Colombo conference - Asia Pacific, Cuba has a high profile - why?

Julie Webb talks about the Asia Pacific Conference. And Cuba is getting lots of respect! Why? Cuba's influence in the Pacific is outside the parameters of the industrial military complex, and the gaining of economic autonomy from US based multinational corporations. Medical and literacy assistance and education, social programs, seem to be winning more respect than the World Bank and the IMF when it comes to the real issues that need to be dealt with by the Asia Pacific Forum.
9.313.3 Mb 64kbps. mono 9 mins 51 secs

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Jim Dunn - Timor Leste and Human Rights Shenanigans

Jim Dunn and security services fun and games.

The release of former militia members who devastated Timor Leste in 1999 has been controversial. Jim Dunn, a former Consul, an investigator for the United Nations into the war crimes committed by high ranking Indonesian officials in Timor Leste, is critical of the way the Timorese government was forced into a position whereby the 'Indonesian' diplomacy boat, should not be rocked too hard. Human rights issues simply go overboard.
17.3Mb. 64kbps mono 19 minutes

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Tim Anderson - Cuban Medical Brigade

Tim Anderson. Cuban medical education.
Tim Anderson, academic in Sydney University speaks about a video documentary he has produced as a result of his visits to Timor Leste, and more recently, Cuba, where he interviewed students who are beneficiaries of the one thousand scholarships Cuba granted to the Timorese. The Australian government, thus far has proved reluctant to match this generosity, although over 300 Cuban doctors in Timor Leste, over the last five years, have shouldered the burden of community health services.
Tim will be doing further research expeditions in Timor Leste, in the near future, but meanwhile his video documentary will be released with multilingual translations in Australian. Watch this space.

23.Mb 64kbps 25 mins

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Timor Leste - Janelle Saffin, human rights

Janelle Saffin, Federal member for Page spent over three years working in Timor Leste, before taking on her political career. She was present during the mayhem of the 1999 referendum, and worked at times as an adviser to the President Jose Ramos Horta, during the period when he was the Foreign Minister for the East Timorese government. She talks to community radio 2NimFM about the controversial Truth and Friendship Commission, which was supposed to expose human rights abuses by the Indonesian militia. She clears up some of the confusion about the Commission, which has been criticised in the past for being ineffective and powerless to prosecute offenders. Particularly relevant at this time, with recent (and not so recent) press revelations about Australian intelligence services selectively gathering, and also holding back, information under political pressures, on the grounds of maintaining diplomatic relations. Diplomatic relations seem to still be supervening human rights issues, despite the lessons of history.
15Mb. 64kbps mono 16mins 18seconds.

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Caracas on the Line - Fred Fuentes; Chavez on the FARC, hostage release, and PSUV elections

6.3 Mb. 64kbps mono 13mins 41 secs.

Fred Fuentes, latest report from Caracas. Fred gives us the insider's view of the most recent Chavez call on the Colombian FARC guerrillas to consider putting the armed struggle aside and release their hostages unconditionally (he made a similar statement in January that went unnoticed). This has been exploited by the opposition within Venezuela as a sign of a 'weakening' of Chavez' authority, but the recent PSUV (Venezuelan Socialist Party) preselection results bode well for the developing grass roots foundational support for Chavez in the upcoming November elections.

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Chavez wrongfoots Washington - Lisa MacDonald

Lisa MacDonald from Green Left Weekly talks about Chavez recent address to the Colombian FARC guerillas to release their remaining hostages and to think about setting aside the armed struggle. The FARC did try this in the 1980s, but resumed their armed struggle when Death Squads and Paramilitaries selectively assassinated or kidnapped the key figures in their movement. Nevertheless, Washington, which has been accusing the Venezuelan government of supporting the FARC, during the recent hostage release negotiations, is suddenly at a loss for words.

4.9Mb 64kbps mono 10mins. 38secs.

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