Website http://www.gpja.pl.net/ Contact details: Forums - John Minto, (09) 846 3173, jbminto@xtra.co.nz; Newsletter Editor - Mike Treen 027 525 47440 / 09 845 4027 miket@pl.net Web page - bobo@enzyme.org.nz Donations can be sent to GPJA, 6a Western Springs Rd, Auckland. All communication regarding the GPJA mailing list (email or snail) should be addressed to gpja@xtra.co.nz

HELP NEEDED: GPJA has 2000 posters to put up over the next two Sundays to build support for the Mayday march. Our theme for this day celebrating international labour solidarity is: Iraq, Afghanistan - ALL foreign troops OUT NOW and Defend the Right to Protest. We want to highlight opposition to the continuing wars and to protest recent police action in arresting GPJA supporters on trumped up disorderly conduct and trespass charges during recent protests. We need your help. Come along to the Trades Hall, 147 New North Rd, Grey Lynn, at 3pm Sunday this week and next to help put them up around town. Bring a bucket, brush and paste if you can but we'll have some ready as well.

Check out What's on in Auckland for next week below. On Thursday there is a meeting for trade union and political leaders from Burma and on Friday there is a rare opportunity to see a film and hera from its maker about the atrocities that accompanied the coming to power of General Suharto in Indonesia in the 1965 military coup.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK The role of those who make peaceful revolution impossible by refusing to give up the privileges and pleasures that comes from the immense profits of overseas investments. I'm convinced that if we are to get on the right side fo the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin to shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people; the giant triplets of racism, militarism, and economic exploitation are incapable of being conquered: Martin Luther King - http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article2564.htm Each of the Iraqi children killed by the United States was our child. Each of the prisoners tortured in Abu Ghraib was our comrade. Each of their screams was ours. When they were humiliated, we were humiliated. The U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq - mostly volunteers in a poverty draft from small towns and poor urban neighborhoods - are victims just as much as the Iraqis of the same horrendous process, which asks them to die for a victory that will never be theirs: Arundhati Roy - Source: Arundhati Roy, "Tide? Or Ivory Snow? Public Power in the Age of Empire," 8/24/04 http://www.democracynow.org/static/Arundhati_Trans.shtml

