CINA

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Very bad and sad news for all 'lovers' of Farfur, the Palestinian Mickey Mouse clone, who fought 'every day and night' against the 'Jewish occupation' of the 'Palestinian homeland' (from the Lebanese border to the Red Sea, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranian!!), for the 'true Muslim belief', etc..
    Last Friday "Farfur was martyred while defending his land," said Sara, the teen presenter in Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV. He was killed "by the killers of the children," she added.
   But as all maryred mujahedeen he will depart directly to Paradise, according to the Muslim religion. And here (in Paradise) as a male martyr who fought the Jihad - once again according to Islam - he will get his 72 virgins.
    But here, for my understanding, the big problem begins: WTFH the 72 virgins will do with Farfur (please remember he's a MOUSE/an animal)? I guess that even in paradise sexual "perversions" (like sex with animals..) are totally forbidden - simply said (during the time Muslims have to spend on earth such kind of sexual activities are punished by death sentence: stoning to death or "alternatively" chop into small pieces, etc.. , with a one-way ticket to HELL)..
☞ Hamas TV kills off Mickey Mouse double (Ynet/AP)

Meanwhile the "radical left", especially in the West is nearly complete quiet about the latest developments in Gaza, the "liberation from the Fatah occupation" (Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV). Except few political idiots (eeh~ sorry, but that's just the f.. reality!!). For example some Trotskyist groups like in UK the "Socialist" Worker: "The stunning military victory by the Palestinian Hamas movement.. was a strike against imperialism.."

☞ Hamas’s victory in Gaza is a blow to Bush’s plans

Or some hard-core "Stalinists" (eeh~ I know that's a struggle term of the class enemy^^!!) like the Anti-Imperialist Camp: "Gaza: popular vote implemented/Seizure of power by Hamas a step forward for the resistance.. We welcome the coming into power of Hamas.."

☞ Gaza: popular vote implemented

The Palestinian (former) "left" organisations, such as PFLP, DFLP until now published complete nothing about the recent developments in Gaza.

And in the last weeks, again and again, high ranking Hamas officials said that the "liberation of Gaza" is just the beginning for the liberation of the "entire occupied Palestine" (i.e. incl. the "zionist entity, the so-called Israel"). The final goal, according to him, is the creation of the "Unified Muslim Homeland Palestine".


Related articles etc, published in the last weeks:

☞ Interview With Hamas Co-funder Mahmoud Zahar (Der Spiegel, 6.22)
☞ 'Christians must accept Islamic rule' (Yedioth Ahronoth, 6.19)
☞ The death of the two-state solution (A. Times, 6.20)
☞ A Visit to Fatah's Torture Chamber (Der Spiegel, 6.21)
☞ The rise and rise of Hamas (A. Times, 6.30)

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Today, Hong Kong(中華人民共和國香港特別行政區) will have been under Chinese "rule" for ten years. "Can the capitalist pearl (*) continue to shine under Communist Party rule?", the German (bourgeois!!!) magazine Der Spiegel asked.

Hong Kong Reinvents Itself, Yet Again (Der Spiegel, 6.29)

The red mailboxes with the image of the British crown were removed, the last batch of stamps with the likeness of Queen Elizabeth II was printed and 1,200 portraits of the monarch were removed from government offices. All evidence of the Queen had been removed by the time the final act began, exactly 10 years ago: Britain's farewell ceremony in Hong Kong, the colonial power's grandest goodbye.

July 1 marks the 10th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong to China.
Many wept when the Union Jack was lowered for the last time. Chris Patten, the last British governor, who had introduced democracy at the last minute in Hong Kong after around 150 years of colonialism and who was disparaged in Beijing as a "whore" in return for the gesture, fought back his tears while his wife and their three daughters wept freely. Even Prince Charles, the guest of honor, pressed a handkerchief to his eyes as he boarded the royal yacht, the "Britannia," turning around to wave one last time.

It was shortly after midnight on July 1, 1997 when the representatives of the old order left Hong Kong, whose name means "fragrant harbor." The jewel of the Empire, with its $69 billion in foreign currency reserves, was handed over to the communist rulers of the People's Republic of China, the most sumptuous dowry since Cleopatra. The symbolism of the moment could hardly hide its historic significance, heralding the decline of an old world power and the rise of a new one.

