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Kaesong, North Korea In a cavernous factory floor here, where hundreds of North Korean women diligently cut and sewed women's jackets Monday, a South Korean businessman seemed to have found Korea's answer to China: wages at 26 cents an hour.

"Kaesong has more advantages that Vietnam, China or Guatemala," Hwang Woo Seung, president of Shinwon Ebenezer Company, said, citing other countries where his company produces clothes. "We opened here last March and we are already starting to build another factory here twice the size of this one."

If the leaders of the two Koreas have their way, Hwang's factory, with its 326 North Korean workers and seven South Korean managers, will represent the economic future of the peninsula.

"Kaesong Industrial Park, a place where the South's capital and technology and the North's land and labor are being combined to a make a new prosperity," an American-accented voice announced on a peppy information video shown to the first group of foreign reporters to tour the site, only several hundred meters north of the demilitarized zone.

Almost four years after the initial agreement for the park, the legal and infrastructure building blocks finally seem to be in place for explosive growth. Over the next year, the number of South Korean factories and North Korean workers is to nearly quadruple, to 39 factories and 15,000 employees.

By 2012, the industrial park is to spread over 67 square kilometers, or 26 square miles, and to employ 730,000 North Koreans, almost 8 percent of the work force in this impoverished nation, which has a total population of 23 million.

Last month, a South Korean telephone company opened the first 340 of 10,000 planned lines to here. Next month, work is to start on a tenfold increase in the power supplied by South Korea, to 154,000 kilowatts. Last fall, to iron out bureaucratic difficulties for South Korean and other foreign investors, South Korea opened its first government office in the North here.

When 50-year leases for building lots were auctioned off last summer, there were, on average, four South Korean companies vying for each plot. With labor costs rising in South Korea, many owners of small and medium-sized factories, say they face two options: closing and moving to China, or closing and moving to Kaesong.

"We have plans to build a factory here four times the size of this complex," Oh Sung Chang, senior managing director of Taesung Hata Company, a manufacturer of packaging for cosmetics, said after walking reporters past plastic molding and cutting machines manned by North Korean workers. Noting that he plans to start construction this summer, he added: "The Northern side has been very cooperative."

The North, after initial reluctance, has thrown its weight behind the isolated nation's largest center of foreign investment.

"We will bring peace and prosperity to the Korean Peninsula through the Kaesong Industrial Complex," Kim Hyo Jeong, a North Korean official serving on the Kaesong Industrial District Management Committee, told reporters Monday.

According to North Korean propaganda, the North is a worker's paradise. But after 60 years of communism and Kim family dynastic rule, the North looks like a manager's paradise.

Not only are the wages the lowest in Northeast Asia, but independent labor unions are banned.

"Strikes?" Hwang replied dismissively in response to a reporter's question. Raising crossed arms, he said with a slight smile: "Absolutely not."

"North Korean workers are very skilled, and that is why we decided to move here," Moon Chang Seop, president of Sam Duk Starfield, a Pusan- based shoe manufacturer. Noting that shoe manufacturing "is getting small" in South Korea, he said he hoped to one day move his entire line to Kaesong.

For now, Kaesong's 11 factories are producing almost entirely for the South Korean market.

To grow as planned, the park will have to win access to world markets. With North Korea's nuclear weapons program provoking opposition in Japan, Europe and the United States, the threat of commercial sanctions against North Korean products hangs over any investment. At the same time, South Korea hopes that products made here will be eligible to enter the United States under any free-trade pact that may be negotiated with the United States.

After free-trade talks were announced last month, U.S. officials discouraged the idea of duty access for products made in this part of North Korea.

"In our view, the agreement applies to goods produced only in South Korea and the United States," an U.S. Embassy official in Seoul told reporters. "We hope that the Kaesong issue won't be a major hurdle in reaching the comprehensive goal of signing the free-trade agreement."

In the United States, American labor and human rights activists may object to employment conditions here.

At Kaesong, the minimum wage for the 48-hour week is $57.50. But $7.50 is deducted for "social charges" paid to the North Korean government. The remaining $50 is paid to a North Korean government labor broker. None of the South Korean factory managers interviewed would guess how much of the $50 salary ends up in the pockets of workers.

"The exact amount is determined by North Korean authorities," said Kim Dong Keun, a South Korean who chairs the Kaesong Industrial District Management Committee.

Under labor contracting arrangements in Russia and Eastern Europe, North Korea's government often withholds half of their workers' salaries.

Attempts to interview seamstresses at the Shinwon, factory elicited evasive responses and intervention by South Korean guides.

