December 2013 – DISACCORDS

Philippines: continuing autonomous disaster relief

Onsite Infoshop: Mobile Anarchist School volunteers and its immediate network have no time to rest; right after our first mission, we came back to Manila just to complete the requirements for “Climate Crises and Direct Action Forum” where we shared the details of our initiative in Leyte.

We able to gather resources enough to support six volunteers for 15 days action. We discussed the details of our second mission and carefully outlined our plan based on our experience. Continue reading “Philippines: continuing autonomous disaster relief”

Brisbane: G20 anarchists vow chaos and mayhem for Brisbane’s streets

9 December: An anarchist group labelled as violent has vowed to cause “chaos and mayhem” at Brisbane’s G20 Summit – prompting other protest groups to warn against getting involved with them. [Unfortunately, all that really happened is that the Courier Mail found a six month old pisstake post on Indymedia – disaccords]

Police are keeping close tabs of protest groups which have embarked on online recruitment drives a year out from the event to ensure a strong presence in Brisbane.

The Sydney-based Black Rose Syndicat has taken the most hostile approach issuing a virtual”call to arms” on websites, vowing to cause “chaos and mayhem” at next year’s event. Police sources have told The Courier-Mail officers are also preparing for protesters to use “Black Bloc” tactics, an identity-concealing strategy commonly linked to anarchists. Continue reading “Brisbane: G20 anarchists vow chaos and mayhem for Brisbane’s streets”

Philippines: Yolanda’s aftermath and Autonomous Initiative

Anarchist News, 4 December: Yolanda is one of the most destructive typhoons to have visited the Philippine archipelago. It pummeled the Visayas region, particularly Leyte and some parts of Cebu and Panay areas. Super typhoon Yolanda left the archipelago with thousands of dead people, commercial and residential structures destroyed, power knocked-out; agriculture and livelihoods are washed-out that caused billions of losses. Destruction is so extensive that it caused unimaginable effect to the survivors.

Government’s Response caused more devastation to the people

The Philippine archipelago is in the frontline of calamity brought by storms. It is a common knowledge impossible to miss especially by the government which is supposed to be the authority in terms of preparation and rehabilitation. The huge number of dead people scattered in Leyte is attributable to the incapacity of the government to install preparatory mechanism to lessen casualties, the Philippine government did not learn from our past experience of havoc due to storm surges.

Reports in relation to looting and violence in Tacloban city and other municipalities are effects of dirty politics, neglect and corruption. The inability of the government to provide systematic and effective respones made people behave violently; shortage of food is not an issue. The global attention is on the Philippines for the past few weeks; donations and support in terms of cash, in kinds and in services are overwhelming. Continue reading “Philippines: Yolanda’s aftermath and Autonomous Initiative”

PNG: Deadly clashes between locals & the world’s biggest gold mining company

Papua New Guinea Mine Watch, 8 December: Violent clashes have once again erupted between local people, police and company security guards at the giant Porgera gold and silver mine in Papua New Guinea’s highlands, operated and largely owned by the Canadian corporation Barrick Gold – the world’s biggest gold mining company.

Green Left Weekly has been informed by a Porgera-based human rights group called the Akali Tange Association that major riots broke out following the December 2 fatal shooting of four local people by company security guards and members of the notorious PNG Police Mobile Task Force. One security guard was also killed.

On December 3 local people massed in their thousands around Porgera station, forced the mine to curtail its operations and clashed with paramilitary police.

One more local was reported to have been shot dead in the afternoon hours of that day when the angry crowd marched towards Paiam town.

“According to eyewitnesses the victim received bullet wounds on the head. The shooting occurred at Pogema bridge.

“Police blocked marching crowd from advancing towards Paiam when the confrontation triggered of shooting. Soon after, the raging mobs returned towards Porgera in rampage and anything on their way was destroyed. Continue reading “PNG: Deadly clashes between locals & the world’s biggest gold mining company”

First Sydney anarchist bookfair to take place March 2014

Indymedia: March 2014 will see the first ever Anarchist Bookfair to be held in Sydney.

In association with Jura Books and Black Rose, the Sydney Anarchist Bookfair collective is organising this non-profit event at the Addison Road Community Centre and we would like to invite you to have an information or merchandise stall in the main hall.

Anarchist Bookfairs began in London over 30 years ago and have since spread across the globe, including Australia’s shores with our comrades in Melbourne now planning their forth annual event.

Anarchist Bookfairs are a chance to find out about and discuss libertarian ideas, attend workshops and hear speeches on anarchist history and politics, discover new, local campaigns on wide range of issues, and of course, buy books. Continue reading “First Sydney anarchist bookfair to take place March 2014”

Melbourne: video shows Gong Ling Tang left to die outside police station

22 November: Shocking video has been released showing police smirking as a man in their custody writhes in pain, and is then abandoned outside a police station to die.

CCTV footage from inside Dandenong police station shows Gong Ling Tang, 53, crawling from a cell. An interpreter told a coroner he had pleaded with police to be taken to hospital.

The May 2010 footage shows a clearly disoriented Mr Tang writhing in pain in his cell, and shows him later outside, barely able to stand, and then collapsing in a puddle. The Herald Sun successfully applied to the coroner for the public release of the disturbing footage.

The police involved, none of whom has faced any penalty, opposed the release. Their lawyers argued the video would be used to sensationalise the matter, and there was a risk it could inflame relationships between the public and police. Continue reading “Melbourne: video shows Gong Ling Tang left to die outside police station”

Indonesia: Conflict Between Takalar Farmers and PTPN XIV Flares up – Farmer Shot by Police

2 December, Hidup Biasa, translated from Mongabay. The conflict between residents of Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi and state-owned plantation company PTPN XIV has flared up once again.

Unavoidable clashes between the people of North Polongbangkeng Sub-district and Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) on Monday morning (2/12/13) resulted in community member Yunus Daeng Empo receiving a bullet in his right thigh.

When contacted by Mongabay, Zulkarnain, Walhi South Sulawesi’s executive director, said that the incident was provoked by PTPN IV’s plan to cultivate disputed land which is the subject of an ongoing case in the Supreme Court.

On hearing about this plan, dozens of local people went to the location being guarded by 10-20 members of South Sulawesi Police Mobile Brigade. The situation heated up as PTPN XIV failed to heed the community’s protests. Yunus Daeng Empo was trying to stop the company working the land when the police shot him. “The situation became chaotic when Brimob started arresting and shooting people,” Zulkarnain said today. Continue reading “Indonesia: Conflict Between Takalar Farmers and PTPN XIV Flares up – Farmer Shot by Police”