5112개의 게시물을 찾았습니다.
Imperialist Invasion vs. Democratic Popular Uprising
Breaking news (01:22pm CET) by Al-Jazeera:
The King of Bahrain has declared a state of emergency for three months on the island following weeks of anti-government protests, state television said.
An order by the king "authorised the commander of Bahrain's defence forces to take all necessary measures to protect the safety of the country and its citizens," a statement read out on television on Tuesday said.
The development comes a day after a Saudi-led military forces arrived to help prop up the government, which is facing pressure from the Shia majority to implement reforms.
Related reports:
☞ Saudi Arabian troops enter Bahrain... (Guardian, 3.14)
☞ Saudi soldiers sent into Bahrain (Al-Jazeera, 3.15)
☞ King imposes 3-month state of emergency (CNN, 3.15)
☞ King of Bahrain declares state of emergency (The Telegraph, 3.15)
MUST READ(!!):
☞ House of Saud 'liberates' Bahrain (Asia Times, 3.15)
Since almost one month the spirit of the popular, pro-democratic uprising in North Africa is spreading onto the Arab Peninsula (Yemen, Oman and Bahrain)!
But for the so-called "international community" it will be the worst-case scenario if the less privileged are taking the streets to fight for democratic reforms: economic, social, political and gender equality... just to demand their basic rights as human beings!
So, just forget about "democracy" or "human rights". Enter the brand new Barack Obama administration "regime alteration" doctrine, where popular aspirations in the Gulf - from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain and Oman - are ditched to the benefit of the "stability" afforded by "key allies", swing producers House of Saud and hosts of the 5th Fleet the al-Khalifa dynasty in Bahrain. Moreover, the House of Saud has told the al-Khalifa that if they do not crush their own Shi'ite-majority revolt, Saudi forces will. And Washington won't bat an eyelid. As it won't bat an eyelid if it turns into a bloodbath.
And I'm afraid that it could happen any time soon!!
Around noon (CET) Reuters reported that "Bahrain has asked for help from neighbouring Gulf Arab countries after protesters overwhelmed police and cut off roads, and an adviser to the royal court said the forces were already on the strategic island kingdom."
Two hours later Al-Jazeera reported that "Saudi military forces entered Bahrain 'to help protect government facilities there'"
Related articles:
☞ Bahrain trade union calls for strike (TradeArabiaNS, 3.14)
☞ Saudi Arabian forces prepare to enter Bahrain... (Guardian, 3.14)
Today in Seoul's "Little Manila" (the weekly venue for the migrant worker community from the Philippines): MTU's agit-prop campaign...
As today's "weekend reading" I would like to suggest the following two pieces, published in yesterday's Asia Times(HK)!
☞ Why the Kim regime will falter (by A. Lankov)
☞ Why the Kim regime will never die (by Kim Myeong-cheol)
Here some "highlights" from Kim Myeong-cheol's lousy job:
"What the West has yet to appreciate is that North Korea under Kim Jong-il is so resilient that it will last hundreds of years and enjoy a millennium prosperity, as indisputably shown in his first-class statesmanlike stewardship of North Korea's emergence into two elite clubs - that of space and nuclear powers - nullifying the United States-initiated sanctions..."
"The North Koreans see a heaven-sent peerless national hero and great patriot in the father image Kim Jong-il and identify him with the proud Korean nation, its future and destiny..."
"The most striking thing about North Korea is that its whole population of 24 million people make up an awesome corps of highly motivated and well-disciplined candidate suicide bombers, dedicated to their supreme leader-cum father figure Kim Jong-il in a highly nationalistic society with traditional values..."
PS: Today's Hankyoreh published the following article (somehow related to A. Lankov's piece): ☞ NGO reports escalating food crisis in N.Korea
Have a nice weekend (if you're not located in Libya or Japan)!!
A Palestinian source reported y'day the following about the ongoing and increasing TERROR CAMPAIGN led by the dictator Muammar "The Butcher" Gaddafi against his own people:
As many as six thousand Libyans, mostly innocent civilians, are believed to have been murdered and many other thousands wounded in killings perpetrated by the regime's thugs, mercenaries and henchmen.
