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Refugee rights group formed

BY KIM LINDEN NEWCASTLE — On January 31, a meeting at the Joy Cummins centre decided to set up Newcastle Action for Refugee Rights (NARR). Attended by 20 people, the meeting was called to organise a Newcastle contingent to the February 12

AFGHANISTAN: Washington approved Taliban escape

BY NORM DIXON Last November, US government spokespeople flatly denied reports that mysterious aircraft were taking off in the dead of night from the besieged northern Afghan city of Kunduz. They were lying. The White House secretly approved the

Melbourne's biggest refugee rights rally yet

BY GILLIAN DAVY MELBOURNE — In the largest demonstration for refugees' rights held here so far, 4000 people rallied on February 2 in City Square to demand that immigration detention centres be closed and that the refugees be freed. The

Ruddock's taste of life behind the wire fence

BY RICK MOLON & CHRIS ATKINSON DARWIN — "Refugees YES! Racism NO! Detention centres have got to GO!" echoed around the foyer of the luxury Novotel Atrium hotel on February 1. More than 80 refugee solidarity activists protested federal immigration

Ruddock faces picket

BY KAREN FREDERICKS BRISBANE — The fight for refugees' rights was given a boost on January 31 when 50 people picketed a meeting attended by immigration minister Philip Ruddock at Brisbane's main immigration department offices. Organised in 24

US socialists working the chinks in Goliath's armour

BY DICK NICHOLS CHICAGO — Inevitably, the annual convention of the US International Socialist Organization, which took place in this freezing "windy city" between January 18 and 20, was dominated by two questions. How invulnerable is the US

Call for peace in Sri Lanka

BY NADEEM ANSARI & KERRYN WILLIAMS CANBERRA — At a January 31 public meeting, Lionel Bopage from Friends for Peace in Sri Lanka appealed to the new Sri Lankan government to begin peace negotiations with the Tamil population. Bopage recently

Battle looms at meatworks

BY TERRICA STRUDWICK ROCKHAMPTON — The Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU) has spent the last week in unsuccessful negotiations with Consolidated Meat Group management in an attempt to reopen the Lakes Creek meatworks. CMG

SA Liberal and Labor: more of the same

BY BRONWEN BEECHEY ADELAIDE — It says something about the nature of the South Australian election campaign that a highlight so far has been the Liberals' misspelling of Premier Rob Kerin's name (as "Ron") on the front cover of their primary

PALESTINE: Toward submission or war?

BY ADAM HANIEH RAMALLAH — Over the last week one topic has dominated conversation in the West Bank town of Ramallah: will tonight be the night? A general consensus holds that it is only a matter of time before Israeli tanks and troops take over

May 1 day of action against US war

The following appeal for May 1 to be an international day of action against the Unites States government's bogus "war on terrorism" and in opposition to the military intervention in Mindanao was issued by the Solidarity of Filipino Workers (BMP)

Resistance: 'We must break the silence'

BY JESS MELVIN MELBOURNE — It is the day before Australia Day. Matt Rich, Tim Doughney, Rachel Evans, Kim Halpin, James Crafti and myself — all members of the socialist youth group Resistance — are standing on the doorstep of the Maribyrnong