The state funeral of ex-dictator General Suharto took place on Monday, 28 January as Asian stock markets began to slide once more. At the time of the last Asian crisis ten years ago, this man was forced from office by a mass movement. The Indonesian currency lost nearly a third of its value in 1996 and the country’s economy shrank by nearly 14% in 1998.
Clare Doyle, CWI (more…)

A short history of the Indonesian Communist Party.
This pamphlet was originally written by Craig Bowen and published by Militant, the forerunner of the Socialist Party.
Twenty five years ago the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) was the largest aspiring revolutionary party in the world with three and a half million members. Six months later it had been effectively destroyed and up to a million people lay dead. (more…)

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Gazans streamed across the bulldozed Gaza-Egypt border during just a few days, desperate to buy basic goods that are no longer available in Gaza, and in some cases to see family they had not seen for decades.
By Judy Beishon, Socialist Party (more…)

Hugo Chávez’s defeat in December’s referendum marks a key point in Venezuela’s revolution. The high abstention rate indicates a growing frustration at the slow pace of change. Meanwhile, the right-wing opposition has been emboldened by its victory. Tony Saunois, Secretary of the CWI, looks at the warning signs and assesses the current situation. (more…)

Read the following report published in the New York Times and see below for an appeal sent out by the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM). Among those arrested were close friends of SP, Comrade Arul and Comrade Selvam who has been a guest of SP in Australia and spoken at many of our meetings. (more…)

This pamphlet is a brief overview of the ideas and history of our party and the rights and obligations of membership. By reading a copy of this pamphlet you are either, a new Socialist Party (SP) member, or someone who is perhaps interested in joining SP. This pamphlet has just been reprinted and is also available from the Socialist Party National Office for $1. (more…)

SP Newsletter No.198
As share values tumbled in the most dramatic falls since 9/11, the talk was not so much of whether there will be a recession, but of how deep and long it will be. There is panic at the top of the world’s largest banks and most have had to beg for funds to cover losses on their subprime-related speculations. (more…)

”The markets have gone crazy” – this comment was heard on stock trading floors around the world after two days of total mayhem. ”The financial system is in terrible shape, and no one knows where this will end,” a financial analyst in Stockholm told Bloomberg News.
By Vincent Kolo, CWI (more…)

Held on the Indonesian island of Bali, December’s Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) conference was yet another huge failure in a long line of conferences addressing the issues of climate change and global warming.
By Stephen Rigney, Socialist Party (more…)

In November and December last year Bolivia was on the brink of civil war. The right-wing opposition of the gas-rich eastern provinces had declared autonomy in protest against the new constitution. They called a general strike, brought armed gangs on the street and threatened to break up the country.
By Karl Debbaut, CWI (more…)