Issue 321

News

CPSU leaders accept ATO deal By Chris Slee The tax section council of the Community and Public Sector Union has voted to recommend acceptance of Australian Taxation Office (ATO) management's latest agency agreement offer. Section secretary Shane
On June 3, Amcor announced that it will close its pulp mill in Burnie, throwing 230 employees out of work and destroying a major regional centre in Tasmania. The mill was making a profit, but Amcor didn't consider it high enough. Green Left Weekly's
By Wendy Robertson SYDNEY — An emergency rally here on World Environment Day, June 5, to oppose uranium mining at Jabiluka was attended by around 400 people. A similar size rally was held a week before. Opposition to the Jabiluka mine has been
Plans for Students and Sustainability Conference By Mat Hinesand Nikki den Exter HOBART — Between July 6 and 10, the University of Tasmania will host the annual student environment conference, Students and Sustainability. This year's theme is
Jobs at risk despite Kennett backdown By Kylie Moon MELBOURNE — Workers from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) won a partial victory in a campaign against the Victorian government's proposal to cut $24 million from the
Jabiluka: time to act By Sarah Peart On June 12, the Northern Territory Supreme Court refused to grant an injunction against the NT government's authorisation of the construction of the Jabiluka uranium mine. Yvonne Margarula, the senior Mirrar
By Justin Harman PERTH — The future of WA's south-west forests is looking grim as the state government formulates a regional forest agreement (RFA) to determine what areas will be logged for the next 20 years. Opposition to the destruction of
By Michelle Armstrong CANBERRA — The Community and Public Sector Union's ACT government section held regional membership meetings on June 10 to prepare for a campaign to replace the current enterprise agreement. The agreement runs out at the end
Resistance conference fever By Kerryn Williams MELBOURNE — Resistance conference fever is raging in Melbourne. Large, purple posters declaring "When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty" are brightening up the dull, grey suburbs of
Rally against power sell-off By John McGill ADELAIDE — More than 200 people attended a candlelight rally here on June 3 to oppose the privatisation of South Australia's electricity utility, ETSA. Kevin Burrows, from the New Zealand Public
'Kakadu to Werribee, Australia toxic free!' By Reuben Endean MELBOURNE — On June 5, World Environment Day, 2000 environmentalists rallied outside state parliament to demand that the Victorian and federal governments end their attacks on the
NSW public servants launch industrial campaign By Jenny Long SYDNEY — NSW public servants gathered in 108 clubs around the state on June 12 for stop-work meetings linked by Sky Channel to vote on recommendations for an industrial campaign for a
Forest protest at ALP conference BURNIE — The Wilderness Society protested outside the ALP's state conference here on June 6 stating the party "has failed all Tasmanians in terms of protecting forests". Spokesperson Amanda Sully said, "The ALP is
Meeting hears report from Indonesia ADELAIDE — Max Lane, national coordinator of Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor, presented an inspirational account of his recent fact-finding trip to Jakarta to more than 60 activists here on
Strong support for WA nurses' strike By Sarah Stephen PERTH — On June 9, 1500 nurses voted unanimously to begin an indefinite strike until their 13% pay claim is granted. Nurses marched to a rally in Forrest Place following the
Bus drivers take action By Shane Bentley SYDNEY — Private bus drivers began a 24-hour strike in Sydney and Newcastle on June 10. Wollongong and Campbelltown drivers voted to stay out for 48 hours. The Transport Workers Union (TWU) drivers
By Arun Pradhan On May 31, 60 people wearing rainbow sashes attended mass in St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne. A letter to the church explained that the participants identified as gays and lesbians and called on the church to enter into dialogue
On June 5, Ross Mining Co. began preparations for the construction of its goldmine at Poverty Point on the Timbarra Plateau, near Tenterfield in northern NSW. The mine site covers 400 hectares and is located within the headwaters of the Timbarra
'Put Hanson Last!' By Chris Dawsonand Nick Everett BRISBANE — Around 800 people participated in a "Put One Nation last" rally here on June 7. The action was in response to the state Coalition's deals with the far-right for the June 13 state