Please read the full (very long: 6 parts) report here!

* Where at least 1 Million people (from 6.7 Million citizens)..

 ..are living in extreme poverty!!

More articles/reports about the "re-unification":

☞ CNN's interactive Special

☞ Ten years after Hong Kong returned to Chinese control (Guardian)

☞ Hong Kong's democrats worry.. (IHT)

☞ Thriving Hong Kong capitalism in Communist embrace

HK bourgeois media:

☞ 十年.. (明報 special)

☞ 十年.. (文匯報 special)

☞ 10th Anniversary.. (Special Report/Gov't of the P.R. of China)

HK: Mass rally...

..and swimming for democracy

Related:

☞ 1967, Hong Kong Uprising

☞ History of Hong Kong

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Today, June 29. Marking the end of the 5-day "general strike" against the ROK-US FTA and a (temporary) highlight: about 20,000 activists (according to Voice of People) - workers, farmers, students.. - took, since the early afternoon, the streets of Seoul..

Yonhap wrote: S. Korea hit by massive protests against FTA with U.S.

Tens of thousands of workers and anti-U.S. activists rallied Friday in central Seoul in monsoon rains to oppose a free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and the United States.
The rallies come on the heels of a five-day strike against the trade pact by unionized metal workers across the country.

In the early evening (around 6:30 pm) the rally turned into a "illegal demonstration" (so the cops) after about 1,500 activists took the streets near Anguk-dong. Thousands of riot cops were busy to block the protestors.. See the (Korean) report by Tongil News. Later between 2,000 and 3,000 activists occupied one of Seoul's main intersections (Boshin-gak/Jong-gak subway stn.).

(Source of the pics: VoP, OhmyNews, Tongil News)

More about today's rallies and demonstrations (in Korean):

☞ 노동자.농민 등 2만여명 서울 도심서 한미FTA저지 시위 (VoP)

☞ 한미FTA 체결 저지 범국민대회 (OhmyNews)

☞ 反FTA 대규모 전국 집회 개최 (P. Times, incl. many pics)

The S.K. bourgeois media about the strike:

☞ Hyundai Motor union workers strike for 2nd day (Yonhap)

☞ Anti-FTA labor strike grows on fourth day (JoongAng Ilbo)

☞ Hyundai, Kia Unions Join in 4-Hour Nationwide Strike (Chosun Ilbo)

Related:

Statement by "All Together" (다함께), released 6.20 (translated by "marc"/THANX a lot!!):

The government, conservative media and employers are going mad over shattering the strike of Steel Industries Union for detering the KORUS FTA. They are especially focusing their attack on Hyundai Motors branch which is in the leading position within the Union of Steel Industry.

One of the most disgusting logics they hold is that "(Union members) will get the most benefit in terms of the stability of their employment and the increase of their income", which is the same logic as what developed.
But it is not certain that KORUS FTA will increase the export of automobiles. Many people say that local production within the US has already been expanded and that the import of Japanese cars will be increased.

Even if the export to the US market increases, the workers will not be benefited automatically. Over the last few years, automobile export highly expanded, but the unstabilty of employment worsened and the number of casual workers increased. During this process, it was protest and strike that defended the employment and income of the laborors.

Most of all, the heart of KORUS FTA is in 'restructuring'. also emphasized that its heart is to make a system of competition in which more blood is shod and more casualties are created.

Conservative presses condemns this coming strike to be "an illegal, undemocratic and political strke which has not gone through the process of voting among the union members." However, it is a sensational lie. The strike was decided by the overwhelming support after democratic debates among the delegates elected by the union members. What is really undemocratic is the FTA negotiation process which was carried out without opening any information to the people.

☞ 한미FTA 반대 파업은 정당하다

Read also:

☞ 금속노조의'한미FTA 저지 총파업'을 사수하자! (노동자의힘, 6.22)

PS:

Despite "monsoon rains" (Yonhap News) the riot cops used also water cannons - or better said "mobile fountains"(??^^!!) against the demo: 

그야 말로
 
YOU SAY RAIN
WE SAY RAINBOW!