"No interviews with North Korean officials or employees are allowed," Mira Sun, the foreign press aide to South Korea's president, Roh Moo Hyun, lectured reporters by loudspeaker in one bus after reporters tried to interview seamstresses.

Alternatives for North Korean workers appears to be bleak.

Although the two Koreas speak the same language and share the same history up until 1945, 60 decades of communism has created, in economic terms, a Bangladesh living alongside a Belgium.

Beyond the shiny new factories and busy construction sites of the industrial park, visitors peering beyond a 5-mile long green wire perimeter fence could glimpse a tableaux reminiscent of Breughel paintings of pre-Industrial Europe. In one field, about 20 people were bent over their hoes. An ox cart creaked down a lane carrying winter feed, while a man with a load of brush on his back trudged down a path.

KCTU should read and learn from this!!!

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Following articles were pubished in yesterday's(2.27) Guardian(UK)

Philippine congress stormed
Marines' revolt threatens Arroyo
 

And here you can read more statements by(left-wing) political organisations in the Philippines:

Solving some problems in the broad united front and mass movement to oust the Arroyo regime. Statement by Prof. Jose Ma. Sison, NDFP Chief Political Consultant. February 27, 2006

Ang Bayan. Special Issue, February 27, 2006. Resist Gloria Arroyo's new fascist dictatorship

PS: As I know organisations such as NDF, MAKIBAKA(Nat. Movement of New Women) or MAKABAYAN(a youth org.) are 'just' parts of the legal network of the CPP. (Well, this is just a explanation, to a valuation!!)

And finally please check out the latest news on Manila Indymedia Collective

http://manila.indymedia.org/

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2.25, Manila: Army and police on the way to smash a demonstration

PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

CPP calls on people to overthrow Arroyo dictatorship
February 26, 2006

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP-CC) today condemned Gloria Arroyo for having "established a new fascist dictatorship" by issuing Presidential Proclamation 1017 declaring a "state of national emergency."

"Arroyo has arrogated martial law powers," the CPP-CC said. In fact, it pointed out, Arroyo has "long desired to officially declare some form of martial law" but has consistently been thwarted by widespread protests.

Through Presidential 1017, the Arroyo regime has "furthered its repressive and fascist acts, including plans to arrest leaders and activists of democratic and progressive organizations and parties, and government, military and police officers and personnel critical of the Arroyo regime."

"Like Marcos, Arroyo has resorted to concocting outright lies" to justify the imposition of fascist policies. The CPP-CC condemned the Arroyo regime for fabricating a so-called plot involving the participation of New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas in protest rallies as pretext for the declaration of a state of national emerency.

The CPP said that the NPA "continues to abide by the policy of non- intervention in mass protest demonstrations in Metro Manila and other urban areas."

The CPP-CC has directed the NPA "to launch tactical offensives that can be won against diehard pro-Arroyo and fascist units of the reactionary armed forces and, whenever the opportunity presents itself, coordinate with the anti-Arroyo and other friendly units within the AFP and PNP."

It further called "on the democratic forces and the broad masses to heighten the antifascist aspect of the struggle against the Arroyo regime."

The CPP-CC also urged military and police elements "to defy fascist orders from their generals to suppress the people's civil liberties," even as it called on "positive elements within the government's military and police to join and support democratic forces who persist in building the requisites for a new people power uprising."

The CPP-CC said that "Arroyo has only succeeded in steeling the people's determination to further build up mass protests towards another people power uprising, furthered unrest within the military and police forces and broadened the ranks of those determined to withdraw their support to the Arroyo regime."

"The Filipino people will not be coerced into submission," said the CPP-CC. "They are determined to continue resisting the Arroyo regime's fascist acts. They demand the end of the Arroyo regime and its replacement by a government that truly advances national freedom and democracy."

Before yesterday the army took over more central

positions in the capital Manila

Please read more here:

Marines holed up in camp agree to stand down

inq7.net/The Inquirer

5 tense hours as Marines stand off

Defensor appeals for media blackout (!!!)

The Manila Times

Philippines Marine base sealed

IHT/Reuters/AP

Manila stifles people power

The Observer

Philippines coup stand-off intensifies 

Al-Jazeera

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.."State of emergency"

(so the rulers are calling this!!)

While the people of the Philippines yesterday wanted to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the end of the Marcos dictatorship the current administration under G. Arroyo declared the state of emergency – under the threadbare, or perhaps better said shabby(?), pretext of a planned revolt/coup d’etat, according to the state propaganda, by "rightwing military officers" and "leftists"(in this case the government means the so-called communists/CCP). In my opinion it is not to believe, not at all... But what is definitely to believe that(perhaps) a majority f the Filipinos/Filipinas are complete fed up with the system! Ha, just ask our comrades from Kasammako – they are very close now to MTU(as I guess).

