================================================
01 Übergriff auf Asylwerberinnenlager in Traiskirchen
von: Schachinger, Langthaler <die.familie@t0.or.at>
================================================
Die gestrige Kundgebung vor dem Parlament gegen die unter der Bezeichnung
"Integrationsvertrag" geplante Zwangsassimilierung, war nicht gerade
aufbauend. Es konnten leider viel zu wenige MigrantInnen und Eingeborene
mobilisiert werden. Woran das lag, und was das für die Zukunft bedeutet,
muss wohl noch eingehend analysiert werden.
Wie dreist die Rassisten inzwischen agieren, zeigt sich bei den jüngsten
Übergriffen auf das Flüchtlingslager Traiskirchen. (Die übrigens unter
Unüberhörbarem medialen Widerspruch der örtlichen Gendarmerieleitung
stattfanden). Es handelt sich dabei anscheinend um die Auswirkungen eine
Kampagne, die Anfang November vom Traiskirchner Bürgermeister und der
Kronenzeitung losgetreten wurde. Obwohl die Gendarmerie bestritt, dass es zu
erhöhter Kriminalität gekommen sei und Ende Oktober (dem Start der Kampagne)
ganze 11 Flüchtlinge mehr als zum gleichen Zeitraum des Vorjahres im
Traiskirchner Lager untergebracht waren, wurden am 5. November in einem
Artikel der "Kronen Zeitung" durch keinerlei konkrete Fakten untermauerte
Behauptungen über "Drogenkriminalität" im überfüllten Lager in den Raum
gestellt. Der Artikel ist ein Paradebeispiel rassistischer Desinformation.
Ungenannte Quellen werden zitiert: "da geht's ärger zu wie am Karlsplatz"
(sinngemäß - ich hab den Artikel im Büro) und es wird behauptet, dass im
Lager gedealt werde (eine absurde Behauptung - weil niemand so leicht ins
Lager hineinkommt). Am Tag danach legte die FÖP mit einer Presseaussendung
ein Schäuferl nach. Die restlichen Medien sprangen (wenn auch z. T.
kritisch) auf die "Geschichte" - die keine ist - auf.
Eine andere "Geschichte" die aber durchaus mit dieser in Verbindung stehen
könnte, ist die bevorstehende Privatisierung der Bundesbetreuung. Jetzt, da
die bevorstehende Einführung europäischer Standards in der
Flüchtlingsbetreuung dem Skandal, dass nur ein Drittel der AsylwerberInnen
in Bundesbetreuung aufgenommen wird, ein Ende berieten könnte, will das
Innenministerium die Verantwortung, die schon bisher zum Großteil auf
karitative Organisationen und die Länder abgewälzt wurde, ganz loswerden.
Nicht, dass es das Modell in anderen europäischen Ländern nicht auch geben
würde, aber die miserablen bisherigen Zustände in Österreich lassen
schlimmes befürchten. Eine Initiative der NGOs (mit Unterstützung des UNHCR)
mit dem Innenministerien Standards für die Budesbetreuung auszuverhandeln,
wurde bei dem jährlichen gesamtösterreichischen Forum der NGOs und des UNHCR
von der Caritas abgewürgt. Die Caritas als Platzhirsch im
Flüchtlingsbereich, rechnet sich, dank ihrer Kontakte zum Minister, gute
Chancen aus, einen der geplanten Verträge zur Betreuung von AsylwerberInnen
zu bekommen. Die Caritas verweigerte die Unterzeichnung eines
Forderungspapiers der NGOs, das unter Mitwirkung von Caritas
MitarbeiterInnen entstanden ist. Eine bereits vollzogene Unterschrift, der
wiener Caritas mußte zurückgenommen werden. Hintergrund dürfte sein, dass
die Caritas nicht Standards, die sie später vielleicht selbst nicht
einhalten kann, unterschreiben will.
Zurück nach Traiskirchen: Bürgermeister Knotzer noch nie ein Freund des
Lagers, dürfte darauf hoffen mit der Privatisierung die ungeliebten
AsylwerberInnen endlich loszuwerden.
Über die Begleitumstände der Razzia in Traiskirchen sind mir zur Zeit noch
keine Berichte zugekommen. Im Nachtjournal auf Ö1 erklärte der Einsatzleiter
der Gendarmerie, dass überhaupt keine Drogen gefunden worden seien. Außerdem
wären die Vorwürfe gegen die Asylwerber ohne reale Grundlage. Lediglich bei
einem Flüchtling seien Waren, die laut Gendarmerie aus Ladendiebstählen
stammen, gefunden worden.

