Rupert Murdoch’s Newscorp and Nine Entertainment have been pressing the Australian government for a law that forces online platforms to pay them, as publishers, for news content accessed on the Internet. Continue reading Australia’s ACCC bats for media monopoly takeover of Internet news
By Jim Hayes
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton is now pushing changes to laws that will allow the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) to spy on Australians as never before, and without oversight, strengthening already existing measures for detention without charge and denial of the right to have a lawyer present. Continue reading Peter Dutton opens door to attack our rights a little wider
By Joe Montero
The Morrison government has just used the cover of the Covid-19 pandemic to introduce into the parliament a new bill, which will allow agents of the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), to question teens as young as 14. Continue reading Proposed new ASIO law is part of shift to increasing authoritarianism
By Ben Wilson
There is a push form the government to end support for for people who have suffered loss of wages and struggling small business, as soon as possible. Leaks filtering out suggest there has been behind closed doors discussion with big business organisations about this. Continue reading Leaks show government moving to pull help from workers and small business
Unknown to most Australians, a war is going on just north of Australia. Fuelling it, is a bid by West Papuans to win independence form Indonesian rule.
The war is intensifying. Civilian population centres are being subjected to bombing raids. Soldiers are picking up people and shooting them, and a range of other human rights abuses are being committed.
Indonesia has been maintaining a tight information lock down. Most media is forbidden access to West Papua and claims of abuse are routinely denied. But the smuggling out of video footage and other evidence can’t be stopped.
So far, Australia has seemed largely indifferent to what is going on. At the government level there is active cooperation with Indonesia. There is support for the occupation, which had been there for over 50 years. Indonesia claims that the population voted to become part of Indonesia in 1969. The problem with this is that barely 1,000 hand-picked individuals were allowed to vote. Integration has never been accepted.
This history and the war are largely blocked out of the Australian media. It brings up memories of earlier support for Indonesian occupation of West Timor. As a rule, Australians do not know what is going on.
It seems access to the mineral reserves of West Papua rates greater importance than human rights.
The independence movement has been scoring significant diplomatic wins in recent times, and the internal insurgency continues. The different groups have been finding greater unity. Indonesia is reacting to both.
Try what they may, the Indonesian occupation army has been unable to subdue the population. Demonstrations, illegal Morning Star flag raising ceremonies, and ambushes are gathering pace.
A major tactic being used has to organise large scale migration of Indonesians into West Papua and offering wealth form developing the minerals industry, as a means to create a social base of support for ongoing integration with Indonesia.
The independence movement is striving to achieve its objective through peaceful means. It has also been clear abouts it intentention to conitnue to defend itself and the people it represents.
A Four Corners crew has been able to get rare access. It is worthwhile watching their report. You can see it below.
Australia cannot continue to ignore the plight of our next door neighbours, and has a responsibility to stop giving support to Indonesia’s occupation. After all Australia participated in having the territory handed over. This was wrong and calls to be rectified.
We once rose as a nation behind the people of East Timor. We can do it again for the people of West Papua.
The private operators in the Job Network program and nowadays called Jobactive providers, have been showing just what a caring lot they are, by bullying those who come to them after losing their jobs because of the Coronavirus epidemic. They didn’t give two hoots that the nation was in lockdown and there were no jobs going. Continue reading Government promotes the bullying of people on JobSeeker payments
By Joe Montero
The Reserve Bank’s latest forecasts have shed the optimism that was there only a few months ago, and forecast a downward slide for Australia’s economy. A lot of blame is being put by them and others on the Covid-19 outbreak. It has contributed. But this is far from the whole story, which is telling us that a quick bounce back is not on the cards. Continue reading The Australian economy is not going to suddenly fix itself
In the very early hours of 3 May, an armed group headed towards the shore of Venezuela by boat. They landed at La Guaira, in the country’s north, just 32 kilometres from the capital Caracas. Their intention was to carry out a military coup. Continue reading Another coup against Venezuela has been attempted and defeated
By Adam Carlton
A United Nations (UN) human rights expert warned on 1 May, that the Israeli government’s plan to annex significant parts of the West Bank Palestinian territories and East Jerusalem, is going to undermine any prospect of a negotiated settlement and guarantee ongoing conflict. Continue reading Israeli’s annexation plans are entirely unacceptable to the world
This year, instead of the usual activities held during the week around 1 May, the main focus was on a Webinar held on Sunday 3 May. It went well, despite the occasional technical hitch. Those who joined in responded quite enthusiastically, and the resolution read out was approved by overwhelming acclaim.
The clip below takes a little while to start. Please be patient. It will come, despite the occasional technical hitch. The clip below takes a little while to start.
