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INDONESIA: US court to try Indonesian general

Starting March 27, a United States court in Washington, DC, will hear evidence that Indonesian General Johnny Lumintang is responsible for gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed in East Timor. The proceeding will

Construction workers to visit M1 blockade

BY MARCEL CAMERON MELBOURNE — In response to the call by the M1 Alliance for a strike and blockade of the Australian Stock Exchange on May 1, construction workers will walk off city building sites and march on stock market offices here before

Dollar's plunge will hurt workers

BY SEAN HEALY When it happened to the Brazilian real or the Turkish lira or the Thai baht, they labeled it a "currency crisis" and called in the International Monetary Fund but, this being Australia, the dollar's downward plummet to below 48 US

Centrelink CPSU members vote on welfare reform campaign

BY JIM MCILROY BRISBANE — Community and Public Sector Union members in Centrelink offices and call centres around the country met during the week of March 19-23 to vote on a resolution from their union to launch a "community based campaign" to

GST bites working people

BY SUE BOLTON The truth is out about just what the GST is doing to working families. Before the 1998 election, the government didn't just unleash a barrage of misleading, even lying, propaganda about the consumption tax, it also prevented the

'Refugees are welcome here!'

BY STUART MUNCKTON CANBERRA — Chanting "Lock up Ruddock, free the refugees!", 30 people protested outside the National Press Club while immigration minister Philip Ruddock addressed journalists on the government-designated "Harmony Day", March

Building M1 on University of Queensland

At its largest and most productive meeting of the year, the University of Queensland's Students Campaigning Against Multinationals collective adopted a plan of action to build the M1 blockade of the Brisbane stock exchange on May 1.

Who made a killing by killing the dollar?

BY SEAN HEALY Peter Costello's 1995 comment about a weak Australian dollar needs one small but important revision: devaluation impoverishes every working-class person in Australia. For owners of capital, especially those who own assets in foreign

NORTH AMERICA: People fight against investors' 'bill of rights'

BY EVA CHENG The pro-business reality of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement hit home forcefully in August when the Mexican government was ordered by a NAFTA tribunal to pay nearly US$16.7 million to US waste disposal Metalclad

and ain't i a woman?: Empowerment and the 'surrendered wife'

How can women find happiness in marriage? According to "feminist" author Laura Doyle all we a wife needs do is "surrender" to her husband's every wish. In her book The surrendered wife: A practical guide to finding intimacy, passion and peace with

PAKISTAN: Military cracks down on opposition

BY SEAN HEALY The military dictatorship of General Pervaiz Musharraf has launched a fierce crackdown against its opponents, arresting 20 leaders of political parties belonging to the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, including the

M1 Alliance to elect marshals

BY GRAHAM MATTHEWS MELBOURNE — After considerable debate, the Melbourne M1 Alliance resolved on March 20 to elect marshals from among its ranks to coordinate its planned May 1 blockade of the city's stock exchange. The marshals will be given an