WW News Service Digest #300
1) Three students killed by cops in Papua New Guinea
by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
2) 'Boycott Adobe' say programmers outraged over arrest at computer show
by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
3) Vieques movement prepares for referendum and what comes after
by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
4) Northern Ireland: Tensions at a boiling point
by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: sunnuntai 29. hein�kuu 2001 09:07
Subject: [WW] Three students killed by cops in Papua New Guinea
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Aug. 2, 2001
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
AFTER GLOBALIZATION PROTEST:
THREE STUDENTS KILLED BY COPS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA
By Heather Cottin
Carlo Giuliani was not the first person to be killed by
police in the anti-globalism struggle. On June 26, Papua New
Guinea government police shot three students dead and
wounded 17 others who had been protesting against the World
Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
These two institutions imposed a crippling "structural
adjustment" program on the people of Papua New Guinea in
1995. PNG is a land of abundant natural resources and 5
million people in the Pacific that was colonized from 1885
until 1975 by Britain, Germany and then Australia.
Now the big imperialist banks call the shots. They have
forced the privatization of the national airline Air
Niugini, privatized the water supply, and made the
government sell the national electricity system to pay off
debts accumulated in the growing economic crisis of
capitalism.
The June protests in Papua New Guinea followed an earlier
demonstration. Students had marched to the army barracks to
support troops who had seized weapons, also in opposition to
World Bank policy. More than 3,000 students, unemployed and
workers in Waigani had been part of a five-day peaceful sit-
in in front of the offices of Prime Minister Mekere Morauta.
The protesters had presented a petition to the government
demanding the elimination of the IMF and the World Bank from
PNG. They also called for rejection of a plan to sell the
PNG Banking Corporation, the only bank owned by the
government.
The murders and tear-gassing of the protesters took place
after the demonstration had dwindled to just a few hundred
people.
While the Australian government affirmed its total support
for repression by the soldiers and murder of the students,
and reiterated its backing for the PNG's privatization
program, protests have spread across Australia in support of
the murdered PNG students. Solidarity among the anti-
globalists in the region has grown.
Resistance, the anti-globalism movement in Australia,
coordinating widespread opposition to the repression, has
called for an end to privatization, abolition of the World
Trade Organization, IMF and World Bank, and a condemnation
of the violence against the PNG protesters.
From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: sunnuntai 29. hein�kuu 2001 09:08
Subject: [WW] 'Boycott Adobe' say programmers outraged over arrest at
computer show
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Aug. 2, 2001
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
REPRESSION IN CYBERSPACE
"BOYCOTT ADOBE" SAY PROGRAMMERS
OUTRAGED OVER ARREST AT COMPUTER SHOW
By Gary Wilson
The FBI's July 16 arrest of Dmitry Sklyarov, a computer
programmer, at a computer show in Las Vegas, Nev., and his
immediate imprisonment prompted a storm of protests around
the world. The protests were both on the Internet and in the
streets.
One of the world's leading computer programmers, Alan Cox,
called for a complete boycott of the United States by all
programmers. Cox, together with Linus Torvalds, is the lead
developer of the Linux operating system.
The arrest was made at the request of Adobe Systems.
Sklyarov, who is Russian, helped create software that can
crack Adobe's security codes meant to stop people from
copying electronic books. His work is perfectly legal in
Russia. In that country and most others in the world, you
cannot prevent legal owners of software products from making
copies, as Adobe's software does. It is Adobe that is the
flagrant violator of law outside of the U.S.
In the U.S., however, Adobe's "copyright protection" is made
legal by a relatively new 1998 law known as the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act. The DMCA, which rewrote the
copyright laws, is designed to protect the monopoly profits
of software giants like Adobe and Microsoft. A New York
Times report on the law acknowledged that it is widely seen
as an unconstitutional restriction on personal rights in
favor of corporate controls.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which focuses on civil
rights related to technology, has been a leading opponent of
the DMCA. The EFF called protests on July 23 in 20 cities
across the U.S. At the biggest one, in front of Adobe's
headquarters in California, more than a hundred protested as
EFF representatives negotiated with Adobe officials.
Under pressure of the worldwide protests and after an eight-
hour meeting with EFF representatives, Adobe announced that
it would withdraw its demand to prosecute Sklyarov. However,
the FBI and the U.S. government did not release him
immediately. They continue to hold him in jail.
Alan Cox called for a boycott of the U.S. in a message to
Usenix, the sponsors of the computer show in Las Vegas where
the arrest had taken place. Said Cox, "With the arrest of
Dmitry Sklyarov it has become apparent that it is not safe
for non-U.S. software engineers to visit the United States.
While he was undoubtedly chosen for political reasons as a
Russian, [Sklyarov's arrest] is a good example for the U.S.
public [that] the risk extends arbitrarily further.