ANNOUNCEMENTS

EXILED BURMESE LEADERS APPEAL TO NEW ZEALAND (Auckland meeting Thursday, April 21) Exiled Burmese democratic leaders will make a direct plea to New Zealand this week (17-23 April) to support international sanctions against Burma's military dictatorship. A five-person delegation led by the general secretary of the National Council of the Union of Burma, U Maung Maung, will meet Foreign Minister Phil Goff and other MPs and human rights groups in Wellington and Auckland. They will ask New Zealand to stop exports to Burma worth $5.9 million in the year to last June - mainly milk powder ($4.5 million). The trade made the Southeast Asian country New Zealand's 76th biggest market, just ahead of Israel. They also want New Zealand to support mounting international pressure to stop Myanmar (Burma) taking the chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) next year until it restores democracy first. Army generals have ruled the country of 50 million people since 1962 and crushed a student-led popular uprising in 1988, killing hundreds of peaceful protesters. The regime allowed elections in 1990, but declared that Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, which won 60 per cent of the vote, was "not ready to rule". Suu Kyi has spent most of the years since 1990 under house arrest. Most of the elected MPs were jailed, killed or fled the country. Three exiled MPs, U Thein Oo, U Denial Aung and U Hla Oo, who is also president of the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma, have come to New Zealand with U Maung Maung. U Maung Maung and other exiled leaders flew to Manila earlier this month seeking support from a conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union to block Burma's chairmanship of Asean. The Burmese exiled leaders will meet NZ Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson at 11am on Monday, Phil Goff in Auckland at 5pm on Wednesday and other MPs at a "Burma Caucus" meeting hosted by Northcote Labour MP Ann Hartley in Birkenhead on Saturday (23 April). They will attend a meeting of non-government organisations hosted by the Council for International Development in Wellington at 3pm on Tuesday, meet with the 700-strong Burmese community in Auckland, and hold a public meeting at the Auckland Trade Union Centre at 7.30pm on Thursday. They are also seeking a meeting with the country's major dairy exporter, Fonterra. The delegation comprises: - U Maung Maung, general secretary of the National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) and of the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB). * U Hla Oo, president of the FTUB, who was elected as an MP from ThaKaTha for the National League for Democracy (NLD) in1990 but is now in exile on the Thai/Burmese border. - U Thein Oo, another exiled NLD MP from Ye Oo township, Mandalay Division. - U Denial Aung, also an exiled MP from an ethnic party from Demoreso, Kayar State. - Dr Myint Cho, an NCUB staff member who has visited NZ twice before. Everyone interested in human rights in Burma is invited to: 1. A meeting of NGOs at the Council for International Development, 6th floor, PSA House, 11 Aurora Tce, Wellington, Tuesday 19 April, 3pm. Contact: Rae Julian, 04 472 6375. 2. A meeting of NGOs at Amnesty International, 1st floor, 145 Nelson St, Auckland, Thursday 21 April, 10am. Contact: Margaret Taylor, 09 303 4520. 3. A public meeting at the Trade Union Centre, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn, Thursday 21 April, 7.30pm. Contact: Mike Treen, 09 845 4027. For further information on the tour contact: Aung Pe Khin, General Secretary, United Democratic Burmese Community (NZ), 09 575 8909 or 021 170 4352. Rae Julian, Executive Director, Council for International Development, 04 472 6375 or 021 708 288. Ross Wilson, President, NZ Council of Trade Unions, 04 802 3812 or 0274 468 767.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 - DAY OF ACTION AGAINST CATERPILLAR. "Over 50,000 Palestinians have been made homeless by Caterpillar bulldozers. CAT supplies equipment used by the Israeli military to destroy Palestinian homes, infrastructure, orchards, greenhouses, agricultural land filled with crops and sometimes lives, including American peace activist Rachel Corrie and Palestinian Suha Sweidan, who was nine months pregnant when she was killed in the middle of the night in a home demolition. While US taxpayers foot the bill, CAT profits from the wholesale destruction of Palestinian homes and livelihoods." More information on the Day of Action is at http://www.catdestroyshomes.org/article.php?id=132 The press release about Rachel Corrie's parents court action against Caterpillar is at http://www.catdestroyshomes.org/article.php?id=256 and you can read the charges at http://hq.demaction.org/dia/organizations/jvfp/images/final.corriecomplaint.3.15.pdf

POINT SEVEN - HONOUR THE PROMISE PETITION GETTING POSITIVE RESPONSE Thousands of New Zealanders have already signed the petition calling on the government to increase the amount it gives to overseas development aid. Despite the fact that the Point Seven/Honour the Promise petition has only been circulating for a few weeks, it's had an amazingly good response, according to the Executive Director of the Council for International Development, Rae Julian.Ms Julian says anecdotal evidence from people collecting signatures on the street indicates that a significant number of New Zealanders want to see our Government become more generous in the amount of aid it gives to poor countries. "We don't intend to try to force a referendum on the issue. We simply want to show the Government that New Zealanders are concerned about the world outside our shores and want to see us, as a country, pull our weight in helping to reduce global poverty. Already the message is coming back to us strongly that there is a great deal of support in the community for this petition. We are co-ordinating the petition along with 20 of our member aid agencies. It will run for several more weeks before being presented to Parliament." Ms Julian says that currently the government is not doing its fair share in providing aid to poor countries nor is it on track to meet its United Nations promise of giving 0.7 percent of national income to aid. This is despite the fact that the government signed up to the Millennium Development Goals - are a set of specific targets agreed to by the United Nations in order to help reduce global poverty by 2015. Goals include halving the estimated 1.2-billion people living on less than $US1 a day. For more information contact ~ Rae Julian, Executive Director, Council for International Development Tel. 04-472-6375 or 021-708-288. PETITION AND MORE INFO: http://www.cid.org.nz/advocacy/point-seven.html

WHAT'S ON IN AUCKLAND

Sunday, April 17, 3pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn PASTEUP TO BUILD MAY DAY MARCH, PROTEST WAR, DEFEND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST

Sunday, April 17, 7.30pm, The Classic, 123 Queen St Antidote #12. A Screening of ...The ENDof SUBURBIA Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream. Suburbia, and all it promises, has become the American Dream. But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge about the sustainability of this way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now, some scientists and policy makers argue in this documentary. The consequences of inaction in the face of this global crisis are enormous. AND MAY DAY COLUMBIA (short)The targeted killing of educators and trade unionists in Columbia. To coincide with the "Peasant and Small Farmer global day of action",17th of April.

