75 lines
2.8 KiB
Plaintext
75 lines
2.8 KiB
Plaintext
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2 articles
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Mexican protest
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The saga of the Zapatistas took a new turn when a
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major international bank called on the Mexican
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government to wipe out the rebels before any more
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loans are given. "The government will need to
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eliminate the Zapatistas to demonstrate their
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effective control of the national territory and of
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security policy". This was the advice of Chase
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Manhattan Bank on January 13th.
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Countries, such as Mexico, which depend on the
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International Monetary Fund and international bank
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loans, are continually being dictated to about
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their public spending policies. But it is rare to
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find such clear evidence about the control that is
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exerted.
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Within two weeks the government had launched an
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offensive against the EZLN rebels. It failed. All
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it 'achieved' was a massive devaluation of the
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peso, meaning a lower standard of living for the
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working class and the poor.
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News came from Mexico that suspects were being
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tortured. Amnesty International reported that it
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had "documented widespread human rights violations
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in the context of this conflict, including summary
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execution of prisoners, extensive use of torture,
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and 'disappearances' perpetrated by the Mexican
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army". Despite this widespread use of torture, the
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Group of Seven (G7) most powerful countries in the
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world approved loans to Mexico of $47.8 billion
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last February.
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All over the world protests were organised against
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Chase Bank. In Dublin they have a branch in that
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haven for tax evaders, the Financial Services
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Centre. The local WSM organised an ad-hoc 'Stop
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the Torture in Mexico Committee' to provide a
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neutral banner under which a protest could be
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organised. A lunchtime picket was placed on Chase
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and staff were leafletted about their employers
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support for repression.
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Murder in Chechnya
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In January Workers Solidarity Movement members also
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responded to calls to protest against the assault
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on Chechnya, when they got together with other
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socialists and placed a picket on the Russian
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embassy in Dublin's Orwell Road. About 25 braved
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the rain to leave the Russian government's
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representatives in no doubt about the way their
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invasion of Chechnya and bombing attacks on
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civilians are viewed here.
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The Moscow regime's lies had been exposed when they
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claimed only "military targets" were being hit.
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Reporters in Grozny described and filmed massive
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civilian fatalities. A letter handed in to the
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ambassador accused the Russian army of
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"indiscriminate slaughter of the civilian
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population" and expressed our solidarity with the
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Russian army conscripts<74>who are refusing to fight
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and are deserting from the army.
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We give no support to the former Chechen government
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(a collection of gangsters every bit as bad as
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Yeltsin's lot). Our support goes to the ordinary
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people who have a burning desire to be free of
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occupation forces, poverty and the horrors of war.
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