Concerned Surf Coast residents have rallied together to oppose the Baillieu Government's plans to renew the Alcoa Anglesea mining lease for a further 50 years and potentially expand their coal mining operations into sensitive native heathlands.
By Hamish Chitts
Anzac Day has long been less about remembrance of the people slaughtered in wars for Australia’s capitalist class and their foreign friends and more about creating a culture of blind nationalism and militarism. Particularly since the beginning of the “war on terror” in 2001, the deification of the digger, militarism and nationalism have been ramped up by the Howard, Rudd and Gillard governments.
Dear Radio Friend,
The latest Shortwave Report (April 22) is up at the website
http://www.outfarpress.com/outfarpress/shortwave.shtml in both broadcast quality (15.1MB) and quickdownload or streaming form (4.9MB) (28:59)
(NEW! If you have access to Audioport.org there is a higher quality version posted up there {35MB} http://www.audioport.org/index.php?op=producer-info&uid=904&nav=&)
This week's show features stories from NHK Japan, Radio Deutsche-Welle, Radio Havana Cuba, and The Voice of Russia.
Police arrest Jim & Aaron Everett and three other protestors on the 17th April for holding a smoking ceremony at Kutalyana (Jordan River Levee) and for breaching their bail conditions. They were merely trying to save their heritage from the bulldozers who are constructing the Brighton Bypass and destroying a site that contains evidence of Aboriginal occupation of Tasmania going back as far as 42,000 years.
The ANZAC Myth is a publication created by 3CR's Joe Toscano from the Anarchist Media Institute - it seeks to dispel the myths surrounding ANZAC Day. This booklet acknowledges the sacrifices made by those Australians who opposed conscription and Australia’s involvement in World War One.
By Access
Something very interesting is happening in the Himalayan country of Nepal. The Nepalese government is stepping up its attack on Internet Service Providers (ISPs), forcing them to block sites, cut off access to certain customers, and monitor other users' activities online.
John Pilger addressed a sold-out crowd of over 400 people in Sydney at a special screening of his new documentary, The War You Don’t See. Following the screening Pilger answered questions on the Australian and international media, relationships between corporations or governments and our media, embedded journalism, Israel-Palestine media coverage (including the current campaign against Marrickville BDS supporters), WikiLeaks and much more.
On the afternoon of Thursday the 21st of April 2011 activists visited the Indonesian Embassy in London, UK to deliver a letter to the Indonesian Government in Jakarta. This was done in solidarity with the people of Kulon Progo, whose lives and land are threatened by the Iron Sands Mining Project being carried out by the Australian Mining Company PT Indomine and the Indonesian State.
To more the full report visit UK Indymedia
Below is an eyewitness report of the protests at Villawood reposted from Brami Jegan’s blog
At about 11.55pm last night (Wednesday) I got a frantic call from ’S aunty’ saying that Villawood Immigration Detention Center was on fire and our friends inside (who we had got to know over the past year ) were really scared about the escalating unrest.
Request by New Zealand Human Rights outsider to appear before UN Committee.
Anthony Ravlich
Chairperson
Human Rights Council Inc (New Zealand)
10D/15 City Rd.
Auckland City
New Zealand
Ph: (0064) (09) 940 9658
Dear Wan-Hea Lee (Secretary of the Committee),
RE: New Zealand – UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 46th Session, 23 to 27 May.
Not many people are aware that New Zealanders living in Australia who arrived after 2002 are not entitled to the same benefits or pathways to citizenship that even boat people are granted.
New Zealanders are granted a Special Category Visa on arrival, which allows the ability to stay permanently, work and in general enjoy the life of a permanent resident.
However if those who arrived after 2002 apply for citizenship, even if they have been here the full 9 years, they will be denied that request because they do not hold a 'Permanent resident Visa'.
Newsletter date: 21 Apr 2011
Contents:
* Elders speak out on the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention
* Other Northern Territory (NT) Intervention articles
* Background to the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention
* Tracker: New magazine focusing on Aboriginal rights launched
* Co-Chairs of National Congress of Australia's First Peoples elected
* Background to National Congress of Australia's First Peoples
* More on New Way Sovereignty Summit, at Easter, in Canberra
* Commemorating Indigenous people who died in the Frontier Wars
* Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
Refugee Action Coalition Press Release April 20th:By 8.30pm Wednesday night, there were fifteen asylum seekers on the roof in Villawood detention centre. There are asylum seekers from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
A large number of tiles have been torn from the roof and thrown into the grounds of stage 3 section of the detention centre.
“The asylum seekers have told us that they are protesting because they have been in detention too long,” said Ian Rintoul.
Peace Bus Press Release 13th April: Come Anzac Eve, hundreds of Canberra citizens will be bearing a light for peace in a lantern parade which will go from the top of Mt Ainslie, past the War Memorial to a lantern-lit Vigil in Anzac Parade.
assembling from 5 pm Easter Sunday 24 April 2011
on top of Mt Ainslie, ACT
Dear friends, Avaaz is on fire. The pace of our activity, our growth, and our victories is intense! Scroll down through this email to see highlights of the last few months -- it's astonishing what we're building and achieving together. There are over 8.2 million of us now, growing by 100,000 people per week! Two weeks ago, 650,000 Indians joined our campaign for a powerful new anti-corruption bill, and we won!! We're racking up major victories every month -- fighting political corruption in Italy, media-corruption in the UK and Canada, environmental destruction in Brazil and more.
Transition Byron Shire is supporting the 100% campaign. If you would like to see our governments support renewable energy in Australia and would like to be involved in a national grass-roots campaign here is your opportunity. There are now over 100 community groups around Australia taking part in this campaign.. Please check out www.100percent.org.au
SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL, April 19, 2011 -- A new US government human rights report has highlighted the Penan tribe’s battle to protect their rainforests in Sarawak, in Malaysian Borneo, from logging.
The US State Department document cites claims by indigenous rights groups that Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s government has leased the Penan’s land ‘to logging companies and land developers in exchange for political favors and money’.
By ray jackson, president, indigenous social justice association
(Commenting on http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/police-chief-ocallaghan-defe...)
two police incidents, one in wa and one in qld,clearly shows the problems
with the police of this country when they refuse to accept the royal
commission recommendations. worse of course is what happens to people,
both black and white, when they come into contact with their particular
force.
no one needs to argue that aborigines have it worse. all the statistics
Peace activists held a silent vigil on the lawns of the State Library in Melbourne on Palm Sunday before making their way to a Peace Forum at the Wesley Uniting Church in Lonsdale Street (details http://indymedia.org.au/melbourne-palm-sunday-peace-forum).
Goodooga, northwest NSW, 17 April 2011 - - A NSW tribal leader convening an Aboriginal summit in Canberra says it will raise funds to challenge Australia’s legitimacy in the International Court of Justice.