Herbert Langthaler Landstrasser Hauptstrasse 125/10 T. 0043/1/714 54 49

================================================

><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><
AKTIONEN UND ANKÜNDIGUNGEN
><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><

================================================
02 Nestroys Baldachin
von: <a9503809@unet.univie.ac.at >
================================================
Das ktw theater.wozek präsentiert:

Nestroys Baldachin
Eine Umerziehung

Dienstag, 11.12.01
Mittwoch, 12.12.01
Donnerstag, 13.12.01
20 Uhr

ARENA, Wien 3., Baumgasse 80

"Ich sag's, 's kann nix
G'spaßigers geb'n,
Als wenn d'Leut
in der Einbildung leb'n."

NESTROYS BALDACHIN - eine Umerziehung
Mittäterschaft: Handke, Goethe, Kafka, ktw, ...

Johann Nepomuk Eduard Ambrosius Nestroy
tritt in das frische Jahrtausend.

Erste Hürde / Introinvasion
Zweite Hürde / Umerziehungsanstalt
Dritte Hürde / Lumpazi stockt
Vierte Hürde / die Frau
Fünfte Hürde / Opferstockrührei/Inquisition
Sechste Hürde / contra Carl Carl
Siebente Hürde / zeitgeistiges Casting
Achte Hürde / Pornoplay
Neunte Hürde / Entthronung (aus dem Hinterhalt)
Zehnte Hürde / Premierenkollaps/geschafft!
Elfte Hürde / Totschlag o süß
Zwölfte Hürde / Betroffenheitskantate
Dreizehnte Hürde / ICH, na und
Vierzehnte Hürde / Johann flüchtet ins Off
Fünfzehnte Hürde / Reliquienfischen
Sechszehnte Hürde / lacht noch
Vorletzte Hürde / finales Nachschweigen

Heißt (simpl zusammengedichtet): Ein famoses Hinterhofhürdenspiel, das seine
Wassergräben schaufeln läßt von denen, die sie brauchen ...

Inszenierung: Karl Wozek

Kartenreservierung 02212/43 673 oder 0664/761 80 86

http://go.to/theater.wozek

================================================

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MELDUNGEN UND KOMMENTARE
><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><

================================================
03 Monat-Umfrage gibt Grünen 16 Prozenz in Klagenfurt
von: <klagenfurt@diegruenen.carinthia.at >
================================================
Presseinformation der
KLAGENFURTER GRÜNEN
Samstag 1.12.2001

Umfrage gibt Grünen 16 Prozenz in Klagenfurt
Grünen-Sprecher Köchl: "Grüne fühlen sich als Kraft der Erneuerung
bestätigt".

Klagenfurt - Eine aktuelle Umfrage des Klagenfurter "Humaninstitut", die im
Auftrag der Zeitschrift Kärntner Monat erstellt wurde (Dezemberausgabe),
kündigt einen politischen Erdrutsch in der Kärntner Landeshauptstadt an:
Wären jetzt Gemeinderatswahlen, so könnten die Grünen in Klagenfurt auf 16%
Stimmenanteil zulegen und wären die grossen Gewinner. Damit wäre auch ein
Grüner Sitz im Stadtsenat möglich, 1997 wurde nur ein Gemeinderatsmandat
erreicht. Die FPÖ würde leicht verlieren und 28 Prozent erzielen, die ÖVP
bei leichten Gewinnen 31 Prozent erhalten. Hauptverlierer wäre die SPÖ: Sie
würde auf 25 Prozent und damit den dritten Platz absacken.

