Don't mention the 'N' word

Katharine Murphy

September 27, 2007

Australia has signed an important nuclear energy agreement. So why the odd announcement?

A COUPLE of weeks ago, a senior Australian official you've probably never heard of strapped himself into the comfortable end of an aeroplane bound for Vienna. After the long journey, he went along to an important meeting, and acting with the authority of the Commonwealth, signed a document that commits Australia to being a full partner in a global energy grouping you will know about only if you follow national political events with abnormal interest.

...

If you are interested in understanding what happened in Vienna you can pop onto the website of the US Department of Energy and read all the documentation, including a GNEP statement of principles committing member countries to doing things alarming to opponents of nuclear energy, including expanding the number of power plants, managing waste and establishing international supply frameworks. The US, China, France, Japan, Russia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Poland, Slovenia, Ghana, Jordan, Lithuania, Romania, Ukraine, and, yes, Australia, signed on the dotted line.

Possibly about now you need a bit more information about this grouping to understand where our analysis is going. GNEP is a partnership of countries committed to using nuclear energy. The alliance comprises fuel suppliers and users. While still in its formative stages, this grouping is about making a serious commitment to nuclear as a long-term energy source rather than as the stop-gap alternative you put up with until something nicer comes along.

To read the full article from The Age, click on:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/dont-mention-the-n-word/2007/09/26/1190486391722.html

Pine Gap on US missile front line

Craig Skehan
September 21, 2007

PINE GAP could play a direct role in a controversial new generation of ballistic missile defences developed by the US and Japan, the Defence Minister, Brendan Nelson, has told Parliament.

The rare statement on the secret facility near Alice Springs is likely to further alarm Russia, which yesterday joined China in criticising military co-operation between Australia, Japan and the US - which includes missile defence research.

"The strengthening of US-Australian-Japanese ties has got our attention," Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Alexander Losyukov, told the Vremya Novostei newspaper. "Narrow alliances, especially tight military-political unions, are a worry."

Mr Losyukov suggested missile defence collaboration was not justified by fears of North Korea because it would not have a long-range missile capability for years.

To read the full article from the Sydney Morning Herald, click on:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/pine-gap-on-us-missile-front-line/2007/09/20/1189881683368.html

Refugees in their own land: 2m Iraqis forced to flee their homes

Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Thursday September 20, 2007

Nearly two million Iraqis have become refugees in their own land in the past year, redrawing the ethnic and sectarian map of Baghdad and other cities, a report by the Iraqi Red Crescent said yesterday.

In Baghdad alone, nearly a million people have fled their homes.
Last month saw the sharpest rise so far in the numbers of Iraqis forced to abandon their homes - 71.1%.

The forced migration raises questions about claims from the Bush administration that the civilian protection plan at the core of its war strategy is making Iraq safer for Iraqis.

To read the full article from The Guardian, click on:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2172857,00.html

Judges Block Gaza Activist Case

Ed Pilkington,
New York
September 20, 2007

THE parents of a US peace activist who was crushed to death when protesting against Israel's demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza four years ago have been refused permission to sue the maker of the bulldozer that killed her.

A US federal appeals court has ruled that Caterpillar, which supplied several bulldozers used by the Israeli Defence Force in house demolitions in the occupied territories, could not be sued as this would bring the judiciary into conflict with the executive branch of the US Government.

To read the full article from The Age, click on:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/judges-block-gaza-activist-death-case/2007/09/19/1189881593164.html

Jubilation as UN Adopts Historic Statement on Native Rights

by Haider Rizvi

UNITED NATIONS - Despite strong objections from the United States and some of its allies, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution Thursday calling for the recognition of the world’s 370 million indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination and control over their lands and resources.The adoption of the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples comes after 22 years of diplomatic negotiations at the United Nations involving its member states, international civil society groups, and representatives of the world’s aboriginal communities.

An overwhelming majority of UN member countries endorsed the Declaration, with 143 voting in favor, 4 against, and 11 abstaining.

The United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand stood alone in voting against the resolution. The nations that neither supported nor objected were Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burundi, Colombia, Georgia, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia, Samoa, and Ukraine.

