News from around the world

On 29 July 2011, six members of the Malaysian Socialist Party who had been detained since July 2 under an "Emergency Ordinance" on undefined charges were released frome Jinjang police station, following public outrage and sustained protests over their arbitrary detention.

Surya Anta, a leading member of People’s Liberation Party (used to be KPRM-PRD), was under arrest at Police Resort Metro Central Jakarta at noon 1st August 2011. He was arrested after given solidarity speech in protest action of West Papua National Committee (KNPB) this afternoon in front of Presidential Palace, Jakarta. This protest action was a support action to International Summit Conference of International Lawyers for West Papua: http://www.ilwp.org/index.php?optio... , held on August 2nd 2011, in London. The similar action was also held in several cities in Papua: http://westpapuamedia.info/2011/08/...

“I’ve just listened to a press conference with Eskil Pedersen, chairman of the Norwegian Labour Party Youth League. Despite his lack of sleep and all tears during the night he had the strength to firmly establish that what had occurred was an attack on the Norwegian labor movement. The horrendous blast in Oslo City and the carnage in the idyllic island Utoya were political attacks.”

Stop the charade and release the remaining 6 PSM’s political detainee immediately. The six PSM leaders are now being detained without trial under the draconian Emergency Ordinance – the Other ISA. Till now, they have been denied access to legal representatives and family visits. We are worried for their safety and their well being. We demand their immediate unconditional release.

Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP) General Secretary said that the attack on Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians in Jaffna shows that the local government elections in the north of Sri Lanka will be held under military rule.

From this 17th of July until the 7th of August 2011 the International Institute for Research and Education (IIRE) in Manila will organize the third Asian Global Justice School. At the end of this year the IIRE in Amsterdam will also organize a Global Justice School.

The movement of citizens that has occupied Puerta del Sol and other plazas in diverse cities of Spain since the 15th of May has brought back political debate to the streets and put the role of political parties into question. Should the movement now take down its encampments and look for other formulas to channel its protests, or should it keep them up so that the rebellion won’t dissipate?

Twenty one year old Roshain Shanaka who was shot by the police in Katunayaka lost his life on the first of June after two days of suffering in the Intensive Care Unit of the Ragama hospital.

The Joint Trade Union Alliance (JTUA) of Sri Lanka comprising 26 trade unions including the powerful Lanka Bank Employees’ Union, Ceylon Mercantile Union and Free Trade Zone General Employees’ Union has been organising proyests against the government’s planned pension reform bill. A violent clash in Katunayaka Free Trade Zone on Monday May 30th has left one young man in a critical condition.

Very early on Friday morning the police attacked Barcelona’s camp in Plaça Catalunya. They blocked the square, with 300 people or more inside, and the cleaning brigade of the city began to dismantle the camp (tents, banners and so on...).