Grünen-Bezirkssprecher Matthias Köchl sieht die guten Umfragewerte als
klaren Arbeitsauftrag und als Bestätigung Grüner Anliegen. "Die Grünen sind
für sozial denkende, umweltbewusste, kulturinteressierte und weltoffene
Menschen da und üben eine wichtige Kontrollfunktion aus." "Erfreulicherweise
trauen uns die Klagenfurterinnen und Klagenfurter mittlerweile aber auch
Gestaltungskompetenz zu", so Köchl. Der Unprofessionalität der drei alten
Stadtsenatsparteien wollen die Grünen einen Riegel vorschieben. "Sachpolitik
statt Hickhack ist angesagt", so der Grünen-Sprecher. Angestrebt wird bei
der Gemeinderatswahl im Frühjahr 2003 auch eine gemeinsame Kandidatur mit
der VGÖ.

Rückfragehinweis: Tel. 0664-2668549 (Hr. Köchl)
===========================================================
DIE GRÜNEN KLAGENFURT | neues Büro: Viktringer Strasse 5, 9020 Klagenfurt
Homepage: www.klagenfurt.gruene.at

================================================
04 Aids - Sida
von: <welle@netway.at >
================================================
ad - MUND Sa.1.12.01 - 13 HIV-Virus nicht nachgewiesen
von: <B.Paul@gmx.de>

die veröffentlichung kann nicht unwiedersprochen bleiben deshalb meine bitte
dies in den MUND zu stellen. danke.

jene die solchen unsinn verzapfen, kann ich nur ganz dringend einen
therapeutischen aufenthalt in besonders betroffenen gebieten afrikas
anraten, um mal mit der realität in kontakt zu treten.

lg
thomas stuck

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SOLIDARITÄT WELTWEIT
><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><

================================================
05 WORKERS POWER GLOBAL WEEK
E-newswire of the LRCI, 1 December 2001
von: <harvey@lrci.fsnet.co.uk>
================================================

WORKERS POWER GLOBAL WEEK
E-newswire of the LRCI
1 December 2001
Subscribe to: newswire@workerspower.com
http://www.workerspower.com

============================================================

>> WELCOME TO ISSUE #72
Workers Power Global Week is the English language e-newsletter of the LRCI.
To unsubscribe mail to: unsubscribe@workerspower.com. Please forward this to
a comrade.

============================================================

>>AFGHANISTAN: BONN TALKS PICK OVER THE RUINS
>>AFGHANISTAN: US AND BRITISH SOLDIERS OVERSEE MASSACRE OF PRISONERS
>>ZIMBABWE: MUGABWE PLAYS POPULIST CARD
>>CHINA: CHINA JOINS THE WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION

============================================================

>>AFGHANISTAN: BONN TALKS PICK OVER THE RUINS
Workers Power Global, Berlin

The Bonn Talks, presided over by UN spokesman, Ahmad Fawzi, struggled for
five days to reconcile the competing claims of the various Afghan factions
and the designs of imperialism for the country after the defeat of the
Taliban.

The US administration lacks any clear vision for the future of Afghanistan,
apart from the need uproot Al Qa'ida and plunder the oil and mineral
reserves of the region. Bush has made clear his disdain for
"nation-building" in Afghanistan.

Russia is a heavy backer of the Northern Alliance and supports the latter
getting as much power as possible, while Pakistan want to minimise it.
Britain and the continental Europeans - particularly Germany and France -
emphasise the need to construct a longer-term imperialist order, to
"stabilise" the country or "nation build" and they want Iran in particular
to play a key role in this.

One thing is for certain. Unless a stable regime is put together on the
ruins of the defeated Taliban then Afghanistan will soon revert to little
more than a patchwork of ethnic fiefdoms at war with each other and
routinely oppressive to the population they rule over.

The big problem is that the US bombing has handed power to the Northern
Alliance. Before September 11 they controlled only 10% of Afghanistan. Now
they control 80%. This means that the Pashtun's - over 40% of the population
are now grossly underrepresented.

Led by its "foreign minister" Abdullah Abdullah, the Alliance itself is a
highly unstable coalition between Tajik Islamists (backed by Russia), the
Uzbek "general" Dostam - whose brutality is matched only by his treachery
and side-swapping, and various Hazara groupings backed by Iran.