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..(*)

Before that there will be rallies..

by 민주노총:
전국노동자대회
일시 : 오후1시
장소 : 대학로

by 전국노점상연합:
한미FTA체결저지를 위해 노무현대통령 규탄하며 민중생존권을 철저히 파괴시키는
FTA의 본질을 폭로하고자, 범국민총궐기대회를 개최코자합니다.
동지들의 강한 연대와 투쟁이 필요한 시기입니다.
일시 : 오후1시 30분
장소 : 종묘

etc..

Related:

Police Looking to Arrest Strike Leaders (Chosun Ilbo)

 
Government authorities sought arrest warrants for 17 key officials of the Korean Metal Workers' Union for their unyielding plan to stage a general strike against the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement. Police were granted arrest warrants for 10 of them on Wednesday night. The metal union has vowed to wage the anti-FTA strike starting Thursday.

 
The 17 union leaders include KMWU Chairman Chung Kap-deuk and the heads of affiliate unions. A clash between the government and labor organizations seems inevitable. An attempt to arrest union leaders before a strike is an unusual move.

Police sent summons to 23 executives of the metal worker's union on Monday, but the executives declined to show. Police sent subpoenas again on Tuesday, but the union leaders again refused to turn themselves in, prompting police to seek arrest warrants for the 17 key officials.

The government plans to bring criminal charges against the unionists, calling the planned strike illegal since it is aimed at opposing the trade treaty and is not related to the improvement of working conditions, and was decided on without proper procedures.

The KMWU leadership unilaterally decided to stage the anti-FTA strike without putting the matter to a vote among union members.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200706/200706280015.html

* some "inmates" of the "lunatic asylum" will have an afternoon/evening out (eeh~ sorry, really sorry!!^^)

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"With a nationwide walkout scheduled by the (Korean Metal Workers') union for Thursday and Friday, protests against the strikers sprouted in different parts of the country.
About 50 members of the anti-FTA Korean Confederation of Trade Unions attacked a protest by civic activists in front of the Ulsan branch of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry yesterday", the rightwing conservative JoongAng Daily reported today, not without some malicious joy (Schadenfreude!!).

So it seems that there are/will be more news from the "lunatic asylum"...

The (reactionary) Chosun Ilbo reported today - in my opinion with much satisfaction - following about the recent developments in the case of the "Anti-FTA General (^^) Strike" by KMWF:

4,000 Ulsan Residents Rally Against Hyundai Strike 
 
Residents of the city of Ulsan, which is home to Hyundai Motor's flagship plant, called on the carmaker's union to cancel a planned political strike.
Some 4,000 members from 140 civic, social and economic groups staged a rally in front of the Hyundai Motor plant in Yangjung-dong in Ulsan on Tuesday afternoon, urging the union to cancel the strike.

It's the first time Ulsan residents have gathered in such force against the union, which has staged strikes almost every year since it was founded 20 years ago.

Members of civic groups wearing shoulder bands chanted slogans and held signs saying, "Withdraw from the political strike." They also handed out flyers against the strike to union members and local shopkeepers.

The demonstrators urged the union to cancel its plan to participate in a strike scheduled for Thursday and Friday to protest the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement.

The union, however, refused to call off the strike. "The strike against the Korea-U.S. FTA is a fight for the ultimate goals of protecting union members' right to a livelihood and Ulsan's economy. There will be no withdrawal," it said.

Before the rally on Tuesday, 50 members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a press conference in front of the Ulsan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"Why are civic groups against union efforts to prevent worsening labor conditions caused by the FTA?" they demanded. Some of the unionists then created a disturbance by breaking things in the building's lobby.

Meanwhile, the Korean Metal Workers' Union continued to strike in the Seoul metropolitan area and South Jeolla Province. However, only 3,300 or 5.4 percent of 61,000 union members participated in Tuesday's actions, down from 11.5 percent the day before.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200706/200706270025.html 

Related:

☞ Tension escalating over anti-FTA strikes (K. Herald)

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SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!

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Since several days MTU is developing a campaign to fight

against the massive exploitation of migrant workers in

Samsung's Everland, S. Korea's largest amusement park.

Last Wednesday, for example a press conference (*) was

held in front of the main gate to inform the S. Korean

public about the horrible working conditions for migrants

there..
Short after that Korea Times (wow, what a surprise!!)

published following article:

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Since weeks the (South) Korean Metal Workers' Federation (KMWF/금속노조), a major part of KCTU, is planning a "General Strike Against the Implementation of the ROK-US FTA" for this week.