"Usenix by its choice of a U.S. location is encouraging
other programmers, many from Eastern European states hated
by the U.S. government, to take the same risks. That is
something I cannot morally be part of. Who will be the next
conference speaker slammed into a U.S. jail for years for
committing no crime? ... Until the DMCA mess is resolved, I
would urge all non-U.S. citizens to boycott conferences in
the USA and all U.S. conference bodies to hold their
conferences elsewhere."
The boycott of Adobe is continuing. The Web site for the
boycott is www.boycottadobe.com. The EFF Web site is
www.eff.org.
From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: sunnuntai 29. hein�kuu 2001 09:09
Subject: [WW] Vieques movement prepares for referendum and what comes after
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Aug. 2, 2001
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
A VOTE THE U.S. SAYS IT WON'T HONOR:
VIEQUES MOVEMENT PREPARES FOR REFERENDUM
AND WHAT COMES AFTER
By Berta Joubert-Ceci
On July 29 the residents of Vieques, Puerto Rico, will cast
their vote for the first time in a referendum to decide the
future of the U.S. Navy presence in that island-
municipality. This "criollo" referendum, although one more
element in the struggle of Puerto Ricans against the
occupation of their land by the U.S. military, has brought
forth the essence of P.R.-U.S. colonial relations and the
disenfranchising character of bourgeois elections.
Hundreds of Vieques youth--who will soon be forced to leave
their homes, because of unemployment and dearth of
resources, to seek jobs or higher education in one of the
P.R. mainland's universities--are too young to vote in this
referendum. Yet they have voted hundreds of times with their
feet and their powerful voices in the many anti-Navy
demonstrations.
The heartbreaking artwork of elementary school students that
has been shown in so many cities, depicting their view of
the oppression brought by the Navy's presence, will not
count as a single vote. The youngest-known cancer casualty
to date is 3 years old and can't even write. Yet the future
of these young people is being decided.
Anti-Navy activists from Vieques have consistently rejected
the idea of a referendum. They have said, correctly so, that
the will of the people has been shown through their
participation in all the activities aimed at ousting the
Navy. Wasn't stopping the Pentagon from practicing in the
live range for one whole year enough? Or making it very
difficult for the Navy to practice since May 2000, using
their bodies as human shields?
But in reality the vote has been imposed by P.R's new
governor, Sila Calder�n, who won election because of her pro-
Vieques, anti-Navy platform. She has moved fast to implement
the rules for the referendum. How did it happen?
CLINTON SIGNED DIRECTIVE FOR REFERENDUM
In January 2000, then-president Bill Clinton signed
"directives on Vieques" that in part called for a referendum
to be held in Vieques sometime in the year 2001. The Navy
would decide the exact time and logistics. There would be
two choices: either the Navy would stay in Vieques forever,
or it would leave in the year 2003, firing only inert
ammunition until then.
This naturally brought intense outrage in P.R., where the
majority of people want the Navy to leave immediately.
The P.R. governor at the time, Pedro Rossell� of the pro-
statehood New Progressive Party (PNP), eventually accepted
the directives and was run out of office in the next general
election, after being despised by the masses and called
traitor of the Vieques struggle. Calder�n won, representing
the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), which supports P.R.'s
current colonial status. But she promised to get the Navy
out of Vieques and call off the P.R. police who were
defending the Navy's interests there.
These promises, both still unfulfilled, were on a collision
course with colonial status.
Calder�n has not supported the civil disobedience actions in
Vieques, stating that she is a "law-abiding citizen" and is
trying to battle the Navy in court. She commissioned a team
of scientists and lawyers to study and file a case against
the U.S. military based on the health hazards of the
bombings. This has focused on a disease called
"vibroacoustic," where blood vessels are extremely damaged
by the vibrations of the bombing noise, leading to serious
cardiovascular problems. She submitted to the P.R.
legislature and then signed a law prohibiting loud noises on
P.R.'s shores like the ones made by the bombings--in an
effort to stop the Navy's upcoming exercises. To no avail.
A suit filed in federal court to halt the exercises until
the result of these studies is released has not been
successful. So far all her attempts in court have failed, or
have dragged on with no positive outcome, letting the Navy
proceed with more bombings.
PENTAGON AND BUSH SAY THEY WON'T HONOR REFERENDUM
When the last Navy practices were announced, Calder�n raised
the idea of a local referendum, to be held before a federal
one scheduled for Nov. 6, in the hopes that the U.S.
administration would take the results seriously and decide
to stop the use of the range. Since then, however, President
George W. Bush has rejected the idea of a federal
referendum, knowing the Navy would lose.
Calder�n's actions are met with contempt and derision by
Pentagon officials and conservatives in the U.S. Congress.
They stress that any P.R. "criollo" referendum is non-biding
and therefore Congress does not have to pay attention to it.