Everyone knows that these groupings are likely to come to blows as each
tries to grab as big a share of the central power as possible. Hence the
"nation-building" imperialists, (the former colonialists Britain and France,
know that without hoops of steel (the French Foreign Legion and the British
Paras) the staves of this barrel will rapidly fall or be blown apart.

But the Alliance does not represent the main ethnic group in Afghanistan,
the Pashtuns - or more precisely, the Pashtun leaders. Therefore, two
Pashtun groupings have also been invited. One brings together the
representatives of the Pashtun ruling classes, various warlords and
religious leaders. Some of them are held together in loose alliances - like
the Peshawar group around Pir Sayed Gailani.

Others represent the control of different regions or towns in Afghanistan--
like Adbul Kahir, a Pashtun Mujahidin leader who governed Jalalabad from
1992 to 1996 and controls this city again now. In the mid-1990s he was a
friend of Osama bin Laden and offered him a house in "his" city.

Finally, the former monarch, Zahir Shah, is the main champion of the idea of
a "broad interim government", since only this would allow him a political
future as head of state. Being a king without a state or troops, he eagerly
demands that UN troops being stationed in the country - permanently.

The Northern Alliance, whose forces now occupy Kabul, have resisted the need
for such a UN force at all: Burhanuddin Rabbani, the president before the
Taliban seized power and Northern Alliance leader, ruled out the deployment
of more than 200 United Nations peace-keepers.

But the exile delegations in Bonn, including the southern Pashtun factions,
insist on such a force, and even the demilitarisation of Kabul, before they
will agree to take part in any Kabul-based interim administration. Clearly
they are unwilling to entrust their security or freedom of action to the
tender mercies of the Northern Alliance.

Without agreement on who holds state (military) power on the ground, in the
cities and towns of Afghanistan, all talk an interim administration which is
in any sense a government, is pure fiction or fantasy.

Its representatives were curtly informed that there would be no large-scale
funding for reconstruction unless they agreed to the presence of an
international force.

This in all probability means the deployment of British and French forces in
Afghanistan. Their aim is to reassure the enemies of the Northern Alliance,
especially the Peshawar forces keen on a return of the former King, Zahir
Shah. Perhaps, the Northern Alliance may put in a bid for Russian troops.

The original plan to deploy a force from Muslim countries, led by Turkey and
Jordan, in Kabul, has been put on hold because they are not in a position to
supply large numbers of troops.

Whether all these plan will be agreed or adhered to it one thing is crystal
clear - the Afghan delegates in Bonn, the UN and the imperialist powers are
all agreed on one thing. They do not want: democracy for the men and women
of Afghanistan.

The former pro-Stalinist PDPA, now renamed as the PVAP, was excluded from
the talks from the outset. The "Alliance for democracy in Afghanistan"
around the Social Democratic Party of Afghanistan- which played a
significant role in the uprising in Heart - was not invited either.

And the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), a
democratic women's organisation, has no role to play either.
It is a duty of the anti-war movement to expose the imperialist "peace" for
what it is, mere pacification in the interests of the oil companies. We must
continue to fight to get or keep the imperialist troops out.
We must fight for as many billions in reparations for the people of
Afghanistan as the rulers of the USA, Britain, Russia, Saudi Arabia spent
over the last twenty two years in destroying it.

Not the foreign war criminals - not the USA, the EU, the IMF or the World
Bank must control this but the Afghans themselves.
It is the task of the Afghan people - the workers' movement, the urban poor
and the women in particular - to fight the imposition of any UN or other
imperialist order on their country.

Only a sovereign constituent assembly which takes the arms away from all the
warlords and creates popular militias, multi-ethnic ones in the cities and
mixed areas will be able to tackle the enormous problems facing the country.
Everybody over sixteen - including women who have suffered so much - must
have the right to vote, to a secret ballot. The representatives must be
recallable and replaceable by their electors.