But what is happen now, according to the latest articles/news.. sounds just like reports from a "lunatic asylum" (eeh.. sorry!!):
 

The metal workers' union will stage partial walkouts for five days from Monday to

protest the free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and the United

States, despite opposition both from its own members and the government.
   But the strike plan is not likely to be carried out, as the majority of the unionists

are opposing the collective action, today's edition of Korea Times wrote.

*****

Labor Minister Lee Sang-soo hinted last Thursday that the government will use the police force to crackdown "illegal labor strikes against a Korea-U.S. FTA" scheduled for this week. 
   "Although (the government) tended to refrain from mobilizing law enforcement authorities in the past, this time, we will strictly deal with the strike from the beginning stage," Lee said at a press conference, according to Korea Herald (KH, 6.22)
   The ministers of labor, justice and commerce issued a joint statement urging the metal workers' union to scrap its plan to stage a strike in protest of the free trade agreement with the United States.
   Lee also said the walkout plans of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and its affiliate, Korean Metal Workers' Union, are clearly illegal, politically motivated and irrelevant to improving working conditions (KH).

*****

..The (KMWF) union chief .. said that despite public concern, the strike will cause no loss to the economy.
   “During the strike, there will be no disruption in vehicle production at about 230 of

our workplaces,” said Jung, adding that the negative effects of the strike have

been distorted..
   Jung Gap-deuk, president of the Metal Workers Union.. (in) a press conference..

said the strike will inevitably stop the ratification of the free trade agreement, which

he said will eventually worsen the living conditions of workers across the country.
   “The strike is an expression of our determination to continue to fight to defend

people’s lives and workers’ rights,” Jung said. “The FTA might be a chance for

some conglomerates to increase profits, but it would be a disaster for the majority

of workers and the public in general." (JoongAng Ilbo, 6.23)

At the same day the same newspaper published following bull shit:
"What nerve they have! Do they want to ruin everything?"

*****

And finally Yonhap reported following y'day:

Hyundai Motor union kills strike

The labor union at Hyundai Motor Co. on Sunday withdrew its plan to take part in an industry-wide strike against a proposed South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement.

   The 40,000-member union had originally planned to join a five-day strike called by its national umbrella labor group starting on Monday. Hyundai Motor's unionists had planned to walk out two hours a day during the period.

   The decision to call off the labor action was made at a meeting of union leaders at the automaker's main plant in Ulsan, a southeastern industrial city. The union leaders cited "unfavorable" public sentiment against their strike plan.

Related articles:

☞ Government hints at using police to prevent strikes (K. Herald, 6.22)

☞ Metal Workers: anti-FTA strike will go forward (JoongAng Ilbo, 6.23)

☞ FTA strike illegal, harmful

☞ Hyundai Motor Union Cancels Strike (K. Times, 6.25)

More about it (incl. my comment) likely later.. when I've got hopefully some translations..

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미국무성 차관보일행 평양 도착
(평양 6월 21일발 조선중앙통신)미국무성 차관보 크리스토퍼 힐과 그 일행이 21일 비행기로 평양에 도착하였다.

미국무성 차관보일행이 떠나갔다
(평양 6월 22일발 조선중앙통신)미국무성 차관보 크리스토퍼 힐과 그 일행이 22일 평양을 떠나갔다.

We should simply recognize that (the North Korean) KCNA must be the most effective "news" agency! Where/when the (f..) int'l (imperialist) news agencies need dozens of (printed) lines(*) KCNA needs just needs two sentences:

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Here
Pyongyang, June 21 (KCNA) -- Christopher Hill, U.S. assistant secretary of State, and his entourage arrived here by air today.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Leaves
Pyongyang, June 22 (KCNA) -- Christopher Hill, U.S. assistant secretary of State, and his entourage left here today.

* The stuff, published by the "imperialist enemies"..:

☞ US, N.Korea Set Timeline to Shut Reactor (AP/Guardian)

☞ North Korea to shut plutonium reactor in 3 weeks (CNN, incl. Hill interview)

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"不翼而飞"

Please listen also:
☞ 不翼而飞歌曲暂无歌词!