The Pentagon calls it "foolishness" and says the Navy will
pay no attention to it.
Activists in Vieques had to demand that the referendum
include the option of the Navy leaving immediately, which
was omitted in the original version. The referendum now
presents three choices, in this order:
Leave in 2003 and use inert ammunition--basically the
Clinton directive;
Stop the bombings and leave immediately;
Stay permanently and use live ammunition. This last is
promoted by a resident of Vieques working for the Navy and
is endorsed by the most conservative pro-U.S. politicians.
They have formed a small group called "Viequenses Pro-Navy"
whose members are almost exclusively military personnel or
their relatives.
Not surprisingly, most activities on Vieques are now geared
to education about this referendum and a clear explanation
of the choices. Activists are holding community meetings,
house-to-house visits, car caravans and other events to
explain choice number two, which they call "the only choice
for progress and peace for Vieques." Even Norma Burgos, a
PNP senator recently arrested for entering the restricted
military areas, has been helping.
The P.R. administration wants to make sure the process is
clear, and for that purpose the State Electoral Commission
has disseminated information through loudspeakers,
informative banners and videos in public places.
Even though the Navy says it will ignore the referendum, it
is doing its best to bribe voters. On July 22, the Navy
announced that it will start a program of subsidies of up to
$25,000 to help small businesses in Vieques. Earlier, the
Navy distributed $340,000 to fishers in compensation of lost
income. It is also promising money to help build
infrastructure and establish training programs.
At the same time the Navy has filed for construction permits
to build "temporary" structures surrounding the restricted
areas. Clearly, in spite of President Bush's statement about
the Navy needing to leave Vieques in 2003, their goal is to
stay.
The people in Vieques are not fooled. They continue
organizing to get the Navy out now. The latest round of
military practices has already been announced for Aug. 1,
just a few days after the referendum. The people of Vieques
are preparing for it.
From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: sunnuntai 29. hein�kuu 2001 09:10
Subject: [WW] Northern Ireland: Tensions at a boiling point
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Aug. 2, 2001
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
NORTHERN IRELAND: TENSIONS AT A BOILING POINT
By Sue Kelly
In the six counties of north Ireland, gangs of "loyalist"
youths have been rampaging through cities and towns during
the annual summer "marching season" of these Irish right-
wing groups.
The term loyalist goes back to 1690, when the Protestant
king William of Orange defeated the Catholic king James II.
That battle has become the rallying cry and excuse for
bombs, murders, arson and destruction against Irish
republicans--those who want to end British rule so Ireland
can be a united, sovereign and independent republic.
The loyalists are an extreme faction of the unionist
movement, so-called because it is for continued union with
Britain. They have the support and collusion of the British
government, which still occupies the six counties 80 years
after the rest of Ireland won its independence.
This time of year also has meant even greater violations of
the civil rights and safety of the nationalist and
republican--predominantly Catholic--communities.
Homes, churches, a sports club and a hospital in the
nationalist communities have been among the targets of
loyalist mobs, bombs, snipers and arsonists in the recent
round of violence. A daycare school in north Belfast was
riddled with bullets.
A loyalist group called the Red Hand Defenders claimed
responsibility for attacking the children's center. They
stated, "All nationalist people [are] hostile and legitimate
targets." Seven children and daycare workers were forced to
huddle in a toy cupboard to avoid the shots.
A Catholic church in County Tyrone was bombed and Catholic-
owned small businesses in Newtownstewart were targeted by a
mob of nearly 100 loyalists in the early hours of July 12,
the high point of the Protestant marching calendar.
Nationalist residents were forced to flee their homes in
east Belfast as heavy rioting followed intense loyalist
provocations.
"Families living near loyalist areas are being terrorized on
a daily basis, and tensions here have reached a boiling
point," reported the Republican News on July 22.
In the meantime, the current Irish peace process, based on
the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (GFA), is mired in the
refusal of the loyalist/unionist forces to cooperate. They
attempt--again with British government assistance--to blame
all delays on the nationalist/republican position,
specifically the Irish Republican Army and the nationalist
political party Sinn Fein. In fact, the IRA has maintained a
four-year-long cease-fire and Sinn Fein has honored every
promise it made since the signing of the agreement in 1998.
Sinn Fein chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin points out that
the key points of the three-year-old agreement have not been
implemented. These include ending the widespread violations
of human rights by the Royal Ulster Constabulary--the police
force in the six counties--and the removal of the thousands
of British troops stationed there.
The problem is the failure of the British government to get
out of the six counties, or even to live up to its
responsibilities under the GFA in all the key areas:
policing, human rights, criminal justice, demilitarization
and equality of treatment. A joint proposal from the British
and Irish governments is expected to be announced at any
moment, but many do not expect much.
