World

INDONESIA: Protests commemorate 1996 crackdown Protest actions took place in several Indonesian cities on July 27 to commemorate the 1996 attacks on the headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) and the crackdown on the

BY DENISE COMANNE& ERIC TOUSSAINT The G7's Cologne summit in June 1999 announced debt relief of up to 90% for some of the poorest countries. One year later, on occasion of the G7 plus Russia's July meeting in Okinawa, the Committee for the

CUBA: A million people march against US blockade HAVANA, July 26 — Cuba's President Fidel Castro headed a march of more than 1 million people past the US Interests Office here to demand the end of the US blockade of Cuba and Washington's economic

HONG KONG — Trade unions have become more active in recent times in defence of wages, conditions and democratic rights, according to leaders of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions. Speaking to Green Left Weekly on July 25, HKCTU organising

Message from Indonesian peasants' union Fransisca Christianti, secretary-general of Indonesia's National Peasants Union (STN), sent a message to Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor thanking all the Australian and international

Women in Cuba must continue to organise to defend and extend the gains of the revolution, Nancy Iglesias Mildenstein told a meeting at Newcastle University on July 27. Mildenstein, a leader of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC),

Australian Cuba solidarity activist acknowledged Melbourne-based long-time Cuba solidarity activist and director of Ocean Press, David Deutschmann, was presented with the Friendship Medal in Cuba on July 21. Jose Ramon Balaguer, head of the Cuban

EAST TIMOR: Militia threat continues The confrontation on July 24 between pro-Jakarta militia forces from West Timor and a detachment of New Zealand soldiers from the United Nations peace-keeping force — the third such incident along the western

KOWLOON — "One of the main campaigns being carried out by Greenpeace Hong Kong is against pollution in Hong Kong harbour, as well as river and air pollution", Kevin Li, a member of the International Rivers Network and Greenpeace Hong Kong, told

MANILA — Protest rallies in Metro Manila were violently dispersed by police and marines on July 24. The rallies were called by progressive groups to denounce the state of the nation address (sona) by President Joseph Estrada at the Philippine

RUSSIA: Gazprom Vega workers contaminated by radiation The following appeal was issued by the workers of the Vega department of Gazprom. We are workers in a department of the Russian Gazprom [natural gas] corporation. For 10 years we have been

SEOUL — On July 29, more than 13,000 workers and students amassed in the city centre to mark one month since the Kim Dae-Jung regime violently cracked down on striking workers from the Lotte Hotel and the Public Health Insurance Office. Using