Spratly talks in stalemate
China and Vietnam's April 9-11 negotiations in Beijing over the disputed ownership of the Spratly Islands ended in stalemate. Tension rose again after Beijing set up an oil rig in March which Vietnam strongly protested against. Beijing removed the rig on April 1, stressing that this was not a concession but the rig had finished its job.
On April 14 Vietnam celebrated the liberation of the islands 22 years ago. Tension over the islands abated after a 1991 agreement to resolve the dispute through peaceful means.
China and Vietnam are the only countries which claim the entire Spratly archipelago, which lies midway between Vietnam and China's Hainan province. Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia claim parts of it.
Landmine threats in Vietnam
Over the past five years, Vietnam has cleared more than 100,000 landmines from its side of the border with China, the Communist Party of Vietnam's newspaper The People reported on April 14.
More than 917 hectares in the border province of Lang Son have been freed of mines. But landmines in another 450 hectares have yet to be tackled. Chinese troops invaded northern Vietnam in 1979.
Vietnam repays old regime's debts
Vietnam agreed on April 7 to pay, from now until 2019, US$145 million of loans and interest that the US provided to the South Vietnamese government before the 1975 revolution. Vietnam must pay more than US$8.5 million within 30 days and further instalments every two years.
Vietnamese officials noted that the country needs substantial overseas assistance to undo the devastation left by the 11-year war with the US, during which 4 million Vietnamese lost their lives.
The US was not only notably absent from providing humanitarian aid to Vietnam. Washington also banned its Export and Import Bank from giving Vietnam concessional trade finance which it desperately needs to acquire important capital goods from the US.
Zimbabwe students march
Thousands of students marched through the streets of Harare on April 9 to protest against cutbacks to student subsidies and government corruption. More than 7000 students marched six kilometres from the University of Zimbabwe to the Ministry of Education building and parliament.
Students launched an indefinite class boycott a week earlier over the Mugabe government's decision to make state-sponsored students foot 50% of university fees. Protesters hit out at the government's generous business deals with friendly capitalists while cutting back public services.
Rally for landless peasants
1500 landless peasants, waving red flags, arrived in Brasilia on April 17 to be greeted by a huge rally estimated at 100,000 people, the largest anti-government protest since the election of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso.
The marchers had been travelling across Brazil for two months to demand land reform. Brazil's richest 20% own 88% of the land.
A recent poll by the National Confederation of Industries found that 85% supported land occupations by peasants as a legitimate way to speed land distribution. Occupations have been violently broken up by police and landowners' hired thugs.
Cardoso criticised the march and said that if the Brazilian people wanted land reform, they would have to fork out an extra US$38 billion in taxes.
"The government doesn't have enough money for land reform, health and education — but they always have enough money to save banks and bankers", land reform movement leader Jose Rainha replied.
Native Canadians protest
Native Canadians set up roadblocks and held rallies across Canada on April 17. Protesters caused a massive traffic jam outside the residence of Prime Minister Jean Chretien in Ottawa. A protest march took place in Winnipeg. Activists staged a sit-in in Chretien's parliamentary office in Ottawa.
Native Canadians complain that the government has failed to act on any of the recommendations made last year by a government-appointed commission. Three per cent of Canada's 30 million people are indigenous. They are over-represented in prisons, hospitals and cemeteries.
Students attacked in French Guiana
Troops using armoured cars and tear gas attacked hundreds of demonstrators in the capital of French Guiana, Cayenne, on April 17. The protesters were demanding the release of activists arrested over the previous two weeks. The detainees are being questioned over riots that occurred last November after students demanded better schools.