Such an assembly - if Afghanistan's workers, rural and urban poor, women,
youth, intelligentsia were fully represented - could start tackling the
great issues.
What are they?

o Get all imperialist troops out of the country
o Plan and implement the reconstruction of the country in the interest of
the many not for the profit of a few.
o Give the land to those who work on it, free of debts, helping them to work
it co-operatively, with modern equipment.
o Rebuild the factories, bridges roads, schools and hospitals under workers
control.
o Liberate women from all enforced dress codes, grant full and equal civic
rights, the right education, the right to work.
o Build up the permanent power of the workers and popular masses via a
system of workers' and popular (council) shuras

MORE ON THE WAR AGAINST AFGHANISTAN SEE:
http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/afghanwar7oct.html
http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/lrcionwtc.html
http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/afghanoil.html
http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/Talibanandwest.html

============================================================

>>AFGHANISTAN: US AND BRITISH SOLDIERS OVERSEE MASSACRE OF PRISONERS
Workers Power Global, Vienna

It used to be "shot while trying to escape". But that excuse used by
captors to explain the killing of their prisoners is only of any use when
killing the odd one or two.

When you want to massacre a few hundred prisoners, as the Northern Alliance
and US planes did at Qala-i-Jhangi during 25/26 November, then you need
another excuse. So the 300-400 foreign Taliban fighters (mainly from
Pakistan and Chechnya) who surrendered at Mazar-i-Sharif before being taken
to the 19th century fort where they died, were said to have "started an
uprising" which had to be put down.

Not surprisingly Northern Alliance General Dostum representatives whose
soldiers carried out the mass execution and Pentagon spokesman, Army Lt.
Col. Dan Stoneking deny any wrongdoing.

But after their capture the Los Angeles Times reported:

"Some observers fear hatred of the foreign Taliban runs so high among the
Northern Alliance that Taliban prisoners may face mistreatment or even
summary execution, both of which are prohibited under the Geneva
Conventions."

The Northern Alliance and Pentagon spokesman claim that the prisoners took
weapons from guards. This is possible but only in very small numbers. Can
anyone imagine that let us say 100 soldiers guarding prisoners can be
overwhelmed at once?! If the first few guards have been token by surprise
the rest of them would have been alerted.

It is clear from reports that many of the Taliban dead had their hands tied
behind their back when they were killed. It is also reported that it was the
tying up of the prisoners that led to the revolt since they assumed that
this was a prelude to their execution.

Defence Secretary Donald Runsfeld stated more than a week before the fall of
Mazar-i-Sharif that he did not see the value in taking prisoners and wanted
the foreign Taliban dead, as they would otherwise only leave to set up
al-Qaida units in another country. This is the real reason for the
provocations that led to the "uprising" and subsequent massacre.

And the US forces were on hand to co-ordinate the massacre. Time Magazine
correspondent Alex Perry was present at the time and reported that "American
and British forces have now joined in trying to quell the attack . . . the
Americans are running the show. . . the Americans and the British are
coordinating airstrikes from their positions inside the fort on another part
of the fort. And they're also directing the commanders inside when to tell
their men to attack."
Perry had no illusions about the task of the Western and Afghan forces: "The
mission by the Americans and Northern alliance is to kill every single one
of them now"

The UN Commissioner for Human Rights and Amnesty International have called
for an investigation into the massacre, a request that has been rejected out
of hand by the US and British governments. Even supporters of the war such
as the Economist have cautioned against unbridled summary executions against
prisoners.

MORE ON THE WAR AGAINST AFGHANISTAN SEE:
http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/afghanwar7oct.html
http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/lrcionwtc.html
http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/afghanoil.html
http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/Talibanandwest.html

============================================================

>>ZIMBABWE: MUGABWE PLAYS POPULIST CARD
Workers Power Global, London

Cain Nkala's body was found in a shallow grave outside Bulawayo on 13
November. He had been abducted a week earlier by men armed with
Kalashnikovs.

Nkala had been the chair of the local war veterans' association. At his
funeral, President Robert Mugabe railed against foreign terrorists
masquerading as journalists, and the violence of the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC).

Afterwards, several hundred supporters of the government party Zanu-PF burnt
down the local MDC offices and attacked several of its activists. The
security forces arrested six young MDC supporters who supposedly admitted to
killing Nkala.