Men were summarily executed in their homes, in full view of their wives and children, worshipers killed in their mosques and innocent, peaceful protesters were riddled with bullets rather indiscriminately.
Soldiers refusing to obey orders to kill innocent civilians were summarily executed.
Raving and ranting as usual, Qaddafi calls all opponents rodents, stray-dogs and al-Qaeda terrorists who he said ought to be exterminated. His words are simply a call for genocide...
And today's Guardian(UK) published the following (sort of) depressing frontline coverage:
Libyan rebels' mood darkens amid fears revolution has stalled
Hopes that Gaddafi would be deposed quickly have been replaced by fears of a drawn-out military conflict
When the shooting died down in Benghazi and Zenab Gebril took to the streets to join the revolution, she looked to Libya's neighbours as examples.
"We all saw Egypt and Tunisia and we thought it was going to be a piece of cake," said Gebril, a student who joined the hordes of volunteers around the revolutionary administration in Benghazi. "It's not so easy."
Nearly three weeks after Libyans surprised themselves by revolting against Muammar Gaddafi's brutal 42-year rule, euphoria at the prospect of swiftly deposing the dictator has given way in the rebel capital, Benghazi, to the grim prospect of a popular uprising evolving into a drawn-out military conflict.
That is stoking fears about the consequences of losing, as Gaddafi's forces use tanks and artillery to crush the revolutionaries' takeover of the city of Zawiyah, near Tripoli, and stall the rebel advance from Benghazi hundreds of miles short of the Libyan capital.
Concern at the shaky military situation is in turn contributing to frustration in Benghazi at the lack of a visible leadership to give direction to the revolution and take proper control of a city where gun-toting young men contribute to the air of insecurity by firing weapons at random through the night.
On Wednesday, Gaddafi's forces bombed the rebel frontline in the east, at Ras Lanuf. In hours of rocket fire between the two sides and raids by Gaddafi's air force, oil tanks at nearby Es Sider were hit, causing a large explosion and sending towering plumes of smoke into the air as the fuel burned through the day.
Fears are growing that if Gaddafi wins in Zawiyah, he will then redirect the scores of tanks and armoured vehicles used there against the rebels in the east.
Some in Benghazi have fallen back on a grim fatalism. Gebril, whose parents have both served time in Gaddafi's prisons for opposing his regime, says that excitement at the prospect of the dictator's downfall has given way to a realisation that she may be forced to flee the country.
"If he wins, we're dead. He will kill us. Before is nothing compared to what he would do now. The whole of the east side of the country is dead. I would get out. I'm still young. I've got to live."
The fear of losing has strengthened the determination of others to fight on.
"It's him or us," said Tahar Salen, a Benghazian who has taken up arms against Gaddafi. "By supporting the revolution we have signed our own death warrants, so now we have no choice but to fight until it is over."
Gaddafi is still a long way from winning back control of his country. But that this is now considered a possibility has caused Gebril, like many young Libyans, to direct some of her frustration at the nearly invisible revolutionary council installed to run the liberated areas. "People are getting more angry because there's no one in charge," she said. "The people in the committee are acting like they're in charge, but they're not. We know more about what's going on than they do."
Part of the strength of the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions was that they were popular uprisings, not dominated by individual leaders. That was an attraction in countries so long controlled by one man, and the same approach appealed to Libyans keen to rid themselves of a leader who had regarded himself as a cult figure for the past 42 years.
But as Libya's uprising has evolved into what looks like civil war, many in Benghazi see an urgent need for someone to take charge. The revolutionary leadership is made up of 30 representatives headed by Gaddafi's former justice minister, Mustafa Abdel-Jalil. He is perhaps the only member with nationwide recognition. The others represent areas under rebel control as well as the military and youth. There are also lawyers and long-standing opposition activists. But almost no one has any political or government administrative experience.
