ISSUE SEVEN
WITH BRITAIN’S ‘ETHICAL GENOCIDE’ POLICY IN EAST TIMOR
Under New Labour British business has been booming. The recent arms fair in London Docklands and Chertsey have highlighted the massive increase in hypocrisy exports. Foreign secretary Robin Cook has alone raised productivity levels to new heights with his ‘ethical genocide’ foreign policy.
As the massacres continue, it’s “business as usual” with the butchers of the Indonesian regime.
CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE
Ever since the Indonesian military invaded East Timor in 1975, there has been a wall of silence around the horrific repression there. The major powers in the region- Australia for example, chose to ignore the plight of the East Timorese. With the exception of the libertarian socialist Noam Chomsky and rare journalists like John Pilger, the world remained silent over East Timor. A recent cartoon sums up the situation- a map of the world with only East Timor named, and ‘Amnesia’ placed on every other state.
At least 200,000 people have been butchered in East Timor in the last 25 years and the total is mounting. In the meantime Indonesia has been supplied with arms and other materials and no pressure has been put on them to leave East Timor. Even in the midst of the violence the Blair government defended the sale of Hawk jets to Indonesia, even when they were taking intimidating flights over East Timor and defending the invitation of the Indonesian regime to the arms fair in Britain.
CIA
The present Indonesian regime was founded on the military coup and the massacre of half a million people in 1965. This was aided by America’s Central Intelligence Agency.
But is it a good thing that The United Nations is now intervening in East Timor? No. The whole history of the UN exposes it as a tool of American interests. In East Timor it is a cover for the Australian armed forces to increase their influence in the region. The express aim of the UN forces is to disarm not just the murderous militias armed and paid for by Indonesia, but any militias set up to protect the local population. Already the idea of partition of East Timor has been raised by some of the pro-Indonesian militias. Indeed, the UN might connive at this, using its armed forces to help this come about. For their part, the French government has been the most gung-ho in calling for armed intervention in East Timor. This is done not out of humanitarianism but because France has interests in the region and wants to upstage Australia.
It might be easy to call for UN intervention in East Timor in the face of the horrific slaughter there. But any UN involvement is only to ensure a swift transition to democracy. This is what the US, Australia and the other Western powers want. Democracy is in their eyes a much better system for increasing the influence of the market in the whole of the Pacific basin, sending out messages to China and Burma.
ONE SOLUTION
The only real solution lies in the hands of the working class on an international level. In Indonesia itself it means increasing mass mobilisations to overthrow the genocidal regime. In East Timor it means the development of workers armed groups independent of the local nationalist forces. Round the world it means the boycott by dockers and transport workers of arms and military materiel to Indonesia and the development of mass movements to stop arms sales and political support to Indonesia.
Russia, November 1998, in the southern town of Krasnodar three anarchists are searched by the police at a railway station. A crude bomb is found in the bag of Gennady Nepshikuyev.
All three are arrested - Nepshikuyev, Maria Randina and Jan Musel. They are charged with the possession and transportation of explosives. Pressure from the Czech consulate results in the release of Musel, a Czech citizen. In February 1999, the FSB (ex-KGB) search anarchists’ flats in Moscow. Now Larisa Schiptsova is arrested. The openly racist governor of Krasnodar claims all three were plotting to end his life by bombing his office. He declares a conspiracy by “pro-Zionist” circles in Moscow. In Krasnodar, Russia’s largest fascist party, Russian National Unity (RNE) has a strong presence. Cossack militias, notorious for their hated of Jews, are moving towards gaining legal status and patrolling the streets with the local police. The Kuban Anarchist Federation (FAK), based in the area, have organised demonstrations against the racist policies of governor Krondratenko. FAK militants have received many death threats. Maria Randina has been a prominent anti-fascist organiser in Krasnodar. The governor, like so many in power, has everything to gain from generating fear and hate of foreigners. Southern Russia is fertile ground for nationalism and anti-Semitism. The Krasnodar anarchists are perfect scapegoats. Conditions in the Krasnodar FSB prison are very tough and Larisa Schiptsova is pregnant. Anarchists in Russia have organised solidarity pickets, demonstrations and concerts; they call for action from anarchists outside of Russia. For an update see next issue.
Contact: Moscow Group for counteraction against political repression:
Vladlen Tupkin, 113208, Moscow, M-208, PO Box 80, Russia. Don’t write the name of the group on the envelope, only the person’s name!
Fax letters of protest to: Governor Krondratenko (00 7 8612) 68 35 42.
The Krasnodar Regional Procurator. A.N. Shkrebets (00 7 8612) 62 57 16.
The General Procurator in Moscow. (00 7 095) 921 41 86.
