Outcry over torture in Fiji, NZ hypocrisy

March 19, 2013 by

by Byron Clark

On March 15 protests took place in Auckland and Wellington against police brutality and torture in Fiji. While allegations of torture have cropped up in Fiji since the coup that put Bainimarama in power, the latest outcry follows the leaking of video depicting two handcuffed men being beaten by plain clothes police.

An editorial in the Fiji Times described the video as“[D]isturbing and shocking. It is gross, painful and will leave an indelible impression on all those who have witnessed it.” The father of one of the victims, Vueti Sanawa, a retired military officer said that in all his life as a soldier in the Middle East, he had never come across any torture such as that he witnessed of his son.

Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation, something Fiji’s ministry of information has promised. Justice seems unlikely though when Bainimarama has stated “I will stick by my men, by the police officers or anyone else that might be named in this investigation. We cannot discard them just because they’ve done their duty in looking after the security of this nation and making sure we sleep peacefully at night”

New Zealand political parties across the spectrum have been quick to join the condemnation of Fiji, a motion in parliament to do so was passed without dissent. While in and of its self this is a positive thing, it demonstrates the hypocrisy of many New Zealand politicians. When it comes to police brutality happening in neighbouring countries, latest Corruption and Crime Commission figures in Australia show that police brutality is increasing, up from 175 complaints in 2007 to of 201 complaints in 2012.

Police brutality in Australia is often directed at indigenous communities. Recently brutality at Sydney Mardi Gras drew parallel community protests in Sydney and Wellington (Aotearoa/NZ).

Amnesty International has noted another area where abuses in Australia are covertly tolerated by the government of Aotearoa/NZ, specifically the deal struck on asylum seekers;

“Amnesty International thinks that this move shows that another country is down the wrong path of refugee policy, and is taking these steps to deter refugees from seeking protection, rather than living up to its obligations under the Refugee Convention.” Amnesty International spokesperson Alex Paliaro told media.

Parliamentary censure of abuses is applied selectively, and has more to do with New Zealand’s imperialist interests – be it trade or military alliances – than it does with “human rights.”

Filed Under: Pacific

National punishes the victims of the jobs crisis: Socialist solutions desperately needed

March 16, 2013 by

lazy bludgers meme

This article by Jared Phillips, Fightback member, was originally published by the Socialist Party of Australia.

Workers in Aotearoa/NZ are applying in large numbers for scarce jobs, large-scale redundancies are becoming more frequent, record numbers of people are leaving the country, and the government is putting tougher tests on welfare recipients.

In a nutshell there are not enough jobs to go around and the National Party led government is placing the burden on ordinary people who were in no way responsible for this crisis.

At the end of the third quarter of 2012 the rate of unemployment was at 7.3% which is the highest rate recorded in Aotearoa/NZ since 1991. The number of officially unemployed had risen by 13,000 on the previous quarter. Youth unemployment was disproportionately high at 17.1%.

Last month 1600 people applied for 80 positions at a new supermarket in Blenheim, a town in the South Island. This is not uncommon. In Christchurch 1000 people applied for 170 new supermarket jobs last September. Also last year, a supermarket was still under construction in the city of Palmerston North when 600 people gave in applications at other locations of the supermarket chain. A manager reported that job applications were going in “before we even turned the dirt at the new store”. This illustrates that workers in Aotearoa/NZ are job-starved and desperate for work. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Unemployment

Socialists and sexual violence claims: An evidence-based approach

March 14, 2013 by

SWP

by Ian Anderson

On March 12th 2013, the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) in the UK split, over a crisis triggered when the Central Committee defended a member accused of rape. The Disputes Committee, comprised of colleagues and friends of the accused, had found the case “not proven.” While leading members of the SWP challenged this decision, a Special Conference in March reaffirmed it, leading to around 100 members leaving and forming a new International Socialist Network (http://tinyurl.com/bafj5ya).

This is not an isolated case. In recent years, rape allegations against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange have divided progressives. Whenever nominally progressive men are accused of sexual violence, it reveals divisions in the groups and communities they’re a part of.

When men are accused of rape, “where’s the evidence?” is a common refrain – as seen in the SWP Disputes Committee verdict of “not proven.” But what evidence or proof should we look for? Forensic, psychological, case-by-case? What is an evidence-based approach to rape and sexual violence?

Our method: From general to particular
In terms of evidence (as a philosophical or epistemological category rather than a judicial term) Marxists proceed from the general to the particular; from knowledge of how society as a whole operates, to a particular problem. We do not ask each worker to prove they are being exploited, because we know how work is organised under capitalism, how profit is taken from the mass of workers. While we seek information on the specifics of a workplace situation, we do that on the basis of a broader analysis. Similarly, our analysis must proceed from knowledge about how gender oppression works.

In order to approach accusations of sexual violence, we must start from the general. We start from analysis of society, how it produces sexual violence, and crucially where we are located in this process. Rather than starting with each case, we should proceed from a general understanding of sexual violence, to particular cases.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Women

Meme: Lazy bludgers?

March 12, 2013 by

lazy bludgers meme

Filed Under: Unemployment

First issue of ‘Fightback’

March 9, 2013 by

Welcome to the first issue of Fightback, newspaper of Fightback (Aotearoa/NZ). Fightback is a nationwide socialist organisation with branches in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch. With this paper we plan to continue and develop our agitation for struggle, solidarity and socialism.

The fight against asset sales is a key struggle in Aotearoa/NZ. In this issue we lead with two articles on this struggle. Firstly, we report on the mass protest against asset sales, and argue for the need to fight at the point of production. Secondly, we interview Annette Sykes, a lawyer in the Maori Council claim against Crown commercialisation of water.

Last month, we reported on a strike planned by Christchurch teachers, which would have challenged both charter schools plans and laws against political strikes. This was called off and replaced with a march, which we cover. We also report on a successful mass teachers’ strike in the Solomon Islands, where teachers are fighting for unpaid wages.

Internationalism is a key to workers’ liberation, overcoming the imposed national divisions which drive down conditions overall. In an article on rising health insurance costs under the Regional Seasonal Employer scheme, we argue the need to show solidarity with migrant workers.

During the global financial crisis, debt has received a lot of attention. We explain the Marxist theory of debt, which is necessary to the capitalist system. A second article debunks the myth of Iceland’s “peaceful revolution” against debt and finance capital.

Fightback is affiliated to Mana, an organisation in which tino rangitaratanga activists and revolutionary socialists work together. We review Red October: Left-Indigenous Struggles in Modern Bolivia, a book by Jeffrey Webber, which has lessons relevant to the Mana movement.

Like all fights against oppression, queer liberation must be integral to socialist politics. We provide a snapshot of the Gay Liberation movement, 1969-1979; and finally conclude with a review of Black Faggot, a play about the “gay Samoan male experience.”

2013 March Fightback

Filed Under: Uncategorized
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