The revolutionary council continues to proclaim that victory is certain, on the grounds that almost every Libyan wants rid of Gaddafi. But Iman Bugaighis, a member of the revolutionary administration, acknowledges that as the conflict grows, the prospect of a popular uprising in Tripoli overthrowing Gaddafi is dimming.
"Do people in Tripoli want him? No. But it's very, very hard for them. People are afraid," she said.
"We know we face a very big challenge. I'm not denying that. We are not organised. Our fighters are not trained. It's hard to find someone who has authority from the people. It's not enough, but it's only three weeks."
However, Bugaighis said there was no possibility of failure: "Never. When you've seen what's happened here, how can anyone think we will fail? We started with nothing. In three weeks we have all this," she said. "I don't say we won't pay a very high price with the blood of our youth. That's why we have to have international intervention."
The revolutionary council is looking for foreign help. It has called for the imposition of a no-fly zone to give protection against air attacks. Bugaighis said that diplomatic approaches "include requests for everything", including a plea for weapons supplies. But the council does not want a foreign army on its soil.
"The youth don't want military intervention. The revolutionary council took that on board. As Arabs, we have a very bad history of enduring foreign military intervention," she said. "People think of it as an invasion. So we want a no-fly zone and air strikes against Gaddafi under the UN."
In an attempt to improve the military situation, the revolutionary council has appointed a former officer in Gaddafi's army who took part in the 1969 coup that brought him to power, Omar Hariri, as commander of the rebel forces. It is also trying to stop young men with guns but no training from pouring towards the front line.
"We pleaded with the youth not to go because it may be a plot by Gaddafi to empty Benghazi of its youth. They don't have any experience of fighting. We have called on them to come back," said Bugaighis. "We don't know how long it will last but we don't have any choice but to continue. I'm determined to win. I don't intend to die but if this is the price ... "
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/09/libyan-rebels-mood-darkens
Latest updated "frontline" news:
☞ Libya Live Blog - March 10 (Al-Jazeera)
☞ Libya uprising - live updates (Guardian)
Related article:
☞ Why no-fly won't fly (Asia Times, 3.10)
About 860 unionized cleaning personnel and janitors at Seoul's Korea, Yonsei and Ewha Womans universities began a (sit-in)strike at 6 a.m. yesterday after they failed to reach an agreement with the schools over the justified(!!) raising their pay Monday.
The workers, all of whom are "irregular" workers hired by out-sourced companies, have demanded 5,180 won ($4.63) per hour since October 2010, whereas the universities have offered only 4,320 won, which is the minimum wage in S. Korea.
According to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU), which all the striking workers belong to, they asked for arbitration from the National Labor Relations Commission, a state-run arbitration organization, on Feb. 21.
On Feb. 24-26, KCTU said, 86.5 percent of the workers voted in favor of a strike if the commission failed to mediate the dispute by Monday.
Here some impressions from yesterday's first solidarity rally(by more than 800 workers and their supporters) inside Yonsei University:
Related reports:
☞ Campus cleaners strike over pay (K. Herald, 3.08)
☞ Cleaners' strike hits more universities (K. Times, 3.08)
☞ "장미대신 빨간 풍선을"...청소노동자 파업 결의대회 (NewsCham, 3.08)
Last Saturday more than 1000 female activists, mainly members of different labour unions(organized in the KCTU), progressive civic groups and resistance organisations gathered in the center of the S.Korean capital Seoul to celabrate the Int'l Women's Day and protested against the - still - terrible conditions for a majority of female workers...
(source of the pics: KCTU)
Related reports:
☞ 3.8여성대회 열려...노동, 생활, 인권 등 9대 요구 선언 (NewsCham, 3.05)
☞ "총장님, 당신이 진짜 사장입니다... 숨지 마세요" (OMN, 3.05)
☞ 3.8 여성의 날 기념 여성대회 개최 (KCTU, 3.05)
☞ [3.07] 전국비정규직 여성노동자 대회 (참세상, 3.07)
Today is the 21st day of the popular uprising (or rather People's Liberation War!!) against the dictatorship of Muammar"The Butcher"Gaddafi and revolutionary forces across the country are battling forces loyal to "The Butcher" in their bid to overthrow his regime...
