World deflation - led by Japan The complacent optimism of capitalist consensus is fast disappearing. At the beginning of this year, the general view about the world economy was that US growth would slow gradually to about 3% from 5%, Japan would pick up a little to about 2% and Europe would trundle along at about 2.5%. The US central bank, the Federal Reserve, would cut interest rates to ensure that any slowdown would not mean a loss of investor confidence or consumer demand. Well, January seems like eons ago in global economics. After a non-stop spate of warnings about lower profits from the main US corporations and the release of economic data each day that showed a weakening economy, US...
Letter from Vietnam, March 2001 We received a letter from Vietnam which gives a wider and more political view of the situation in Vietnam on the eve of the important forthcoming congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam on "market led socialism".
Vietnamese girls marrying Taiwanese men: the harbouring of illusions This article describes the situation of poor young girls in the rural areas who try to escape from misery by marrying Taiwanese men.
Philippines - Mass Revolt Forces President Estrada to resign The events last week looked just like a re-run of the "People's Power" movement in 1986 when the hated dictator Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown by a mass uprising in the cities of the Filipino archipelago. So it will surprise nobody that this extraordinary sequence of events has been dubbed the "People's Power 2" movement by local activists and by the media.
The conditions of workers in Export processing zones in Vietnam We publish this article from the Vietnamese press, translated for In Defence of Marxism by one of our Vietnamese correspondents which shows the conditions Vietnamese workers face in the Export Processing Zones through the example of the strike at the Tan A company in Ho Chi Mihn City.
Important development in the Indonesian left - Interview with the Democratic Socialist Association An important political development has taken place in the left movement in Indonesia with the split of the Democratic Socialist Faction from the PRD (Democratic People's Party) during the first few weeks of November 2000. Although small in numbers (some 22 national leaders and organisers based in the capital Jakarta) the political reasons behind this split relate to fundamental questions of revolutionary socialist strategy for Indonesia.
Building the Indonesian Labour Movement - An interview with the union SBMNI Since the fall of the dictator Suharto, the Indonesian working class has been in a constant struggle to build up its own organisations. But they are seriously hampered in this by the economic crisis and the resulting mass unemployment, even more than before. On top of that comes the ongoing repression by the employers, the government and the military.
The Roaring of the Classic Tiger Economy: The Korean Working Class Claws Back An in-depth analysis of the current wave of strikes in South Korea, the implications of the move towards reunification and a look at the history of the Korean working class.
Statement of Split from the People's Democratic Party (PRD) Today, we the Democratic Socialist Faction, a faction inside the People's Democratic Party, declare to split from the People's Democratic Party (PRD). We do hope that this split will give a new way for strengthening revolutionary movement in Indonesia, considering the fact that the internal conflict in the PRD has lead to fundamental difference and accordingly irreconcilable.
Housing for workers in the [Vietnamese] industrial zones This article gives a picture of the appalling housing conditions of workers employed in the IZs and EPZs, the special industrial zones established to attract foreign investment.
Era of turmoil in Indonesia - Exclusive interview with Indonesian socialist The following is an exclusive interview with an Indonesian socialist activist, who spoke to me about the new era of turmoil which Indonesia has entered and the potential for the Left.
Workers' tragedy in Vietnam: Strike at the Hue Phong shoe factory in Ho Chi Minh City After 14 years of "reform", with the introduction of the so-called "market economy under state control in a socialist direction", an economic boom is indeed taking place in Vietnam. However, its economy is obviously not immune from the financial crisis of its neighbours. Very few strikes have been reported, and most of them have attracted very few workers. However the strike of over 4,000 workers at the Hue Phong company (a joint-venture producing shoes) on 12-13th September may represent an important turning point in the workers' struggle in Vietnam.
Pakistan: the growing discontent of the masses after one year of military rule... Another General has completed another year of despotic military rule in Pakistan and the army has exposed itself even further. A new wave of state repression is beginning to unfold, exhibiting the desperation of the Generals in their failure to solve anything. The patience of the masses is rapidly wearing thin. All the outlets for venting their anger and frustrations have been blocked. This means that the rage of the masses is building up very fast. The more their outburst is delayed the greater will be the explosion.
The Menace of Islamic Fundamentalism and the Hypocrisy of Imperialism In this post cold war epoch one of the most significant phenomena which has come to the fore is Islamic fundamentalism. But what is Islamic fundamentalism and what are its real prospects? Although it is not a new phenomenon, in recent times it has attained a vicious and virulent character. Modern fundamentalism in reality is a reactionary culmination of the trends of Islamic revivalism in an epoch of modern world economy and politics.
One year after the independence referendum: Which way for East Timor? "It looks more like a capitalist hell". Jean Duval is analyzing the situation in East Timor one year after the independence referendum.