But Nkala's family have a different interpretation from the government. They
believe he was killed by Zanu members because of what he knew about the
terror campaign unleashed in his home area of Matabeleland. They say he was
preparing to leave the country when he was abducted and killed. Behind this
terror lies the simple fact that Nkala and the rest of his fellow war
veterans had been unable to prevent Matabeleland from going over to the MDC
during recent elections.

The sufferings of Matabeleland are only one part of the sufferings of
Zimbabwe. State sponsored violence has reached endemic proportions as Mugabe
and Zanu try to hold onto power in the run up to Presidential elections in
April.

Opposition forces claim that they can now only operate in the cities of
Bulawayo and Harare because of the level of terror elsewhere. Foreign
journalists are banned and the Zimbabwean free press had its offices burnt
down and its staff threatened.

The new Public Order and Security Bill introduced a series of strict
measures, including the death penalty, for what the government calls
terrorism and subversion.

It was brought in after the courts threw out terrorism charges against the
leader of the MDC Morgan Tsvangiri in November. When he was speaking in
support of the act in parliament, Mugabe claimed it was in support of
President Bush's war on terrorism!

Mugabe knows his strongest card in these elections is to mobilise continued
land occupations led by the war veterans. The commercial farmers,
overwhelmingly white, still have a stranglehold on the land and the economy.

While some 4,500 white farmers still own 70 per cent of the best
agricultural land the UN Development Programme estimates that 75 per cent of
the population lives in poverty. Zimbabwe's government says that 45 per cent
of the population cannot even meet "basic nutritional needs".

Mugabe himself, having been in power for over two decades, is mainly
responsible for the continued land hunger and glaring inequalities in wealth
in his country. His puny attempts at land reform over the years merely lined
the pockets of fellow cronies from the ruling Zanu-PF party.

A growing economic crisis and his government's attacks on workers and
peasants at the behest of the IMF has resulted in mass disillusion with his
government - disillusion he wants to head off by launching a campaign
against "white farmers and their foreign backers".

Foreign backers aplenty there certainly are. The British Foreign Office only
noticed "human rights abuses" in Zimbabwe when white farmers started being
expropriated. Peter Hain rushed to their defence declaring Zimbabwe "a rogue
state". A recent deal agreed by Commonwealth foreign ministers in Abuja, the
capital of Nigeria, whereby Mugabe was to call off the war veterans in
exchange for financial help buying white land has fallen apart.

Mugabe announced a Presidential edict that seized the land of 1,000 white
farmers with immediate effect. The transfers are to take place within three
months - just before the Presidential elections. Already Jack Straw has
threatened sanctions and black African leaders like South Africa's Thabo
Mbeki, worried about land occupations spreading, warn of the dire economic
consequences. Agricultural disruption and a white farmer crop "strike"
threatens a 40 per cent commercial crop reduction this year. This in an
economy that has already shrunk by 8 per cent in 2001.

Meanwhile, the opposition is attempting to organise a Presidential election
campaign against Mugabe's rule under conditions of growing intimidation and
poll fixing. In doing so they have become the hope for many people in
Zimbabwe but also for western powers outside.

The MDC which was originally initiated by the trade unions has rapidly
become the vehicle for the opposition bourgeoisie and white farmers. As the
Zimbabwean International Socialist Organisation (ISO -sister organisation of
the SWP in Britain) put it in a recent interview (available on the IST's
website) "After the referendum ... we saw the bosses and the commercial
farmers also get into top MDC positions. That is when the party adopted
right wing politics, supporting neo-liberal policies and the free market.
That is the situation we see today."

Unfortunately this does not stop the ISO continuing to advocate a vote for
this bourgeois dominated popular front party and being part of it. Instead
of publicly breaking from this party as it adopts ever more rightist
positions, thus alerting the workers to the betrayal about to be carried out
by the TU leaders and the MDC, the ISO sees its election as a necessary
"stage" the workers have to go through.

A united front with all forces fighting the growing attacks on democratic
rights is one thing, supporting and participating in a party advocating a
neo-liberal solution to the crisis is quite another.

