GPJA Newsletter #7, December 3, 2004

GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE AUCKLAND NEWSLETTER #7, December 3, 2004

Website http://www.gpja.pl.net/ Contact details: Forums - John Minto, (09) 846 3173, jbminto@xtra.co.nz; Newsletter Editor - Mike Treen 027 525 47440 / 3616989 miket@pl.net Web page - bobo@enzyme.org.nz Donations can be sent to GPJA, Private Bag 68905, Newton, Auckland. All communication regarding the GPJA mailing list (email or snail) should be addressed to gpja@xtra.co.nz

WHATS'S ON IN AUCKLAND

Saturday, December 4, 12 noon, Mt Eden Remand Prison

"TWO YEARS TOO LONG - FREE ZAOUI NOW" - PUBLIC RALLY

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0411/S00124.htm

Saturday, December 4, 4pm, Auckland War Memorial Museum (West Side) - Palestine Wall Palestine Human Rights Campaign: SPECIAL RALLY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR YASSER ARAFAT A floral tribute will be laid to honour the memory of all those who have died or suffered in the conflict. A procession to the olive grove at the rear of the museum where another tribute will be laid. Prayers for peace will be offered from all faiths present. Contacts: David Wakim 09 520 0201 Tuma Hazou 09 473 8677.

Monday 6th December, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Road Grey Lynn. GPJA FORUM: Wellington lawyer Tony Ellis will deliver a presentation on "SOLITARY CONFINEMENT IN NZ: FINDINGS OF THE HIGH COURT AND THE UN COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE". Tony has recently been successful in challenging the abuse of prisoners in New Zealand jails - much to the embarrassment of the government and prison authorities. His address will cover both his recent court victories and the continuous law changes in recent years which have been progressively chipping away at our legal rights under the "law and order" or "fighting terrorism" banners. Tony is president of the NZ Council of Civil Liberties.

Friday, December 10, 5.30pm, Trades hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn "Think and Drink": Guest speaker VIVIENNE PORZSOLT, from JEWS AGAINST THE OCCUPATION, will give an eye witness report (with slides) on a international human rights march of women in Palestine/Israel earlier this year.

Saturday, December 11, 7.30pm, The Meeting House , 113 Mt Eden Rd Come and see and hear for yourself. Christina has been working in Hebron, Palestine with the same Christian Peacemaker Team as Susan Rhodes, and she is now on her way home (Dunedin ) for her break. Please circulate this invitation. You can view photos at

http://www.cpt.org/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=hebron

BEST ON THE WEB

AHMED ZAOUI

Ahmed Zaoui Granted Right To Apply For Bail - The Supreme Court has decided that the High Court does have an inherent right to grant bail for detained refugee Ahmed Zaoui. A bail hearing has been set down for 9 December in the Supreme Court in Wellington. See... Supreme Court Will Hold Zaoui Bail Hearing Dec 9 [1] . See also... Media Release: Ahmed Zaoui V The Attorney-General [2] and the full text of the judgement… ZAOUI V THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL & Ors SC CIV 13/2004 [3] ALSO: - CTU - Zaoui decision protects our rights [4] - GPJA - Public Rally in Support of Zaoui to Proceed! Dec 4 [5] - NZ First - Labour Dithering Will Set Zaoui Free [6] - National - Time for Inspector-General to rule [7] - Amnesty International NZ - Amnesty Welcomes Supreme Court Zaoui Decision [8] - Greens - A great day for justice [9] - Progressive Party - Zaoui decision a victory for procedural fairness [10]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0411/S00339.htm

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0411/S00213.htm

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0411/S00214.htm

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0411/S00226.htm

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0411/S00221.htm

[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0411/S00560.htm

[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0411/S00558.htm

[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0411/S00215.htm

[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0411/S00557.htm

[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0411/S00556.htm

SIS

17 organisations call for independent SIS review

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3112428a10,00.html

Inquiry Convened Into SIS Allegations Raised On Scoop

Prime Minister Helen Clark has given the Inspector General of Security and Intelligence a green light to inquire into allegations made by Scoop.co.nz and in the Sunday Star Times concerning the propriety of SIS investigations into the Maori Party and Iwi organisations. See... Inspector General To Inquire Into SIS Allegations [1] ALSO: - Greens - Don't make this a punitive inquiry [2] & Greens call for broader inquiry into SIS [3] For reaction to Scoop's Scoop see...SCOOP SPOOKS SPECIAL FEATURE [4] and STORY OF THE WEEK [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0411/S00323.htm

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0411/S00543.htm

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0411/S00545.htm

[4] - http://scoop.co.nz/mason/features/?s=spooks

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/index.html#sow

SIS Investigation: Intelligence Expert Says Public & National Interest Threatened

Paul Buchanan: "I believe that, then and now, the public should be very concerned about the extremely broad scope of the SIS charter, its lack of accountability, its relative impunity, and the virtual absence of viable oversight mechanisms, parliamentary or otherwise, to hold the SIS leadership responsible for the actions it takes."