Still high from the excitement of J18 the resistance editors have dug through the archives of the Anarchist Federation to reminisce about one of our favourite riots from a few years back [see Organise #19]:
“Everyone who fully participated in the events of March 31st [1990] will agree that they were uplifting.
The sight of tooled up riot police being given a good thrashing, and the sense of liberation form being in control of the streets was almost euphoric.
[the police] miscalculated badly. The demonstrators seized the opportunity, and in often very creative ways took control of the situation. The polices ‘ tried and tested methods of crowd control were found wanting. That many of the street fighters were young, poor and very determined in their anger proved to be the police’s undoing. We would not be pushed around, indeed in huge numbers we surrounded the police in Trafalgar Square and wrought our revenge for years of Thatcherite hostility.
…missiles were used with great effect, though the riot police, when facing the crowd were well protected with helmets and shields. In retreat, however, their backs were totally exposed and vulnerable.
…Also riot police officers’ legs are exposed and vulnerable, even when facing a crowd. Their helmets prevented head injuries, which unfortunately was not true for their opponents. Some of the injuries sustained by the crowd came from the demonstrators themselves as missiles fell short of their targets.
…People should throw from nearer the front to be more accurate.
…the mounted police were highly vulnerable to missiles - according to one report over 50% of them sustained injuries. They were an easy target. The mobile demonstrators were hardly affected by the mounted police, with a ready supply of missiles and shop doorways to dive into, the cavalry charges were almost laughed off.
Of course with their vans, the police were highly mobile. However, they were also highly vulnerable to ambush - on several occasions police vans were surrounded and stoned.
…The working class is on the march again. We will learn the lessons of battles in the past and defeat the poll tax and defeat the ruling class.”
Radical prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal is about to begin his appeals in the federal courts. Under the restrictive terms of the Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, Mumia must file his petition for a writ of habeas corpus before the end of October, 1999. “Habeas corpus” is simply the technical legal term for asking the federal courts to review whether Mumia has been sentenced legally by the state courts. At the beginning of October, a federal district judge in Philadelphia will be asked to hold a hearing on Mumia’s petition. If he agrees, this hearing will be Mumia’s LAST opportunity to present the evidence and witnesses denied by the Pennsylvania court system. After the federal district court, higher appeals courts will only review transcripts — they will not hear new evidence.
The federal courts will go much faster than the state courts. We are now entering the final phase of the battle to
save Mumia’s life. This is why we must proceed with a greater sense of urgency and determination. An emergency response network is being formed. To join contact:
Mumia Must Live!, BM Haven, London, WC1N 3XX or email: mumia@callnetuk.com or visit http://www.callnetuk.com/home/mumia
Two Sikh asylum seekers from India were seriously injured as they attempted to escape from Campsfield refugee prison, in Oxfordshire last month. They had climbed the 20 foot fence at the rear of the compound.
One fell from the top of the fence onto his head. He is now fighting for his life in the John Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford.
The other severely lacerated his legs on the razor wire that tops the fence. He was taken to hospital but had been returned to Campsfield. Group 4 security guards said to detainees after the escape attempt that these serious injuries will "stop others escaping".
Since coming to power New Labour have deported over 76,000 people. Monthly demonstrations continue to take place at Campsfield and a group - CAGE - has been formed to take action on the issue of Asylum Detainees and the prison system generally.
They can be contacted at : Box CAGE, 111 Magdalen Road, Oxford, OX4 1RQ. For more information on the Campaign to Close Down Campsfield
e-mail: CDC@ncadc.demon.co.uk
SUMMER GATHERING 1999 REPORT
The Earth First! summer gathering took place in Suffolk in August saw the coming together of anarchists and other radicals to discuss tactics and plan activities for the next year.
The focus for future action seemed to be on three main areas : the first was on taking action to halt the destruction of the environment at home (the most obvious manifestation being the actons against GM crops). Understandably a large part of the weekend was spent discussing the June 18 events, both in groups and more informally throughout the weekend.
Another area addressed was the issue of prisoners and prisoner support. An Anarchist Federation member led a workshop on building an emergency response network for Mumia Abu-Jamal, while a separate workshop concentrated on building support for asylum seekers in prison. A third major focus was on our role in support of people struggling abroad. A speaker from West Papua told the gathering about the situation in his homeland. West Papua is part of Indonesia. Its’ indigenous people are being systematically forced from the land they have traditionally lived on by the Indonesian military, and shot if they resist. The reason for this is that the government want to get money from multi-national companies - our old friend Rio Tinto Zinc for example. Before they can do this, the companies need an efficient infrastructure and a compliant workforce, and so they are clearing and giving land to previously landless Javanese settlers. The obvious hope of the Indonesians - that the West Papuans well see the settlers as their enemies - is failing, and the struggle of the West Papuans is against the military. The West Papuans we heard about do not see this as a ‘nationalist’ struggle, nor do they want to adopt Western style democratic structures to vote out the Indonesians as was tried in East Timor. They just want to live in peace the way they have done for centuries. So their message and motto is simple: “Leave Us Alone”. People at the gathering committed themselves to support, not least by spreading this information as widely as possible.