World

By Michael Karadjis May 1998 marked 50 years since the founding of the state of Israel and what the Palestinians call "Nakhba" — the Catastrophe. The Nazi holocaust pushed large numbers of Jews towards Zionism, in particular because wealthy
NZ group demands freedom for political prisoners WELLINGTON — Thousands of "messages in a bottle" were delivered to the Indonesian embassy here on June 5. The bottles, containing thumb prints and signed postcards, were part of a protest staged by
Indian communists condemn nuclear tests In a statement issued in New Delhi on May 16, Vinod Mishra, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (ML), said: “We oppose the nuclear tests conducted by the Indian government because it
By Alex Harris The expression "spreading like wildfire" has taken on a new meaning for me over the past few months. After just one month in Kalimantan, Indonesia, I became only too aware of the perilous living conditions of the local people. The
Austerity hits South Korean workers By Eva Cheng The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has called off a second round of general strikes scheduled for June 10 and will take part in new negotiations with the government and bosses. It is
On June 3 in Lagos, agents of the Nigerian military government's State Security Service (SSS) arrested Segun Aderemi, a prominent democratic rights campaigner and lawyer. His arrest was part of a wave of arrests throughout the country designed to
Pakistan socialists condemn 'atomic fanaticism' [The following statement was issued at a media conference on June 5 in Lahore by the leaders of the Left Alliance of Pakistan, which includes the Labour Party of Pakistan, the Pakistan Socialist
The following is abridged from a speech about the Northern Ireland Good Friday agreement by Bernadette Devlin McAliskey to a public meeting in San Francisco on April 25. We are being pushed into retreat. This is not an accord of equals, not an
Abortion referendum for Portugal By Margaret Allan PORTO — Portugal is to hold a referendum on June 28 to decide whether the country's abortion legislation will be changed to give women abortion on demand, although only up to 10 weeks of
French workers could be World Cup winners By James Vassilopoulos A range of French workers, from pilots to train workers, have made use of the world's main soccer tournament, being held in France this month, to press for a "World Cup bonus" and
US military drive against growing insurgency in Colombia By Barry Sheppard The Pentagon, worried about recent left-wing guerilla victories, is stepping up the flow of arms and training to Colombia's military, under cover of the "war on
By Oge Skovrind COPENHAGEN — The Danish population remains divided on European Union (EU), as it has been in all five referendums held on the question since Denmark joined the European Community in 1972. On May 28, 45% of voters ignored the
By Dorotea Wilson MANAGUA — The second national congress of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) was held here on May 22-23. Of the 600 eligible delegates, 440 were present at the opening session. Representatives of left parties from
By Allan Nairn This is part two of Allan Nairn's account of the US intelligence forces' complicity in the repression of the Indonesian democracy movement. Part one was published in Green Left Weekly issue number 320. As the Suharto dictatorship

Culture

Supporting Indonesia's human rights movement Despite the fall of President Suharto in Indonesia, hundreds of political prisoners remain in jail, with countless others still missing. Playworks, Culture Lab, the Actors Centre, Belvoir Street Theatre
A Punch in the FaceWritten by Rainer HachfeldDirected by Nadine HelmiWith Jason Dean, Karren Lewis, Veronica Whelan and Heath WardSurf 'n' Theatre CompanyBondi Pavilion Theatre Review by Brendan Doyle The Surf 'n' Theatre Company, based in Bondi,
Barrie, meet David Mourning Becomes Electra By Eugene O'Neill Directed by Barrie Kosky Sydney Theatre Company Wharf Theatre, Sydney until June 27   By Mark Stoyich Barrie Kosky, the one-man avant-garde of
Drama in black and white Welcome to BroomeBy Richard MellickDirected by Michael GowCompany B and Black Swan Theatre Belvoir Street Theatre, Surry Hills, SydneyUntil July 12 Review by Helen Jarvis In 1997 Belvoir Street Theatre put on an
Free East TimorEdited by Jim AubreyContributors include Noam Chomsky, John Pilger, Jose Ramos Horta, Ken Fry and Justice Marcus EinfeldVintage Books, 1998 Review by Jon Land This book examines Australia's aiding and abetting of the Indonesian
By Conrad Barnett SYDNEY — Wild Spaces, an environmental film festival, is about to open here. The festival will present a collection of films dealing with environmental and social issues. It features documentaries and animations from around the
Baffled by the shift Blinded by the SunBy Stephen PoliakoffDirected by Sandra BatesWith Peter Kowitz, Lorraine Bayly, Andrew McFarlane, Tammy MacIntosh, Norman Kaye, Tina Bursill, Kate Fischer, Ron GrahamEnsemble TheatreThe Playhouse, Sydney Opera
The Last Ship John Tognolini ventures onto the high seas for the third in a series of radio features about working life in Australia. After painting vivid aural portraits of volunteer firefighters and scaffolder/riggers, "Togs" returns to his
Tradition in search of a future Children of the DevilPerformed by Russell DykstraDirected by David BellBelvoir Street Theatre, Sydney, until June 28Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne, June 30-July 11 Review by Allen Myers After the performance, the
The Sum of UsWritten by David StevensDirected by Colin NorrisNew Farm Nash Theatre Inc.Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm until June 27 Review by Lynda Hansen The Sum of Us is being performed in conjunction with the ninth Lesbian and Gay

Editorial

Editorial: Hands off Kosovo! Hands off Kosovo! The events in Kosovo are a reminder that the carnage created by capitalist restoration in Yugoslavia is still far from over. Indeed, it was recent plans drawn up by the Serbian occupation regime of