Asia
Australian Labor “left” bestows medal on General Petraeus
By Laura Tiernan, November 6, 2009
The photograph published in yesterday’s press of John Faulkner, the Defence Minister in the Australian Labor government, draping an honorary Order of Australia around the neck of General David Petra...
End the persecution of Sri Lankan Tamils
By Wije Dias, November 6, 2009
The plight of Tamils living in intolerable conditions in Sri Lanka has been brought into sharp relief by the tragic drowning of 12 Tamil asylum seekers attempting to reach Australia in a small vessel.
SEP/ISSE meeting in Colombo
Seventy years since World War II: lessons and warnings
November 5, 2009
The SEP and ISSE will hold a public meeting in Colombo on November 10 to mark the eruption of World War II and discuss its lessons.
Sri Lankan public meeting: Lessons of the plantation workers’ struggle
November 5, 2009
The Socialist Equality Party and the Balmoral Action Committee will hold a joint meeting on November 15 at Agarapathana in Sri Lanka’s central hills district.
Sri Lankan government resettles Tamil detainees in prison-like conditions
By Subash Somachandran, November 5, 2009
Sri Lankan government claimed last month that it had started resettling thousands of Tamil civilians held in detention centres. In fact, these refugees have been sent to areas under military occupatio...
Japan’s new government seeks to refashion US alliance
By John Chan, November 4, 2009
In the lead-up to US President Barack Obama’s first visit to Japan, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has signalled that his government is wanting to readjust the country’s longstanding alliance with ...
A socialist perspective for public sector workers in Sri Lanka
By Socialist Equality Party (Sri Lanka), November 3, 2009
Two public sector industrial disputes have erupted in Sri Lanka over pay and conditions fuelled by widespread discontent among workers over the government’s austerity measures.
Afghan election farce ends, escalation to begin
By Bill Van Auken, November 3, 2009
The protracted and fraudulent Afghan election process ended Monday with incumbent Hamid Karzai decreed the winner. The end of this farcical exercise has set the stage for Washington to escalate its ei...
Australian government’s “Indonesian Solution” in disarray
By Richard Phillips, November 2, 2009
Two weeks after an Australian customs ship rescued 78 Tamil asylum seekers, the unresolved standoff over their future has focussed attention on the Labor government’s inhumane and illegal treatment ...
Australian imperialism, the 1999 East Timor intervention and the pseudo-left
By Patrick O’Connor, November 2, 2009
September marked the tenth anniversary of the Australian-led military intervention into East Timor. It is also a decade since a layer of pseudo “left” groups organised “troops in” demonstratio...
Afghanistan election debacle deepens as Abdullah pulls out of runoff
By Bill Van Auken, November 2, 2009
The Obama administration’s crisis over its planned escalation of the war in Afghanistan deepened over the weekend with the decision by President Hamid Karzai’s challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, to pu...
Pakistanis challenge Clinton over drone attacks, US bullying
By Keith Jones, November 2, 2009
During a visit to Pakistan last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton encountered widespread popular anger over the US’s treatment of Pakistan—its support for a succession of military dictat...