Yesterday in the...

...streets of Manila

Anyway until now there are not many informations about it, especially not many independent... Many wrong things in the last 48 hours were written by the Western media... For example the German magazine Der Spiegel(2.24) wrote about heavy street battles, but in fact there were "just" attacks by the police and army against unarmed civilians. Especially yesterday(2.25) many left activists and journalists were arrested.

Well if I find new and better informations I will upload it here as soon as possible.

For more informations please read following articles:

Alleging plot, Arroyo declares emergency

Philippine police detain critics amid state of emergency

AP/IHT

State of emergency as Arroyo claims coup is foiled

Guardian(UK)

Philippines crackdown on opposition

Al-Jazeera

Philippines tears itself apart

Asia Times(HK) with good background infos

Raid, arrests mark state of emergency

The Inquirer(RP, bourgeois daily)

Philippine Revolution Web Central

http://www.philippinerevolution.org/index.shtml

CCP, NDF, Ang Bayan...

Please read the latest news on Indymedia Manila

http://manila.indymedia.org/

TAKE ACTION FOR SOLIDARITY!!

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FRANK ZAPPA & CAPTAIN BEEFHEART

MUFFIN MAN

The muffin man is seated at the table in the laboratory of the utility muffin
Research kitchen... reaching for an oversized chrome spoon he gathers an
Intimate quantity of dried muffin remnants and brushing his scapular aside
Procceds to dump these inside of his shirt...
He turns to us and speaks:

Some people like cupcakes better. I for one care less for them!

Arrogantly twisting the sterile canvas snoot of a fully charged icing
Anointment utensil he poots forths a quarter-ounce green rosette (oh ah yuk
Yuk... let’s try that again...!) he poots forth a quarter-ounce green rosette
Near the summit of a dense but radiant muffin of his own design.
Later he says:

Some people... some people like cupcakes exclusively, while myself, I say
There is naught nor ought there be nothing so exalted on the face of god’s grey
Earth as that prince of foods... the muffin!

Girl you thought he was a man
But he was a muffin
He hung around till you found
That he didn’t know nuthin’

Girl you thought he was a man
But he only was a-puffin’
No cries is heard in the night
As a result of him stuffin’

Bruce fowler on trombone, napoleon murphy brock on tenor sax, and lead vocals,
Terry bozzio on drums, tom fowler on bass, denny walley on slide, george duke
On keyboards, captain beefheart on vocals, and soprano sax, and madness. thank
You very much for coming to the concert tonight. hope you enjoyed it. goodnight
Austin, texas, where ever you are.

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Einstuerzende Neubauten

Halber Mensch

Halber Mensch
Halber Mensch
Geh weiter, in jede Richtung
Wir haben Wahrheiten fuer dich
aufgestellt
Halber Mensch
In ihren Rissen leuchten unsre
Sender
Zu jeder vollen Stunde senden wir deine Werte
Geh weiter
Halber Mensch
Wir sorgen fuer dich
Wir nehmen fuer dich wahr
Halber Mensch
Wer geteilt ist, hat nicht mitzuteilen
Wir sorgen fuer dich
Wir nehmen fuer dich wahr
Wir sorgen fuer dich
Wir triggern deine Sinne
Rauschunterdrueckung
Halber Mensch
Du siehst die Sender nicht
Und Kabel haengen
Laengst verlegt
Aus deinen Nerven-
Enden laengs des Wegs
Geh weiter!
Sieh deine zweite Haelfte...
Wer geteilt ist hat nicht mitzuteilen
Wir sorgen fuer dich
Wir triggern deine Sinne
Wir nehmen fuer dich wahr
Wir sorgen fuer dich
Dass die zweite Haelfte dich niemals trifft
Halber Mensch
Sieh deine zweite Haelfte
Die scheinbar grundlos
Schreiend erwacht
Schreiend naeherkommt
Du siehst sie nicht
Bist gefesselt vom Abendprogramm
Geh weiter in jede Richtung
Wer geteilt ist, hat nichts mitzuteilen
Nach wie vor
Nach wie vor
Streng dich an
Streng dich an
Nach wie vor
Wir sorgen fuer dich
Wir nehmen fuer dich wahr
Wir sorgen fuer dich
Wir triggern deine Sinne
Wir sorgen fuer dich
Dass die zweite Haelfte dich niemals trifft
Halber Mensch
Mir nichts dir nichts
Steht da der Schnitter
Geh weiter
Stoesst an
Geht nicht weiter - Du formlose Knete
Aus der die Lebensgeister
Den letzten Rest
Funken aussaugen
Fliegen angestachelt taumelnd, besoffen davon
Tanzen nutzlos in der Sonne
Mach dir nichts aus
Sie machen gar aus
Ein Bild fuer die Goetter
Schoenen Gruss vom Schnitter
Sicheln nicht sein!
Verwesen

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My Suggestion..

