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PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Bishops call for refugees to be released

BY BILL SMITH The Papua New Guinea Catholic Bishops Conference on November 6 called on the PNG government to "respect human rights and accept the need to release the refugees from detention in Manus [Island]". The bishops said that the laws of PNG

CHINA: CP welcomes capitalists into its ranks

BY EVA CHENG China's drawn out process of capitalist restoration is poised to take a new leap forward after the 16th Congress of the Communist Party of China (CP), held November 8-14 in Beijing, vigorously endorsed such a move away from socialism.

Alliance should be 'a pluralist socialist grouping'

BY DAVID SCRIMGEOUR As a non-affiliated member of the Socialist Alliance I would like to contribute to the current debate within the SA about the proposal of the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP) to become a tendency within the SA, and the response

'No borders! No nations! No deportations!'

BY OWEN RICHARDS SYDNEY — A dynamic and colourful gathering of around 1000 activists at Town Hall on November 13 kicked off three days of protest against the mini-ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) with a march demanding

World's poor at the mercy of the WTO

BY ZANNY BEGG SYDNEY — Alan Wood, in his article "World's poor at the mercy of Europe" (Australian, November 12), argued that those protesting at the November 14-15 trade ministers' meeting sponsored by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) were

ASIO raids followed 9/11

BY SARAH STEPHEN The recent raids by ASIO and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) of the homes of Muslim families received widespread media coverage. However, similar raids following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the US went largely

Socialist Alliance candidates launch campaigns

BY TONY ILTIS MELBOURNE — The Socialist Alliance has launched its campaign for the November 30 Victorian election. On November 8, the Socialist Alliance launch in the seat of Footscray, in Melbourne's west, attracted 35 people. Surma Hamid from

AFGHANISTAN: Students gunned down

BY NORM DIXON Up to six Kabul University students were killed when police opened fire on demonstrators on November 11 and 12. Human Rights Watch reported on November 14 that police fired directly into the crowd on November 12, without warning.

And ain't i a woman?: Free Raihana Diani!

And ain't i a woman?: Free Raihana Diani! On November 7, Raihana Diani appeared for the third time in the Banda Aceh court house in Aceh, Indonesia. She is a 20-year-old university student studying to be a teacher. She was arrested on June 16,

Parliament forum discusses protest tactics

BY JANO GIBSON SYDNEY — Despite allegations by NSW police minister Michael Costa that it would be used to promote violent behaviour against police, organisers of a civil disobedience forum held at Parliament House on November 8 asserted that

Royal Park meeting roasts Labor

BY CHRIS SLEE MELBOURNE — More than 100 people attended the annual general meeting of the Royal Park Protection Society on November 13, at which they heard speeches from candidates in the November 30 Victorian election. Labor candidates,

Former detention officer speaks out

BY RYK MOLON A young Middle Eastern woman sits in the middle of the room at the Port Hedland immigration detention centre. She is surrounded by women of differing ages, all admiring their earlier handiwork of dressing her up and applying make-up.