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Human Rights Watch News Releases

Rwanda: Rape Survivors Find No Justice
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/09/30/rwanda9391.htm
The 58-page report investigates the persistent weaknesses in the Rwandan legal system that hamper the investigation and prosecution of sexual violence. The report also documents the desperate health and economic situation of rape survivors. Many of the women who were raped became infected with HIV.

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Empire Notes

September 29, 9:08 pm.
http://www.empirenotes.org/#29sep041
September 29, 9:08 pm. Obsidian Wings has an important post about "extraordinary rendition" and a bill that may be on the floor of Congress as early as next week to legalize it (action suggestions at the end of this post). Extraordinary rendition is the lovely practice the United States has of outsourcing torture. When stripping detainees naked, threatening them with dogs, beating them savagely, ...

Get some pork on your fork

We need a Prime Minister who trusts the people, who tells them the truth about the great issues of war and peace. And when things go wrong, a Prime Minister who is big enough to take responsibility and not blame others.

We need a Prime Minister who will take the people into his confidence, not least about his own intentions. It's urgent to bring a new energy, a new accountability to Australia's biggest job. And that's the difference between Labor and the Liberals.

Empire Notes

September 27, 10:40 am.
http://www.empirenotes.org/#27sep041
September 27, 10:40 am. Yesteday, the Times ran what is, all things considered, a remarkable editorial, Iraq's Disappearing Election. It makes the points that I made a few days ago. Not only does it mention "Mr. Rumsfeld's curiously undemocratic remark that if some substantial portion of Iraqis cannot vote, 'so be it,'" far more surprising, it even says, Yet the six political parties that Washingt ...

Grumpy in Grayndler

Last night I was at Petersham Town Hall for a "Meet The Candidates" forum. Organised by the Marrickville Council for the first time, the five candidates for Grayndler were invited to put their cases to the public and answer questions from the floor.

Sitting member Anthony Albanese (ALP), Philip Myers of The Greens and Sue Johnson (Socialist Alliance) were present. Jen Harrison of the Democrats and Stephanie Kokkolis of the Liberal Party didn't attend. Marrickville mayor Morris Hanna (Independent) chaired the forum. About a hundred people were present, mostly middle-aged. The non-appearance of the Liberal Party gave the forum a decidedly left-wing skew, but in this part of the world that reflects the demographics. Not being a regular at political meetings I only recognised a handful of people in the audience, the ABC's Antony Green being one of them.

Human Rights Watch News Releases

Bahrain: Activist Jailed After Criticizing Prime Minister
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/09/29/bahrai9413.htm
Bahrain should immediately release prominent human rights activist `Abd al-Hadi al-Khawaja from detention, Human Rights Watch said today. Al-Khawaja was summoned to a police station and detained on Saturday, September 25, a day after he criticized Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa Al Khalifa for the country?s current economic problems and past human rights abuses.

Go Port!

I haven't had time to write on the weekend, but hearty congratulations to Port Adelaide on their first AFL premiership.

It was good to see an all-non-Victorian grand final for the first time, but even better to see Brisbane, who have prospered under preferential treatment in the salary cap rules, having their colours lowered before winning four in a row.

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