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0411/S00354.htm

WEST PAPUA

Foreign Minister urged to press for opening of West Papua and Aceh

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0411/S00211.htm

CHILD POVERTY

Greens Indict Govt. For Failure To Address Child Poverty

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0411/S00559.htm

IRA

qNaomi Klein: Smoking while Iraq burns: Its idolisation of 'the face of Falluja' shows how numb the US is to everyone's pain but its own

http://207.44.245.159/article7381.htm

Fallujah 101: A history lesson about the town we are currently destroying.

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/1683/

WORLD ECONOMY

Economic `Armageddon' predicted

http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=55356

Poor Numbers: The Impact of Trade Liberalization on World Poverty

http://www.cepr.net/publications/poor_numbers.htm

Why not eat Children?

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=13&ItemID=6459

The globalisation of inequality http://www.counterpunch.org/vidal11292004.html

PROTEST AGAINST SPIES AND SPY BASES WELLINGTON, EASTER 2005 SATURDAY MARCH 26, SUNDAY 27

The Anti-Bases Campaign (ABC) is doing something a little different after many years of protests at the Waihopai spybase, in Marlborough. We have decided to focus attention instead on Wellington. Why? Because it is the home to the headquarters of the NZ Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), New Zealand's biggest and most secret spy agency. The GCSB operates the Waihopai and Tangimoana spybases on behalf of the foreign Powers grouped together in the super-secret UKUSA Agreement (which shares global electronic and signals intelligence among the intelligence agencies of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and NZ). Because Wellington is the diplomatic and political capital of New Zealand. It is in Wellington, not the Waihopai Valley or Blenheim, that you will find the "movers and shakers" who, nominally or in reality, control New Zealand's Intelligence agencies and foreign policy. There is a whole "Secret Wellington" to be explored and exposed. It is a secret world ranging from the HQ of the Security Intelligence Service, NZ's best known spy agency, to the embassies of our Big Brothers, such as the US, UK and Australia. Because it is the closest main city to the "forgotten" Tangimoana spybase. Details about Tangimoana can be found on the ABC Website at http://www.converge.org.nz/abc/otherbases.html If you don't have Internet access, contact us and we'll send you a hard copy. Failing that, read about Tangimoana in Nicky Hager's definitive book, "Secret Power: New Zealand's Role In The International Spy Network" (Craig Potton Publishing, 1996). These are the main reasons why we've decided to go to Wellington, not Waihopai, in 2005 (don't worry, we'll be back at that spybase in the future). And we're holding our weekend of action over the middle two days of Easter so that people from all around the country have the chance to take part. Planning is in the early stages. Thus far, we propose the two days to include: A forum or seminar on the whole bases issue in New Zealand; one of our famous "Spies Picnics" in proximity to Freyberg (i.e. Spyberg) House, where the GCSB headquarters is located on the upper floors;a Tour of Secret Wellington, either conducted by the Wellingtonian who started them, world famous researcher, Nicky Hager, or by someone trained by him; and a one day field trip to the Tangimoana spybase, including a protest rally there. The final programme, including times and venues, will be announced closer to the time. We invite the people of Wellington, and from around the country, to join us for this weekend of protest action against the spies and spybases. We will not be providing accommodation, unlike what we do at our Waihopai actions. Wellington is a city, where people can make their own arrangements. But, as at Waihopai, we are asking people to register and pay for the weekend. There will be costs - venue hire, publicity, some light food, transport for the Tangimoana trip and for the Tour of Secret Wellington. For example, it's vital that if we're going to hire a bus for the Tangimoana trip that we know in advance how many people will need a ride. So please book and pay in advance, folks! The weekend will cost $30 waged (or $15 unwaged). Registration includes a seat on the bus. If you're a Wellingtonian, and want to get involved with organising this weekend of action, contact Kane O'Connell, of the Anti-Bases Campaign. He can be contacted at: (04) 3852521 - h; (04) 4982502 - w; research@students.org.nz

Mike

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