The workers and peasants of Zimbabwe must certainly overthrow Mugabe if they
are to bring a stop to this violence and misery. But to do this they must
break from the MDC and its western backers. The imperialist bankers and
politicians who support them now will in the future exact their price in
debts, interest rates, free market reforms and the whole paraphernalia of
structural adjustment programmes.

The workers and peasants of Zimbabwe need a real revolutionary workers'
party that can win over the land hungry militants and solve the land
question by giving it to the people who really farm. They need a new
revolution that can break the cycle of misery and despair by overthrowing
the capitalist system that perpetuates it.

FOR MORE ON ZIMBABWE SEE:
http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/zim244.html

============================================================

>>CHINA: CHINA JOINS THE WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION
Workers Power Global, London

China¹s accession to WTO on November 11 is a symbolic recognition that
capitalism holds sway in the country and the beginning of a new stage in the
consolidation of business power.

Beijing no doubt sees membership of WTO as a step towards becoming not only
the principal power in the Asian region but also a fully fledged global
imperialist state.

Certainly, accession will stimulate the concentration and centralisation of
capital within China, creating the economic base for a powerful capitalist
class which mainland China still lacks.

Within days of the Dohar agreement, the Beijing-based Datang Power
Generation company, one of the first state corporations to be fully
privatised, announced an alliance with the Aluminium Corporation of China to
develop a new power plant in Shanxi province.

The next day China¹s biggest privately owned glass maker, Zhejiang Glass,
declared that it planned to expand production on the basis of an Initial
Public Offering on the global market, expected to raise up to £40 million.

However, the reality of China¹s status today, despite the feverish growth in
some sectors and regions over the last twenty years, is that of a
semi-colony and this will be reinforced by the WTO¹s inbuilt bias towards
the imperialist powers.

Even before WTO membership has been formally confirmed by China¹s rubber
stamp parliament (the National People¹s Congress) the immediate trends are
becoming clear.

China Merchant Holdings (International) became the first foreign owned
company to gain ownership of a mainland port and immediately announced plans
to invest some £30 million to make Shekou, on the Pearl River the main
logistics hub for south eastern China.

In the same week, a key Chinese asset management company, Huarong, set up by
Beijing to liquidate bankrupt state enterprises, began offering a range of
industrial sites, fixed assets and non-performing loans for auction on the
world market.

Insiders reported to the Financial Times on November 20 that firms like
Goldman Sachs were expected to pick up the assets for no more than 30% of
their face value.

Multinational corporations are also lining up for a new round of investment
in production in China. Ericsson has announced plans to invest US$5 billion.
Nor is production the only sector to see increased foreign interest.
Wal-Mart, the giant US distribution firm announced plans for five new stores
in the Greater Beijing region.

A less visible but, in the long term, at least as important development was
signalled by a Beijing court which on November 14 ruled against two mainland
firms who had been sued by 11 international corporations for infringement of
internet domain name regulations.

On the same day, government regulators announced that they would revoke the
licences of accountants who failed to meet standards ultimately laid down by
the WTO.

The multinationals are also moving fast into the still undeveloped insurance
and banking sectors in China. The Coface Group, one of the world¹s largest
export credit insurance companies, has announced plans for a Shanghai office
and the Hong Kong Shanghai and Standard Chartered banks both announced their
intentions to buy into mainland banks.

In banking, however, the first actual move has been made by the
International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank,
which has taken a 15% stake in China¹s most successful city commercial bank,
Nanjing City Commercial which specialises in financing new industry start
ups.

All of these moves point not only to a future draining of profits out of
China but also to the creation of a significant layer of Chinese capitalists
tied to their imperialist paymasters ­ a key social force for exercising
imperialist leverage within the country.

China¹s entry into the WTO will also encourage steps towards integrating
Taiwan into the mainland economically and, eventually, politically ­ if
necessary against the wishes of the Taiwanese people themselves.

Taiwan¹s own accession to the WTO was carefully choreographed, approval in
principle was given one hour before China¹s application was finally agreed
and then formal agreement to Taiwan¹s application was given one hour later.

