Issue 316

Blow to Hinchinbrook legal fight By Bill Mason BRISBANE — Friends of Hinchinbrook, the group spearheading the campaign against developer Keith Williams' environmentally destructive Port Hinchinbrook resort, may be crippled after the full bench

By Tony Iltis HOBART — A three-week strike by workers on the Emu Bay Railway in Tasmania's remote west coast, has defeated moves by the railway's new owner to sack the entire work force and contract out the jobs. The EBR once carried passengers,

Miners spurn Rio Tinto offer IN AN UNOFFICIAL secret ballot, 98% of workers at the Hunter Valley No. 1 coalmine voted on April 30 to reject a new enterprise agreement proposed by management. The mine is owned by Rio Tinto, the world's biggest

Despite staunch opposition from the East Timorese people and increasing international pressure, Indonesia stubbornly maintains its illegal occupation of East Timor.

ALP addresses pro-choice forum By Amanda Lawrence CANBERRA — On April 29, 50 people attended a public meeting on abortion held by ACT Pro Choice. The meeting discussed abortion law reform, access to abortion and women's right to choose how to

Historic domestic violence appeal By Anne O'Casey A "Freedom Bus", carrying 30 of the many supporters of Heather Osland, arrived in Canberra in the early hours of April 23. We had travelled from Melbourne and Bendigo to be present at the High

Francesca Davis On April 28, a young protester from the blockade of the Eden woodchip mill was released after spending five days in Mullewa Women's Prison in Sydney. Bella Jones had been charged with preventing passage of a vehicle at the mill and

UNSW staff and students support wharfies By Helen Jarvis Around 100 staff and students at the University of NSW enthusiastically expressed their support to the wharfies at a meeting on April 30. A Maritime Union Support Group has been established

By Nikki Ulasowski CANBERRA — Derek Corrigan, brother of Patrick's boss Chris Corrigan, spoke at the University of Canberra on April 29 and the Australian National University on April 30. The forums were organised by Resistance. Corrigan

Zimbabwe cops shoot student By Norm Dixon Riot police shot and seriously wounded a University of Zimbabwe student in Harare on April 23. The shooting followed two days of escalating tension as students and staff attempted to protest against the

By Norm Dixon Encouraged by statements from US President Bill Clinton during his Africa tour in March, Nigerian dictator General Sani Abacha has moved rapidly to scuttle the country's already discredited "transition to democracy". On April 21, the

By James Vassilopoulos Thousands of workers are putting the slogan "workers of the world unite" into practise by providing vital solidarity for the Maritime Union of Australia. In South Africa, the Transport and General Workers Union on April 21

By James Balowski Amid massive student protests across the country, the Indonesian government has called for "dialogue", and at the same time threatened to use "repressive measures" to stop the demonstrations. But the threats and the

Nike sued in Asia By John Gauci A Reuters article published on the Internet on April 20 reports that lawyers have filed a civil suit charging Nike Inc. with lying about "sweatshop" conditions in its shoe factories in Asia. Filed in the San

The slimy Patrick's scab Words by Geoff Francis & Peter Hicks Tune: works well with "The Sydney Market Boys" — or try your own!We are pleased to donate this song to assist the MUA in their struggle. Please use it widely and pass it on. If

MUA vs NFF The day the Australian government sacked its maritime workers andreplaced them with farmers was the same day it sacked allof its poets and replaced them with sub-editors, itsfootballers with swimmers, its jockeyswith tag-wrestlers (the

From ignorance to understanding RefugeBy Libby GleesonPuffin Books, 1998. $11.95 Review by Kieran Bowtell Award-winning children's novelist Libby Gleeson did not set out to write her most recent book about East Timor or Timorese refugees. Refuge

By Janet Parker As the crisis in Indonesia deepens, dictator Suharto has deployed more than 30,000 special army troops in Jakarta to crush the rising tide of protests against price hikes, mass unemployment and the lack of democratic rights. Added

By Edwin Gozal A new magazine, Free Indonesia, was launched during the Asia Pacific Solidarity Conference. The publication is intended to provide a background to the Indonesian people's fight against the Suharto dictatorship, and the role the

Burma This statement was presented to the final plenary session on behalf of the All Burma Students Democratic Front and adopted by acclamation. 1. We call on the illegitimate military regime, the State Peace and Development Council, for the

Freedom for East Timor The following statement was presented to the final plenary session on behalf of Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor — ASIET. It was adopted by acclamation. This conference condemns the Indonesian government's

EDWIN GOZAL, one of two Indonesian People's Democratic Party (PRD) representatives to attend the Asia Pacific Solidarity Conference, is the party's Asia Pacific representative. MAX LANE asked him about his impressions of the conference and the PRD's

New institute to promote democracy and developmentBy Max Lane During the Asia Pacific Solidarity Conference, the interim council of the Asia Pacific Institute for Democratisation and Development met and confirmed its membership. The members are

Asia Pacific Solidarity Conference: continuing the struggle By Max Lane More than anything else, the Asia Pacific Solidarity Conference in Sydney on April 10-13 was a conference of struggle. International conferences of community organisations

Asia Pacific women link up By Pip Hinman The currency crisis in Asia and the International Monetary Fund's "rescue packages" are having, and will continue to have, a devastating effect on the peoples of the Asia Pacific region. Already at the