World

Indonesia: Proposed security law sparks opposition

By Pip Hinman Indonesian House of Representatives speaker and Golkar faction leader Akbar Tandjung wants the Abdurrahman Wahid government to ratify the draconian security law which was pushed through a depleted parliament during the last hours of

Korean steelworkers press on

Korean steelworkers press on By Eva Cheng Against great odds, almost 190 Sammi Specialty Steel workers in South Korea are continuing their long struggle for jobs and justice after 580 workers were dismissed by the Pohang Steel Company (Posco)

Iranian workers condemn repressive labour laws

By Rupen Savoulian New, draconian labour laws recently enacted by the Iranian regime will exempt small businesses from the Islamic Labour Law, affecting 2.8 million workers and resulting in 600,000 redundancies, according to a statement by the

China increases war spending while its economy sags

By Eva Cheng Under the Communist Party's tight control, the annual session of China's parliament — the National People's Congress (NPC) — has traditionally been a staged event. It often is, however, a useful gauge of Beijing's prevailing

East Timorese under attack

East Timorese under attack By Jon Land The recent spate of pro-integration militia incursions along the western border of East Timor highlights the failure and unwillingness of the Indonesian government to disarm its militia gangs in West Timor.

Behind the Spanish left's worst electoral loss

Behind the Spanish left's worst electoral loss By G. Buster In the March 12 Spanish election, the left suffered the worst electoral defeat in its history. After four years of conservative and neo-liberal policies, the governing People's Party

Indonesia plans to deport labour consultant

Indonesia plans to deport labour consultant By Pip Hinman Roger Smith, an Australian who works for the American Centre for International Labor Solidarity, which is funded by the US government and the AFL-CIO, has been threatened with deportation

Second Romanian mine disaster adds to river pollution

By Jim Green Melting snow and torrential rains broke a dam at the Baia Borsa lead and zinc mine in Romania, 375 kilometres north-west of Bucharest, on March 10. More than 18,000 tonnes of sediment laden with lead, zinc, copper and a small

Kurds remember massacre

March 16 marks the twelfth anniversary of the massacre of Kurdish people in Halabja, in north-east Iraq. Madhi Kalka, a Kurdish journalist now living in Perth, has written an account of the events and their aftermath.

What happened to the Democratic Republic of East Timor?

What happened to the Democratic Republic of East Timor? DILI — The small, unassuming office of the CPD-RDTL (Council in Defence of the Democratic Republic of East Timor) in Balide belies the debate that is brewing over the restoration of the

New Zimbabwean party is 'a half-way house'

New party is 'a half-way house' Patrick Bond spoke with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Johannesburg. Question: How can the MDC's industrial worker and urban community activists persuade the rural folk to abandon Mugabe's "nationalism". We're

All eyes on Zimbabwe's new 'workers' party'

All eyes on Zimbabwe's new 'workers' party' By Patrick Bond JOHANNESBURG — The Shona-language slogan of the popular new political party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has spread far and wide throughout the countryside: Chinja!