Eyewitness accounts of Gaza Freedom Flotilla – Sarah Colborne & Anne De Jong
Yesterday, thousands marched and demonstrated in London, against the blockade and the collective punishment of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Also the Irish Foreign Minister Dr Micheal Martin’s plea to let “Rachel Corrie into Gaza”, a poignant and poetic request was denied by the Israeli authorities.
News today has been announced that the autopsy report shows that those who were killed on the flotilla were shot in the head at point-blank range. The Israel government continues an inhuman blockade and denial of human rights and the victimisation of a people.
At The Multicultural Politic – we put forward these two voices of non-party political aligned though solidarity and human rights activists.
Thai Political Prisoner: “I will sacrifice my liberty, but not my humanity!”
Editor of Red News and Thai Political Prisoner: Somyot Pruksakasemsuk
Somyot Pruksakasemsuk is someone who has been deeply engaged his life in social and political movements since he was a teenager, first as student activist in the troubled time of military rule of Thailand in the 1970s. After the crackdown of military coup on student in 1976, many of them fled to the jungle and later back to active engagement in social changes in all sectors. Somyot has been tireless in the work of supporting the empowerment of the workers’ movement and the establishment of democratic trade unionism in Thailand since then.
I have been fortunate to be able to work with him closely with supporting the workers struggle in Thailand and also the democratic struggle in Nepal in the last few years ago. Regardless of any shortcoming we have as human beings who have not attained perfection, we cannot avoid of making mistakes in life.
Thai Solidarity Campaign: End the Violence! Fresh Election in Thailand Now!
A peaceful demonstration will be taking place at the Royal Thai Embassy, in Westminster in response to the extrajudicial killings of protestors in Bangkok yesterday.
The ongoing political crisis in Thailand starting from the military crackdown on the protesters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), also known as the “Red Shirts”, since 10 April have led to the death of at least 70 people. The Thai government under the leadership of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejajiva has clearly violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights regarding the rights to life of the protesters.
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Article 6: “Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.”
Swazi Democracy Activist dies in Police Custody
From ACTSA
On May 6th in Swaziland, a People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) activist died following annual Workers’ Day celebrations on 1 May in Manzini, Swaziland which were mired by police disruptions and arrests. Members of the Swaziland Federation of Trade Union (SFTU) and Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) congregated at the Salesian sports ground to highlight workers’ rights and entitlements, but were soon met with police crack-downs on proceedings. Four guest speakers at the event – PUDEMO activists Mphandlana Shongwe and Dr. Sikelela Dlamini, Swaziland Youth Congress President Wandile Dludlu and Marie da Silva of the newly formed Swaziland Democracy Campaign – were detained by police on the grounds that as unemployed, they were not entitled to attend a Workers’ Day event. Police also confiscated a camera belonging to SNAT members and destroyed images of the arrests.
PUDEMO activist Sipho Jele was arrested during Workers’ Day celebrations after being found wearing a PUDEMO T-shirt. He was taken away for questioning by police who also searched his home. On Tuesday 2 May, whilst in police custody, he was found hanging in his cell. Police have claimed that Jele committed suicide whilst being held at the Sidvwashini Reman Centre; but this has been rejected by opposition movements in the region, who have alleged that police officers were involved in Jele’s death. His family have been contacted by authorities, advising them to proceed with a swift burial. Juliet Jele, Sipho’s aunt said:
“The family is yet to meet to discuss what to do next on the matter, but the police should give me an explanation why my son died like this. As a family, we want our own doctor,”
I’m black and a community worker. Why should I vote?
I make no bones about the fact that I am disillusioned with politics. I know I’m not alone in feeling this way but I had a real dilemma in writing this post. Do I spread my discontent or just leave everyone to make up their own minds?
I overcame my apprehension because I don’t like lemmings. I believe we need an informed and enlightened electorate if we are really going to make a difference.
UK Election: Trying to destroy the Lib Dems
From OpenDemocracy
On the Today programme yesterday morning, Monday 19 April, Tim Montgomerie of Conservative Home, standing in because no official spokesman from his party was yet ready to go on air, said that the support for the Liberal Democrats meant “what we are seeing is an anti-politics phenomenon”.
On the contrary, it is political in the best sense. It is a rejection of domination by the two-party system, and its evident corruption. The polls that reported more voters want a hung parliament than support either Labour or the Tories, before the Lib Democracy surge, suggest that Clegg caught a pent-up force in his sails. It’s not that his rigging wasn’t attractive, it is just that it didn’t create the wind.
TMP Spotlight on UK Elections 2010
As it is the UK General Election Manifesto launch week, The Multicultural Politic (TMP) also is launching its General Elections coverage. TMP will be scrutinising the party pledges, policies and the personalities, up and down the country whilst also continuing to cover international politics from a multicultural perspective.
We are independent minded and believe our readers are also, so we won’t endorse any political party but will give our honest opinion on the debates and options available to the electorate with an unapologetic multicultural bias.
One Year On: Ian Tomlinson Still No Justice
Sgt Delroy Smellie leaving court after being acquitted. Image: Daily Mirror
Today is the year anniversary of the death of Ian Tomlinson, his bereaved family like many others have been misled and discouraged from speaking by the police. Though there has been intense media coverage on this event, and it involves another territorial support group (TSG) officer, to date, the family are still awaiting justice.
On April 1st, 2009, I with 6 others and later thousands made our way to the City of London to demonstrate for people and the planet in response to the G20 meeting in London. Our slogan was “Nature Doesn’t Do Bail-Outs”, we going as prisoners of hope, believing with deep conviction, the unbelievable; that a rag-tag group of activists and students could make a difference on the international stage. Little did we know the cost it would take and what changes were before us.
Give up politics and start changing things instead
This is a guest post by James Holland, a climate camp and a local community activist.
Please add your thoughts below and join the debate.
People who want to make the world a better place usually start with the big things – war, poverty, climate change etc and they usually look to make changes on a national and global level, because surely you can have more impact more quickly that way?
But I want to convince you that in fact you change more by working on apparently very small and local issues. ‘Politics’ as it is, is simply too remote and too conservative, you could spend your whole life lobbying governments and international organisations and get absolutely nowhere, but a few days working to help local people stop their school being closed or even just making sure that someone unfairly denied benefits gets what they’re entitled to could have a much greater effect. This is because in addition to directly helping those specific people the more we give people hope that sticking together and solving our own problems actually works, the more people will have the confidence to try it. In short working on small local stuff is a virtuous cycle of empowerment and small victories, whereas the opposite is true of ‘politics’ where even success can mean that people as a whole feel less able to do things for themselves.
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The Thai Uprising for Democracy & the Criminalisation of Dissent
By Justin Baidoo
After 10 weeks of sustained protest, violence and flames on the streets of Bangkok, it appears that anti-government dissent was seen to be decisively crushed. On 19th May 2010, the Thai government had announced that law and order was finally being restored. The anti-government protesters had relented rationalising it by claiming to prevent further loss of life, their demands ignored and the current Thai government remained intact.
Protesters carry Hiro Muramoto, a Japanese TV cameraman who was shot and killed in in Bangkok (AP Photo)
Many could conclude that the political crisis in Thailand has finally come to an abrupt though bloody end. However nothing could be further from the truth, rather than quelling the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), commonly referred to as the “Red Shirts”, the uprisings has spread throughout the country with at least 22 provinces recording anti-government protests in both violent and non-violent ways.
Read more