To read the full article from One World, click on:
http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/153160/1/

God and Empire

John Dominic Crossan, New Testament scholar and bestselling author, has just published an illuminating book about the nonviolence of Jesus, God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now (Harper San Francisco, New York, 2007).

To read the review in NCRCAFE, click on:
http://ncrcafe.org/node/1292

'Guilty!' - Of Trying to See Our Senator

Rev. John Dear

On Thursday, September 6th, 2007, six of us were found guilty in Federal court in Albuquerque, NM by a Federal judge for trying to visit the office of our senator. We will be sentenced in a few weeks. The message? It is a Federal crime to attempt to speak to an elected Republican about the U.S. war on Iraq. Don’t visit your senator. Don’t get involved. Don’t speak out. Don’t take a stand for peace–or you too may end up in jail.

to read the full article from CommonDreams, click on:
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/09/09/3711/

Indonesian police 'hit and run' and then beat survivors in Nabire, West Papua

Media Report, August 31st 2007

Nabire, West Papua: Police crash a police car into a group of five West Papuan youths, killing one and critically injuring two others, report human rights workers in Nabire.

Decky Nagapa (22 years old), a farmer from Wonerejo village, close to Nabire died at the scene. After the incident the four police personnel in the car including the driver were reported to have fled from the scene. Three of the Policemen except the driver then returned to the scene of the incident.

The human rights workers report that the survivors, Deni Nakapa (27 years old) and Januarius Zonggenau (20 years old) both students from Wonerejo, who both suffering severe injuries, were then savagely beaten by police while being transported to the hospital.

Januarius Zonggenau (20 years old) was so badly beaten by police that he was unconscious when he arrived at the hospital.

The incident occurred two weeks ago on the 17th of August, Indonesia’s Independence Day.

The deceased and the two injured men are all from the Moni tribal group.

The two injured men suffered substantial injuries to the head, arms, back, and legs. Both men were admitted to the Public hospital in Siriwini. Both men were released on the 31st of August.

Zonggenau and Nakapa are both students studying in Manodo, Sulawesi and were visiting home for the holidays. Manado is the home of a sizeable and politically active West Papuan student population.

According to two witnesses at the scene, the driver and the three passengers – all policemen and driving a police owned car – clearly saw the men sitting by the side of the road when the car suddenly turned towards the men and increased speed.

The two injured survivors were then forced into a police car where they were beaten by police before being taken to hospital.

The driver of the police car, reported to be Rizal Asal from Buton in Sulawesi, is in police custody. Witnesses say that the car involved in the incident is a light blue Kijang displaying police license plate number DS 7472. The names of the other three policemen at this stage are not known and it is unclear whether these men are under investigation or not. Witnesses and advocates of the three men are calling for a full investigation and charges to be laid against the three policemen as well as the driver.

This tragic incident is the latest in a series of recent incidents in Nabire. This includes recent “mysterious” killings of a church youth leader and human rights advocate Matius Bunai (29 years old) and teh killing of Ones Keiya (31 years old), a farmer. In addition human rights and local church workers in Nabire are being threatened. Troops stationed in Nabire are also carrying out military operations in the Jamo valley inland of Nabire.
Several weeks ago there was also a mass food poisoning event in Nabire which left scores of people sick and and many being admitted to hospital.
Also last week in Nabire there have been protests by students over corruption in the education department and a strike by teachers in the last week over lack of pay which closed 196 primary schools in the district.

Spokesperson for the Institute for Papuan Advocacy & Human Rights, Paula Makabory said today, "It is incredible that the Indonesian Police can do anything they like to Papuan people and get away with it. The Indonesian security forces are expanding a campaign of terror against the Papuan people in Nabire and a number of regional centres in West Papua."
"The Central government in Jakarta appears to have no interest in controlling their security forces. These security forces are working to cause conflict with the Papuan community. Human rights abuses in West Papua are increasing and it seems like the policy is supported by Jakarta. "
"You have to think that the Indonesian government sanctions this kind of intimidation and abuse of the West Papuan people. The Governments policy of Special Autonomy has failed in West Papua. The security forces are now tightening their control and carrying out repression of the community. A human rights crisis is unfolding in Nabire and the world must take notice."

For more information phone:
Paula Makabory +61 (0)402 547 517
Matthew Jamieson on +61 (0)418 291 998