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HONG KONG: Protest organisers convicted

BY DOUG LORIMER HONG KONG — On November 25, a Kowloon City magistrate found three political activists — Leung Kwok-hung of the April 5 Action Group and Hong Kong Federation of Students members Christopher Fung and Chris Lo — guilty of

Civil liberties will be key election issue

BY LISA MACDONALD SYDNEY — A December 14 conference of the nine NSW branches of Socialist Alliance will preselect at least eight more candidates to complete its Legislative Council (upper house) ticket for the March 22 state election. The

NT Socialist Alliance gears up for 2003

BY CHRIS ATKINSON DARWIN — The Socialist Alliance here are gearing up for a big year in 2003. That was the conclusion after a discussion by members and supporters over a dinner on November 23. Seven of the 14 people attending were members of

Write On: Letters to Green Left Weekly

'Balaclava-clad lemmings' In an article in the November 19 Byron Shire Echo, Greens NSW MLC Ian Cohen attacks the NSW Labor government for vilifying anti-WTO protestors, stating that there was an "avalanche of propaganda dehumanising the

Socialist Alternative proposes unity to ISO

BY PETER BOYLE As the possibilities for deeper left unity is being debated within the Socialist Alliance, the Socialist Alternative (SAlt) group has written to the International Socialist Organisation (ISO) to suggest unity talks between the two

There is an urgent need for left unity

BY LALITHA CHELLIAH I have followed the Socialist Alliance unity debate. As a member of the Socialist Alliance — but not a member of either the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP) or the International Socialist Organisation (ISO) — it has

Forum discusses Sri Lanka peace process

BY CHRIS SLEE MELBOURNE — About 40 people attended a forum on the peace process in Sri Lanka, held at Monash University on November 24. It was organised by supporters of the Uthayam Tamil newspaper and Radio Shakthi, a Sri Lankan radio program on

PAKISTAN: A feudal lord becomes prime minister

BY FAROOQ TARIQ Mir Zafarulah Jamali, a feudal lord from Baluchistan, was elected as prime minister on November 21 by Pakistan's national assembly. After months of attempts to install a puppet "civilian" government, General Pervez Musharraf's

Peace and diversity in Christmas parade

BY KAMALA EMANUEL LAUNCESTON — Amongst the usual tinsel, angels and reindeers of the annual Christmas parade on November 30, there were a couple of floats that carried a different message. “Peace on Earth, goodwill to all; no war on

Thousands march in Melbourne

BY ANNE O'CASEY MELBOURNE — A crowd of around 10,000-15,000 turned out to oppose war on December 1, the day after the Victorian election. The rally was chaired by Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia state secretary Michele O'Neil

Was SIEV-X fitted with a tracking device?

BY SARAH STEPHEN Despite claims that the police and navy had no way of surveying, or receiving, a distress call from SIEV-X, the asylum-seeker boat which capsized last October, it appears that Australian authorities may have had far more

'Terrorist' hysteria breeds racism

BY SARAH STEPHEN Racist prejudice is alive and well in Australia. Just cast a glance at the letters in tabloid newspapers, or listen to a few minutes of the shock-jocks' talk-back radio. People judge others according to their national