Best laugh of the weekend was provided by the Mail on Sunday who sent in an undercover journalist to the gathering to ‘unmask’ the plotting EF!ers. Next time we'll spot ya!!!
Get the Earth First! Action Update from: Leeds EF!, c/o Cornerstone Resource Center, 16 Sholebrock Ave, Leeds LS7 3HB, 0113 262 9365
YOU WOT?
Millionaire Spice Girl Mel C bemused anarchists across Britain with the shock revelation that: “I’m not an anarchist. I had my hair cut because I wanted it that way, but I’m still exactly the same. ”. So shall we cancel your subscription then Mel?
DO YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT?
Irate French farmers suffering from an American trade embargo dumped six tons of manure in front of McDonalds doors in Arles and poured rotting fruit onto the forecourt of the McDonalds in Martigues.
WHO NEEDS LEADERS?
Or unions for that matter? Electricians union boss Sir Ken Jackson told the TUC conference Britain should be strike free. The next day hundreds of workers in his AEEU union went out on wildcat strike. Ha ha.
ACAB OUT OF JAIL
Of the 46 people who were arrested on the GM crop trashing action in Lincolnshire on 31st July, 24 have now had all charges dropped, including the one person Gary Lawson (also known as ‘ACAB’) who was being held on remand but is now released. Thanks to everyone who wrote to him.
ONE LAW FOR THE RICH
Courts have decided that there will be no prosecutions over the death of Simon Jones, a casual labourer who died hours after stating work at a dangerous docking job. His family are appealing against this decision. Contact the Simon Jones Memorial Campaign at:
PO Box 2600, Brighton, E. Sussex, BN2 2DX telephone/fax 01273 685913
email: action@simonjones.org.uk
GENERAL STRIKE IN COLUMBIA
Despite the threat of death squads, over 20 million people went out on strike in Columbia, forcing the government to halt it’s latest IMF austerity plan.
POLICE SAVE NAZIS AGAIN
The Swedish police arrested 243 people aged between 15 and 20 after a demonstration in Stokholm on 18.9 against neo-Nazism and racism, and charged them with public violence.
DAM PROTEST ARRESTS IN INDIA
484 people were arrested in Dhadgaon in India after staging a sit in against the massive Sardar Sarovar Dam which has flooded villages in the valley. All those arrested refused to pay their bail demanding to be released unconditionally.
JOURNALISTS -
AGENTS OF THE POLICE
In July the Central Criminal Court refused the City of London Police their order to compel journalists to hand over material that would help secure convictions and provided the police with intelligence from the June 18 action in London.
Not because journalists were worried about the liberty of the people on the action but it seems that some are starting to understand the cost of handing over photographs and written notes to the police — a bloody good hiding.
Mike Holderness, writing in Freelance, the newsletter of the London Freelance Branch of the National Union of Journalists states “Demonstrators have on occasion attacked photographers, regarding them as agents of the police”. That’s self-defence. But beyond that journalists are always legitimate targets. Journalists, like politicians and the police are eager to convince us that really they are on our side, they’re not! Holderness goes on “We have to do a lot more to remind the world at large and these people in particular that genuine, responsible photographers, who are union members do not hand photos over to the police”. Right, so in future, when you spot a photographer snapping away in the thick of it just ask to see their union card! He adds “In some circumstances (and June 18 felt like these) the police aren’t nicking people anyway; they’re battering the disobedient”. That’s on the day (they hope to pick people up weeks later with the help of the footage that the obedient defenders of democracy cheerfully hand over.
Newspapers are produced for profit, they’re not much more than adverts decorated with ‘objective’ journalism and opinion.
The cops are the defenders of property and commodities, journalists are capitalism’s prefects and promoters. Journalists are agents of the police, profit, war and state-terror around the world.
ADVICE: On demonstrations never talk to any coppers and never talk to journalists, unless it’s in the universally understood physical language (and we don’t mean shag them)! Remember, even your own photos of demos can be seized by the police and lead to someone going to prison - maybe your mates!
MayDay 2000
A Festival of Anarchist Ideas and Action
April 28th - May 1st 2000. Set to be the biggest anarchist event of next year. To get involved contact:
BM Mayday, London, WC1N 3XX
or visit the Anarchist Federation MayDay 2000 webpage
Please visit the regularly updated Anarchist Federation diary page for details of the latest events