by Resistance members calling on the SRC to organise a boycott of exams was "unsuccessful". In fact, the motion was

Protest against One Nation planned in Darwin By Rohan Gaiswinkler DARWIN — A coalition of political and community groups is organising a peaceful rally to be held adjacent to a One Nation party recruiting meeting in Nightcliff on August

Newcastle students organise By Alex Bainbridge NEWCASTLE — Student activists have organised two important actions in the last few weeks. Around 1000 people came along to "The Big Noise" — a political concert and festival — on August

Greenpeace condemns incinerator plans for Lebanon By Barry Healy Greenpeace's Mediterranean office has condemned plans to build a waste incinerator in southern Lebanon. Lebanese officials have confirmed a that an unidentified German company

Against neo-liberalism By Russell Pickering MADRID — More than 1500 people from across Europe and around the world, including eight Zapatista members and members of the Basque liberation movement, attended the Second International Meeting

By Phil Hearse In the 1970s, the British left was faced with the re-emergence of fascism on a significant scale — in the form of the National Front and a deepening of the racist offensive against black and immigrant workers by the state. This

By Barry Healy The Center for Voting and Democracy, an organisation in the United States that focuses on voter participation and fair representation, has released a report on elections to the House of Representatives titled "Monopoly Politics".

Brazilian environmentalists oppose hunting law By Barry Healy The Brazilian environment organisation Ecopantanal is asking for help to oppose a new hunting law in the state of Mato Grosso. The law creates private hunting parks and permits

20 hurt in Brazil land clash @9point intro = Twenty members of Brazil's homeless movement were wounded by bullets on August 8 when 530 shock troops of Brasilia's militarised police moved to evict more than 16,000 squatters living in tents in an

Anti-racists ROAR! By Kerryn Williams CANBERRA — Local bands Smeg, Buttnugget, Tinnitus, Punchinello, Poinaz Dare, All Ords, Goons Hired Goons, Reign of Terror, Apathy, Alpha Team 1 and No Strings Attached will all be appearing at a mega

By Dave Riley For a guy who lived by the slogan —"nothing is true, everything is permitted" — William S. Burroughs managed a long innings. The icon of hipster cynicism died on August 3 at the age of 83. With his death passed the last of the