As part of the WTO accession agreement, the island state has to dismantle
barriers to investment in the mainland and analysts are already predicting a
significant impact on jobs and wages as investment is redirected.

On the mainland, too, this is the other side of the coin. Consolidation and
centralisation mean closures, redundancies and continual pressure to lower
wages and shift production to even cheaper parts of the country.

But this is not taking place without opposition and resistance as the
Chinese working class itself enters a new period in which it will
consolidate its enormous numerical growth in the last two decades.

The scale of working class resistance to the closures of heavy industry in
the north-east in particular is now well known. Literally millions have
taken part in strikes, demonstrations, occupations and even armed
confrontations with state forces.

China is joining the WTO at a time of downturn in world trade, her export
growth this year alone has fallen from 30% to nearly zero and the economy as
a whole is now expected to grow by only 7% this year. Historically, a growth
rate of less than 8% has been seen as a danger signal because of the high
rate of population growth.

These figures are sure to lead to attempts to increase exploitation in the
new industries as China¹s bosses strive to make their profits in the markets
of the imperialist powers. At the same time, the imperialist backed
corporations will accelerate their attempts to shift production into China
and to grab an ever bigger slice of the mainland¹s economy.

The enforcement of the WTO¹s rules within China and the greater integration
of the mainland economy into the global economy will undoubtedly stimulate
political and economic conflict.

This must be taken as an opportunity for the development of a politically
independent working class movement in China and its integration into a new
International of working class and anti-capitalist organisations.

FOR MORE ON CHINA SEE:
http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/chinawto.html

============================================================

>> BECOME A CORRESPONDENT FOR WPG
The LRCI has members across the globe - but there are many countries where
we have no correspondents. Send us your news and views:
newswire@workerspower.com

============================================================
>> NOW FORWARD THIS TO A COMRADE >> NOW FORWARD THIS TO A COMRADE

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LINKS / VERWEISE / HINWEISE
><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><

================================================
06 Frauenspuren
von: < Johannschoen@chello.at >
================================================
Liebe Mitmenschen!

Am 25.11. fand die Auftaktmatinee zu "16 Tage Nein gegen Gewalt an Frauen"
statt.
Daran nahm auch unsere Gruppe teil und sammelte Unterschriften für Radhia
Nasraoui und ihre Familie.

Seht selbst unter
http://www.amnesty.at/gruppe/gew/
unter NOTICE

Dank an http://dieStandard.at
Dort gibt es nämlich eine Bilderserie von der Auftaktmatinee.

VLG
Clemens
============================================================================
=
Dies ist der Verteiler der ai-Arbeitsgruppe für verfolgte
GewerkschafterInnen
Helfen Sie bitte mit.
Nähere Informationen unter: http://www.amnesty.at/gruppe/gew/
Zum Abmelden mailen Sie bitte an: hml121@blackbox.net
============================================================================
=

Frauen in der Arbeitswelt
9. Tag

Montag - 3.12.2001 - 19 Uhr Amerlinghaus

Eine Veranstaltung der ai-Gewerkschaftsgruppe

Vorträge und Diskussion
Sabine Vogler (ai): "Verfolgte Gewerkschafterinnen"
Lis Mandl (Zeitschrift "Der Funke"):
"Internationale Frauenpolitik und Arbeitswelt"
"Gehörlose in der Arbeitswelt" mit Übersetzung in Gebärdensprache

Die Veranstaltung "Frauen in der Arbeitswelt" im Amerlinghaus am
3.12.2001 ist der tunesischen Anwältin Radhia Nasraoui gewidmet, die wegen
ihrer Arbeit als Rechtsanwältin und Menschenrechtsverteidigerin seit Jahren
von den Behörden unter Druck gesetzt wird.
Stiftgasse 8
1070 Wien
Info: ai-Gewerkschaftsgruppe
T: 01/667-40-86
sabine.vogler@blackbox.net
www.amnesty.at/gruppe/gew

Für Frauen + Männer
Eintritt gratis
================================================

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Redaktionsschluss: 1. Dezember 2001, 22:00 Uhr
Diese Ausgabe hat Vlatka Frketic
zusammengestellt


Fehler moege frau/man mir nachsehen!