..because we, as the anti-war movement, can't change nothing anymore(ae~ I mean I'm just worrying...)..

In Iraq there are huge areas of desert... It would be really nice if there all this m..f.., such as the so-called resistance fighters, all the sunni and the shia islamic fascists, all the occupiers(well, if the s. korean troops wanna have fun, why not they too??!!) could gather there, everyone takes a M16, AK47, or whatever, some hand grenades... and they should finish their f.. stuff there... AND LEAVE THE ORDINARY IRAQI - THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN, THE WORKERS AND FARMERS... - ALONE - FOREVER!!!

But it's just a damn dream... And because of that we have to fight daily for the world revo... HARRHARR!!

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IRAQ: FROM A ‘ORDINARY’ MIDDLE EAST DICTATORSHIP TO THE HUB OF RESISTANCE(aka terrorism..) AGAINST THE ‘US-IMPERIALISM’...

...TO... ya, WHAT??

I’m really not sure anymore, what was/is better – the ‘ordinary’ dictatorship of under S. Hussein and his Baath gang or what we have now.

Perhaps the Bush administration really thought that "it will be fine to liberate the Iraqi people" and "bring them democracy"(harrharr)...

At first according to many reports the majority of the Iraqis were happy about the end of S. Hussain’s dictatorship. But after that just a really small minority were ready to struggle for a kind of democratic/civil society... And from the beginning they were hunted by reactionary factions of Islamic fundamentalists and many parts of the so-called resistance. And the occupiers were not able, or(‘better’) perhaps they just had no interrest, to protect this forces and support them.

Al-Askari shrine, before...

...and after the attack

And now it seems that everything is over... Even if in the following days the complete civil war will not break out, but the people who have the interrest in such a scenario will know(at least from now) what is to do to create the definite situation for that: just attack symbols - in the last months thousands of hundreds were killed by (Shia) death squads and thousands of Shias were killed by bomb attacks by the(Sunni) ‘resistance’ and without such a result, outbreak of violence, fights each other, like the attack against the al-Askari shrine.

Shia believers in preparing...

...what for?

According to political active people in Iraq now the question is not about if the civil war will break out... the question is just WHEN IT WILL BE REALLY HAPPEN.

And let’s guess, the international peace movement have now no answer, not at all!

Sorry, these are just some of my(maybe stupid) first thoughts in the current situation(perhaps later I'll write more..) ...

Please read more about it(for example) here:

U.S. envoy says Iraq is close to civil war

And, please, just check out the intl. media...

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S. KOREA ON THE WAY TO A NEW DICTATORSHIP - THE HEALTH DICTATORSHIP!     Following article I found today in K. Times:   Petition Filed to Ban Cigarette Making, Sales

Former President Kim Dae-jung and 157 other prominent figures have filed a petition to the National Assembly, calling for a ban on the manufacture and sale of cigarettes from 2015. The petition was initiated by Park Jae-gahb, president of the National Cancer Center, who is actively waging an anti-smoking campaign to prevent cancer and other smoking-related ailments. Some 195 ruling and opposition lawmakers, including Rep. Yoo Jay-kun of the Uri Party, also expressed their intention to support the petition. Yoo said Wednesday the petition, tentatively named a ``bill on prohibiting manufacture and sale of cigarettes’’, stipulates that anyone who makes and deals in cigarettes and their ingredients would be subject to a maximum of five years jail or a 50 million won ($50,000) fine. He said petitioners decided to make the request to the Assembly since cigarettes and similar products are the main cause of various illnesses in humans, including lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases. But they decided to give a grace period of 10 years to tobacco plant growers, manufacturers, and sales people so that they have time to take up other jobs. Yoo added that he and other lawmakers would consider forwarding a bill similar to the petition in the near future. But the Korea Cigarette Consumers Association denounced the move, saying that such a petition is an act of irresponsibility, disregarding smokers’ rights. It also said if such a petition becomes law, it would destroy the livelihoods of more than one million people engaged in the tobacco industry. ``We will form a united front with other civic groups to block any attempt to outlaw the production, use and sale of cigarette products,’’ the association said in a statement. http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200602/kt2006022223135711990.htm     I don't know if DJ Kim and his colleagues are just senile, but to prevent this insanity we should make the social(...) revolution as soon as possible! Or otherwise: just forget S. Korea(uhuu~~~, I don't know if I can...^^)...

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