Yes to Europe, no to the constitution
After the majority of French citizens voted “no” to the European constitution on Sunday, the Dutch will cast their expected “neeea” verdict today.
About a thousand grassroots groups of concerned citizen formed to persuade the French to vote ‘no’ to the constitution.
In many countries there is no public debate or explanation about the issues which are manifested in the proposal.
The European constitution would have priority as an international contract over national law.
The European constitution enshrines a neoliberal economic model, which will have priority over the social democratic values which are written down in the current constitutions of almost every European country. The neoliberal model prioritises market interests ahead of social concerns. According to the Athen News, it does not protect the workers rights enough. It will also in effect drive firms out of well established members states to states with lower wages and costs in Eastern Europe.
On defence, the constitution makes the European Union dependent on NATO, and therefore the United States.
The constitution strips countries of more sovereign rights and moves power to Brussels. The constitution would have also enabled Turkey to enter the European Union more easily, despite of the human rights concerns raised towards Turkey at the moment. The constitution will abolish decision making by unanimity or consenus and be taken by “qualified majority”.
An EU foreign minister post would have also been created.




Ridiculous and non-factual
This said a spokesperson of the White House in Washington in reaction to the new annual report of Amnesty International. The annual report was presented to the public last Wednesday.
In the report Amnesty International is criticising the USA to play down torture and maltreatment of prisoners.
Amnesty criticised that Washington has created new expressions for maltreatment and torture instead of setting new criterias for the human rights .
In crises and war areas the US troops would be responsible for cruel human rights violations, so the report.
Apart from torture, unlawfull killings and arbitrary arrests count as te basis for this report. The representative of the White House did not respond or comment further on the criticisms mentioned in the report, but pointed to the success of the USA in Afghanistan and Iraq.


Mexican bank closes down bank accounts of human and civil rights organisations
Last week, the Bilbao Viscaya Bank in Mexico announced the closure of bank accounts of the “Associação Enlace Civil AC”. The bank accounts would be cancelled on 19th of June
Enlace Civil's activities support the autonomous indigenous communities in Chiapas, south eastern Mexico. . About a month ago the Bank also shut down the bank account of the Maia Health Indigenous Organization of Chiapas State (OSIMECH).
Osimech and Enlace Cicil provide support to build potable water systems, electric systems, education and health projects to the indigenous population.
The financial transactions of both of the associations are legal and transparent, and have been properly documented and registered with the Government Departments. This legal status means the Enlace Civil is subjected to rigorous and permanent financial surveillance by the Mexican authorities.
Enlace Civil also documents human rights abuses by the paramilitaries, and discrimination of the indigenous Mayan population via economic and political means.
The action of the Bank is seen by the association as part of the silent battle against the zapatistas communities.


Control Alt Delete Microsoft
Microsoft is quickly approaching the deadline set out by the European Union.
If Microsoft does not comply until the 1st of june it might be fined 5% of its daily global turn-over, 2.8 million pounds a day ,for abusing its market dominance.
In March 2004 Microsoft was already ordered to open up its core software systems, so it would be possible to make programs which would be compatible with the Microsoft Windows operating system.
Other criticisms also include in the inability of customers to choose which software comes with their computers.
One of the strongest competitors to Microsoft comes from the programming community around the GNU/Linux system, which in contrast to the proprietary software offers the users the freedom to share, modify, and share modifications.


Airbus taken to the WTO
The United States want to take the dispute with the European Union over subsidies for the Airbus to the World Trade Organisation.
According to the BBC, something like a third of costs will come from European governments to progress with the new the Airbus A350.
Boeing's Dreamliner is the equivalent direct competitor. Boeing is in return accused of receiving illegal subsidies in the form of military contracts and tax breaks.
The USA holds 17% of the World Trade organisation’s vote. The voting power is dependend on the financial input of the states. The G8 countries hold about 43% of the votes in the World Trade Organisation.
The World Trade Organisation oversees trade regulations of its members. It imposed Structural Adjustment programs to countries heavily in debt, pressuring to privatize public services such as health, transport, water, education and scrapping government subsidies to local businesses.




Other means in Amsterdam
This morning 8 squats have been evicted in Amsterdam. These are actions to which the occupiers already got used to, because every couple of months a so called “wave of evictions” swaps over Amsterdam. The squatters defended their houses with burning barricades, stones and paint bombs. In Amsterdam about a hundred houses are usually squatted at anyone time.

Restricted liberties
Today the new penal law was introduced in Turkey, despite forcefull protests.
The introduction of the new penal law was made a condition of the European Union for Turkey to enter the european community.
Despite of some constiutional improvements, the new penal law is controversial, because it restricts press freedom and freedom of opinion.

The direction of Israel
Dozens of peace activists have protested today aganist the ceremony to swear in the new Israeli army chief of staff Den Haluz.
The new army chief of staff is being criticised because of his brutal procedure against palestinian extremists.
In July 2002 Haluz authorised to drop a one tone bomb on a house in a densly populated area in Gaza.
Amongst the victims were 14 civilians, including 9 children.


Fruitful protests in Bolivia
With continous barricades and protests the Bolivian opposition prevented a crisis meeting of the congress.
Because more than half of the representatives and senators could not access the governement, the necessary quorum was not achieved and therefore the meeting was adjourned.
The congress wanted to debate a solution to the continous crisis in Bolivia.
The opposition want to renationalise the energy resources of the South American country and pass on the resulting profits directly to the people.