Thursday, April 21, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn MEETING WITH VISITING BURMESE DEMOCRATIC TRADE UNION AND POLITICAL LEADERS (details in Announcements above)

Friday, April 22, 7.30pm, St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont Street, Ponsonby "TULENA BREAKING OF A NATION" - hear Andre Vltchek speak and present his film about the brutality of the Suharto dictatorship where at least one million and possibly up three million people died in the aftermath of the 1965 military coup led by General Suharto, supported by the West. No records were kept and no serious investigation done. Until now Indonesia remains the most undocumented major country on earth Almost no books or studies have been written about these events. The few documentary films which were produced rely heavily on eye witnesses form the West. One reason is the famous culture of silence. Because of decades of political and religious brainwashing it is almost impossible to find anyone in Indonesia capable of making a coherent analysis of the situation. The majority of people have been taught to believe that the Communist Party of Indonesia was responsible for the coup. Andre Vltchek is a Czech/American novelist, non-fiction writer and left-wing journalist. He writes for several publications in the US, Europe, Asia and Latin America besides running his own journal. He has spent 10 years in Indonesia and managed to work with those few who survived indoctrination, imprisonment and isolation to tell the story. For more information contact the Indonesian Human Rights Committee, P O Box 68-419, Auckland. Ph (09) 360 8001.

Monday, April 25, 7-30pm, Ponsonby Mosque, Vermont Street, Ponsonby ABDUL RAHIM RASHEED, Council of Christians and Muslims Patron, and AHMED ZAOUI WILL SPEAK following the Council of Christians and Muslims Annual General Meeting; Ahmed will be speaking about his involvement in Muslim - Christian Dialogue. For more information contact David Wakim, tel (09) 520 0201 or email wakim.fam@xtra.co.nz

Saturday, April 30, 7pm, New Orient Restaurant, Strand Arcade CELEBRATING UNION POWER - a chance for delegates, officials and friends of the union movement to eat drink and be merry (for the next day we will march). The May Day committee has confirmed that the inaugural Auckland May Day Dinner will be held on Saturday April 30 2005 at the New Orient Restaurant, Strand Arcade at 7pm. Tickets are $25 each, making a table for 10 $250. Unions are encouraged to buy at least one table for delegates and officials. There will be a buffet meal, and an entertaining reflection on the last year and the coming year of union movement campaigns. Unions participating will be encouraged to share something as part of this programme. So far I have received ticket numbers from NZNO, AUS, Linda Holt, and Unite. A number of others have indicated that you will be buying tickets for delegates or selling tables to others. Could all those interested in sharing a night of celebrating union power please confirm your bookings ASAP. This will be a great night to acknowledge your activists. Friendly political parties, activist and community organisations are also invited - so please be in early. Tickets can be ordered from lailah@nzno.org.nz

Sunday, May 1, 10am, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn MAY DAY BUS TOUR - The massive crowd that had gathered outside an Auckland newspaper office reportedly chanted "Off with his head!" as Tory MP after Tory MP lost seats in the tumultuous 1935 General Election. That elated night of working people's hopes and triumph will be relived on May Day, May 1, this year. "Sites of Struggle", a May Day bus tour of Auckland, will be leaving the Auckland Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, at 10am on May Day, Sunday May 1. It will travel to the Onehunga cemetery where a labour martyr lies buried, then to the site of the old Westfield Freezing Works where a workers' occupation took place in 1937, on to the Taj Mahal-like mausoleum of New Zealand's first Labour Prime Minister and the nearby site of a Trades Council green ban in support of a Ngati Whatua land protest, and then back into the city to see city council memorials to prominent Auckland communists. But the highlight will be in Shortland Street. Here 87-year-old Jim Edwards, son of a fabled leader of the unemployed, will describe his experience as a teenager standing outside the old Auckland Star building on the night of November 27, 1935. He was with an enormous crowd gathered to watch the unfolding results of the 1935 election posted up on huge lit billboards. That election seventy years ago, after the bleakest of depressions, led to New Zealand's first Labour government and the creation of a welfare state. The Sites of Struggle bus will be back in time for the annual May Day rally and march at 12.00. Sites of Struggle Leaves Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Sunday May 1, 10.00am. $10. Information ring Dean Parker 09-378-6103

Sunday, May 1, 12 noon, Downtown, Queen St, City MAY DAY RALLY AND MARCH. GPJA is supporting the rally and march this May Day. GPJA will be highlighting the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and call for all foreign troops (including NZ forces in Afghanistan) to be withdrawn immediately. We will also be asserting our democratic right to protest in this country after police attacked the March 19 protest in Auckland and arrested some of our supporters there and at the later court appearance.

