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

LPP demonstrates against Clinton's visit

By Farooq Sulehria LAHORE — The Labour Party Pakistan (LPP) organised a demonstration outside the US consulate here on March 22 to protest against the visit to Pakistan of US President Bill Clinton. Three days earlier, Pakistan's military

Will Chen Shui-bian lead Taiwan to independence?

By Eva Cheng Chen Shui-bian became Taiwan's second freely elected president on March 18. His victory has kick-started an unprecedented process that may force democratisation in Taiwan to be speeded and greatly increase popular pressure on Beijing

Israeli soldiers maim Palestinian children

Israeli soldiers maim Palestinian children By Alec Smart EAST JERUSALEM — On December 16, I sat in a Lebanese restaurant discussing the ins and outs of the forthcoming millennium celebrations with Ralph. Ralph works for the Temporary

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

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!

Job seekers demonstrate in East Timor

Job seekers demonstrate in East Timor By Vanya Tanaja DILI — Frustration and discontent spilt over into another demonstration here on March 7 as 300 job seekers gathered outside the offices of the United Nations Transitional Administration in

PUK attacks human rights in Iraqi Kurdistan

By Moayad Ahmed Serious events are taking place in the areas of southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) where the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), led by Jalal Talabani, is imposing its rule. The PUK has violated the political freedoms and human

Workers strike for sacked colleagues

By May Sari SURABAYA — One thousand five hundred workers at PT Surabaya Meka Box in East Java, Indonesia, began a strike on February 21 to protest against the dismissal of three colleagues who were representing workers in negotiations for a new