Latest news: A leading member of Libya's ruling establishment appealed to rebel leaders for dialogue on Monday, in the clearest sign yet Muammar Gaddafi may be ready to compromise with opponents challenging his rule. Jadallah Azous Al-Talhi, a Libyan prime minister in the 1980s who is originally from eastern Libya, appeared on state television reading an address to elders in Benghazi, the main base of the anti-Gaddafi rebels. He asked them to "give a chance to national dialogue to resolve this crisis, to help stop the bloodshed, and not give a chance to foreigners to come and capture our country again." (source: Reuters)
Meanwhile Al-Sharq al-Awsat reports that the Libyan dictator wants rebels to drop demands to try him in international court, guarantee his security as well as that of his family and funds in exchange for his departure from country
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi will resign and leave the country on condition that he and his family receive guarantees they will not be harmed, the London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat reported today. No official confirmation has been given.
The report cites "reliable" Libyan sources in Benghazi as saying that Gaddafi vowed to announce his resignation and the transfer of authority to rebels in Benghazi before his parliament if his security, his family's security, and his funds are preserved.
Gaddafi also wants rebels to help him leave the country for the destination of his choice, and to relinquish their demand to try him in international courts for crimes against humanity, the report says.
The sources added that preparations for Gaddafi's departure had already begun, among them the spreading of a rumor that he had had a stroke.
"There has so far been no official response to Gaddafi's proposal, negative or positive," the paper was told. However, the sources hinted that rebels would not consider any negotiations with the Libyan leader.
Related updated news you'll get here:
http://www.libyafeb17.com/
Last Friday(3.04) the S. Korean Migrants Trade Union issued the following statement:
We Welcome the Court’s Injunction against Enforcement of Immigration Measures against MTU President Michel Catuira
The courts have put the brakes unjust immigration measures taken against MTU Michel Catuira by the Seoul Immigration Service. This victory would not have been possible without the solidarity and support shown by friends and allies in South Korea and abroad.
On Wednesday, March 2, the Seoul 12th Administrative Court issued a ruling in favor of MTU’s application for an injunction against immigration measures enforced by the Seoul Immigration Service against MTU President Michel Catuira, including, the cancellation of his ‘permission for change of workplace’ and ‘permission for extension of stay‘ (visa) and the order to leave the country by March 7. According to the court, suspension of these measures was “urgently necessary to prevent damages difficult to correct” that would be caused to President Catuira should the measures be carried out.
The court’s ruling will only prevent execution of the said immigration measures until a decision in MTU’s suit appealing them is reached. Nonetheless, we welcome it as an unprecedented occurrence. In the past, many MTU leaders were targeted by the immigration authorities, who used their undocumented states as a pretext to arrest them. In these cases, the immigration authorities hurriedly executed deportation orders even before the decisions on applications for injunctions were announced.
Criticism of the Immigration Service’s actions has been strong within and outside of South Korea from the time the aforementioned measures were first initiated in a clear effort to stifle MTU’s union activities. In South Korea, supporters organized a press conference to expose the Immigration Service’s intentions and carried out 1 person protests in downtown Seoul. 1,200 social leaders and other concerned individuals submitted petitions to the court on President Catuira’s behalf.
In the international arena, Amnesty International and the Asian Human Rights Commission initiated urgent appeal campaigns and countless organizations and individuals sent protest letters to the South Korean authorities. In Hong Kong, the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) and the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union (IMWU) held a solidarity rally in front of the South Korean Consulate. We are quite sure that the court’s ruling reflects the impact of these actions. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to the many organizations and individuals who have given us their support.
Now, more than ever, it is time for the Ministry of Justice and the Immigration Service to end their worn-out pattern of repression against migrant workers’ organizing and recognize their right to unionize.
http://migrant.nodong.net/?document_srl=94998#1
On the same day MTU and several supporting groups held a protest rally in front of Seoul's Immigration Office/(Deportation)Detention Center. Comrade "Hong Gil-dong..." reported about the event and his video you can watch here!
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