Saturday, May 7, University of Auckland, Engineering School, Lecture theatre 1.401 on Symonds Street Attention teachers and high school students. The Auckland branch of the United Nations Youth Association of New Zealand (UNYANZ) will be running a model United Nations Assembly for high school students on the 7th of May. The Model UN provides young people an opportunity to research, relate to, and represent a member country of the United Nations General Assembly. It will also encourage students to engage in active negotiation and alliance-formation. Mostly, the MUN is an enjoyable and fun event which allows young people to become familiar with issues of international concern. The fee for the day (which includes lunch and afternoon tea) is $17.50 for UNYANZ members and $27.50 for non-members (includes year long membership to UNYANZ). For more information and registration forms see the MUN page on the UNYANZ website or email aucklandmun@unyanz.co.nz http://www.unyanz.co.nz/Regions/Auckland/AucklandRegionalEvents/AucklandRegi onalMUN2005/tabid/188/Default.aspx

Tuesday, May 10 to Saturday May 14, 8pm, Heritage Auckland, 35 Hobson St, Central City HERITAGE 101 - A CONTRIBUTION TO THE DISCUSSION ON NATIONHOOD. WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY MICHELE A'COURT Book at Ticketek: (09) 307 5000. Free Admission to Anyone Born in 1961. Award-winning comedian, Michele A'Court, presents a one-hour comedic lecture about what it means to be a New Zealander, who belongs here, and how we define ourselves. "[There is a] dangerous drift towards racial separatism in NZ.The principles of the Treaty are the thin end of a wedge leading to a racially divided state." - Don Brash, Speech to the Orewa Rotary Club, 27.1.04 "Maori are unique [in relation to] the other people who have come to this land, in that unlike them, we have no other country that we can claim as our homeland." - Tariana Turia, in a letter to M. A'Court, 2.11.04 New Zealand's official baby boom year was 1961. These "Sixty-Oners" have been the subject of considerable research - who they are, their achievements, their expectations, and their needs. As it happens, Michele A'Court was born in 1961. The past 12 months have seen the beginning of a discussion on Kiwi nationhood - who has the right to be called "indigenous", whether government policy is based on need or race, who should own our beaches, and whether race matters. As it happens, Michele A'Court is Pakeha. Her daughter is Maori. Through stories, pictures and comedy, "Heritage 101" paints a picture of what it is like to be a Kiwi Baby-Boomer, what "home" means, what makes us different from the rest of the world - and each other - and what makes us the same. There will be hand-outs, slides, prizes, awards, and an opportunity for Q&A. Feel free to take notes. Book early and often - three shows only in Wellington, and a tiny venue in Auckland. Michele is giving a free ticket to anyone, like her, born in 1961. Just bring a Driver's Licence or passport. Potential free guests include: Peter Jackson, Ahmed Zaoui, George Clooney, kd lang, Meg Ryan, Eddie Murphy and Fabio. And some of them have already booked. For further information, contact Michele on: a.court@xtra.co.nz 027 296 5370

Thursday, May 12-19, Academy Cinema, City HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL: Our exciting programme includes the 2005 Academy Award winning documentary, Born into Brothels, the radical, entertaining Resistencia - Hip Hop in Colombia, and some of the finest documentaries currently touring the globe. Further highlights include high profile British director Ken Loach's dramatic feature, Bread and Roses starring Adrien Brody (currently in New Zealand filming King Kong); and the controversial study of the September 11 hijackers, Hamburg Cell, produced by New Zealander Finola Dwyer. The full programme for each centre will be released soon. If you register on our website, we'll email you an electronic version of the programme as soon as it's available. Go to www.humanrightsfilmfest.net.nz and click on 'keep me in the loop.' Tickets will go on sale in a few weeks time.

