I appeared on ABCTV News 24’s The Drum last night (video here) talking refugees and the mass killings in Norway. I argued that the Australian government’s refugee swap deal with Malaysia was nothing more than an attempted political fix to allow Julia Gillard to say she’s stopped the boats. But the human rights conditions in…
Showing all posts tagged human rights
Questions about Australian union support for Palestine a smokescreen
My following investigation appears in Online Opinion: Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA… does essential work in many corners of the globe. But its focus in Palestine has caused the local Israel lobby to pressure the Australian government to sever ties to the group. This isn’t likely but once again highlights the aim of the Zionist mainstream…
Remembering what Chomsky does to help people in countless places
As Noam Chomsky prepares to arrive in Australia later in the year to receive the Sydney Peace Prize, haters routinely forget the tireless work by the American intellectual behind the scenes on behalf of those persecuted by governments. This campaigning is rarely acknowledged and it often comes at some personal cost. Below is one case…
How to really end the Zionist occupation of Palestine?
Jerry Haber, an Orthodox Jew, writes: For some time I have had a dream about a community, a coalition, a big tent that includes within it all those constituencies who cry out to end the occupation now. Yes, I know, there already is a US Campaign to End the Occupation, and they do good work.…
Two Australian activists make history in Israel
Bravo: According to various news reports, two ”˜air flotilla’ activists who arrived in Israel last Friday have been allowed to remain in Israel (and travel to the West Bank freely) on the condition that they ”˜refrain from disrupting the peace.’ The activists were part of the ”˜Welcome to Palestine’ campaign which sent hundreds of European…
Australian cricket team should not visit Sri Lanka
When a country such as Sri Lanka proudly flaunts its human rights abuses against the Tamils and refuses to investigate war crimes, the world has a responsibility to act. The Australian cricket team is soon to travel to the country and voices are growing that such a trip should be cancelled, to send a strong…
Why cultural boycott is legitimate weapon in face of repression
What weapons for an occupied people? A population facing repression? Cultural, academic and economic boycotts are important tools and must be utilised. I argued this in a recent essay in Overland in relation to Sri Lanka and Palestine. This post on Mondoweiss shows that the debate is global and opponents of boycotts have fewer arguments…
How to beautifully capture the spirit of democracy in Malaysia
NINTH OF JULY TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN TEASER from PIXELATE PICTURES on Vimeo.