BEST ON THE WEB

NEW ZEALAND POTLUCK AND SUNSHINE FOR AHMED ZAOUI IN WELLINGTON - Kevin List writes that the last time Ahmed Zaoui flew on a plane, he got nabbed at the airport, whisked off to a jail cell and interviewed without a lawyer present by the Police and members of the NZ Security Intelligence Service. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0504/S00123.htm

GHOSTS OF THE PAST - By Tarek Cherkaoui - NZ Based Academic Scoop Editor: Next week, Algerian refugee and academic Ahmed Zaoui's lawyers will appear before the New Zealand Supreme Court to submit that human rights ought to be considered by the inspector general of intelligence and security during review of a security risk certificate issued against him by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service. The Crown will appear seeking to have a Court Of Appeal decision (that ruled in favour of Mr Zaoui) overturned. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0504/S00071.htm QPEC SAYS

GOVT SPECIAL NEEDS FUNDING LESS THAN 2 PERCENT PER YEAR QPEC states that the Government's announcement by the Associate Minister of Education David Benson-Pope of an increase of $30.7 million in government funding for special education is welcome but is still deeply disappointing in terms of the quantum needed for children with special education needs to become effective learners in the classroom. This money is to be spread over 4 years and amounts to an overall increase of less than 2% per year in special education funding over this time. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0504/S00057.htm No Right Turn - No Right Turn: Gearing Up For Education Privatisation http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0504/S00130.htm Union Leader Warns of More Industrial Action http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0504/S00115.htm Greens challenge Indonesian President on human rights http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0504/S00124.htm

COLUMNISTS - ALI, PILGER, MONBIOT, PALAST TARIQ ALI on Political Activism from Pakistan to Vietnam to Iraq: A conversation with writer and activist Tariq Ali on more than four decades at the forefront of the antiwar movement. http://informationclearinghouse.info/article8534.htm JOHN PILGER: Reject the Law of Silence - From the BBC's capitulation to the Israeli government, to the rush to eulogise a deeply reactionary Pope, pressure on the media is leading to insidious new state propaganda.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article8481.htm

GEORGE MONBIOT: I'm with Wolfowitz - Liberal handwringing over the World Bank simply reflects a failure to recognise the role it exists to fulfil, George Monbiot http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1452430,00.html GREG PALAST: Give It Back, George - Did Wyly Coyotes' Ill-Gotten Loot Buy White House? http://www.gregpalast.com/blog.cfm

WEST PAPUA Corporate Facts: Foreign Investment in West Papua http://www.eco-action.org/ssp/corp.html

AUSTRALIA Delegates vote for IR 'reform' protest strike http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/621/621p3.htm

THE POPE John Paul II's Economic Ethics, By Mark Engler A steady feature in Pope John Paul II's obituaries has been mention of his unwaveringly conservative stances on issues such as abortion, birth control, gay rights, and the ordination of women. While these positions were sources of consternation for many American Catholics, they far from represent the whole of John Paul's ethical beliefs. Particularly in his teachings about the global economy, the Pope advanced a vision of social justice that challenges narrow political debate about "moral values." Many commentators have highlighted the Pope extensive travels throughout the world and his use of advanced telecommunications to spread his message. Less noted is the fact John Paul's vision of globalization sharply countered the pro-corporate triumphalism spread by "free trade" boosters. Reflecting on the process of globalization during his 1998 visit to Cuba, the Pope contended that world is "witnessing the resurgence of a certain capitalist neoliberalism which subordinates the human person to blind market forces." He claimed that "[f]rom its centers of power, such neoliberalism often places unbearable burdens upon less favored countries." And he remarked with concern that "at times, unsustainable economic programs are imposed on nations as a condition for further assistance." http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2005/0504johnpaul.html To make the Pope responsible for the fall of socialism is to make too simple an analysis of history. Fidel reiterates similarities between the humanist ideas of the Pope and those defended by the Cuban Revolution http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2005/abril/vier8/16fpapa-i.html

ARMS RACE Between The Lines: The Nukes In Space - Threat of Global Nuclear Weapons Proliferation Met by U.S. Development of New Atomic Arms and Militarization of Space - Interview with Dr. Helen Caldicott, anti-nuclear activist and founder of the Nobel Prize-winning Physicians for Social Responsibility http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0504/S00098.htm

VENEZUELA Venezuela: Revolution in Progress: Today is the third anniversary of the failed coup attempt to overthrow democratically elected Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. We speak with filmmaker Matt O'Neil about his new documentary, "Venezuela: Revolution in Progress." http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/11/143230

IRAQ Thousands protest U.S. on Baghdad anniversary - Demonstrators demand end to presence of foreign troops http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7430272/ Iraqi Girl Blog: Baghdad Burning: Protesters in the thousands demand end to occupation http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/2005_04_01_riverbendblog_archive.html#1113 07454974312560 300,000 protest US occupation http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050410/NEWS03/10 4100087/-1/news Workers resisting in Iraq http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/622/622p12.htm Let them eat bombs - The doubling of child malnutrition in Iraq is baffling A report to the UN human rights commission in Geneva has concluded that Iraqi children were actually better off under Saddam Hussein than they are now. This, of course, comes as a bitter blow for all those of us who, like George Bush and Tony Blair, honestly believe that children thrive best when we drop bombs on them from a great height, destroy their cities and blow up hospitals, schools and power stations. http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1457436,00.html

AFGHANISTAN The Bush Administration's Afghan Spring - Drugs, Bases, and Jails http://www.tomdispatch.com/index.mhtml?pid=2303 Afghanistan likely to have permanent US military: Afghanistan's defence minister signalled Kabul was eager for "enduring arrangements" that could include permanent air bases or "pre-positioned" military equipment that would be used by rapidly deployed US forces in a crisis. http://news.ft.com/cms/s/c09c7152-a612-11d9-b67b-00000e2511c8.html

TORTURE FOR "DEMOCRACY" U.S. Refuses To Allow U.N Rep Investigate Possible Abuse and Torture at Guantanamo: Manfred Nowak met Monday afternoon with Pierre Prosper, the American ambassador-at-large for war crimes, and said U.S. officials refused to guarantee him the right to speak to detainees in private an ``absolute precondition'' for such a visit. http://cbsnewyork.com/international/UN-US-Guantanamo-ai/resources_news_html Former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, "I left the foreign office over the issue of MI6 allowing the use of intelligence obtained during torture. They take torture intelligence coming out of Uzbekistan and pass it on to the CIA." http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php4?article_id=6179

EAST TIMOR Anniversary East Timor Massacre: Justice Demanded For Victims - April 6: On the sixth anniversary of the massacres at the Catholic Church in Liquica, East Timor, the East Timor Action Network (ETAN) urged the international community to heed East Timorese cries for justice. "The international community must keep its commitment to the victims of this and other horrific crimes committed in East Timor," said John M. Miller, spokesperson for ETAN. "We must continue to pursue accountability for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide committed during Indonesia's illegal occupation of East Timor between 1975 and 1999 http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0504/S00101.htm

ISRAEL/PALESTINE Racism by Any Other Name: Israel Makes It Harder for Non-Jews to Become Citizens http://www.counterpunch.com/laor04072005.html

LATIN AMERICA BOLTON AND NEGROPONTE Nominations: Dramatic examples of the U.S.'s failed Latin American policy and the Bush administration's disdain for international norms. http://snipurl.com/e0n2 ARGENTINA - FACTORIES WITHOUT BOSSES - help to defend an inspiring and courageous workers' struggle in Argentina. The Zanon ceramic tile factory, a democratic, worker-run factory in Patagonia, is facing a serious threat of eviction, and the workers have asked for international support for their struggle. http://www.spectrezine.org/weblog/index.php?p=63 CUBA - Cuban militant's image depends on whom you ask: To me, Luis Posada Carriles is a terrorist. To Miami developer Santiago Alvarez, he is a patriot. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/columnists/11370715.htm

ENVIRONMENT America's finest rivers awash with raw sewage: Last year more than 860bn gallons of untreated sewage was poured into US rivers, making millions of people ill and causing widespread environmental damage. At the same time the Bush administration is planning to lower clean water standards. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=629160 GLOBAL WARMING: NUCLEAR POWER NO SOLUTION: Have the nuclear industry and its supporters suddenly gained an environmental consciousness? While they're not planning to close their dangerous, polluting reactors nor begin dealing responsibly with their legacy of toxic radioactive wastes, they are now professing deep concern about climate change - and argue that nuclear power is the only solution. Even environmentalists are turning to nuclear power, we're told. It's not true - you could count them on one hand - but the nuclear boosters and the mainstream media aren't letting the facts get in the way of a good story. [Full article] http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/622/622p9.htm Assaulted Activists Return to Seal Hunt Despite Gun Threats - Auckland Animal Action http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0504/S00134.htm Mike

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