JULY 2002
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Wednesday, 31st July,2002
ASTERIX AND THE TURKISH GOLD
To western Turkey, where thousands of villagers are doing battle against an Australian-built gold mine. Their champion is a charismatic former bank manager dubbed ‘Asterix’ by the
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Turkish media. It is Turkey`s longest-running environmental dispute, and it has pitted the indomitable peasants against the forces of globalisation, and some heavily armed Turkish police.
Despite numerous court victories, the backing of prominent scientists and a wonderful flair for publicity, the villagers look like losing out to a government desperate for foreign
investment. Olivia Rousset reports on Asterix and the Turkish gold. -
Wednesday, 31st July,2002
ANTHONY REGAN INTERVIEW
The man in charge of the election, the
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Electoral Commissioner, is pleading
for more time to declare final results
in some of the provinces we have just
seen. But Justice Mark Sevua of PNG`s
National Court says any further delay
to the election would make the country
an international "laughing stock". In
the meantime, preparations are under
way for the first sitting next Monday
of the new Parliament. As the party
with the most votes, the National
Alliance Party of former prime
minister Michael Somare will be asked
to form government. But supporters of
the incumbent PM, Sir Mekere Morauta,
say their man will come up with the
numbers needed to win. A close
observer of the baffling PNG political
scene is Anthony Regan who helped
frame that country`s electoral rules.
I spoke with him earlier. -
Wednesday, 31st July,2002
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - PIGS & POLITICS
It`s been one of the longest elections
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on record. Papua New Guinean voters
went to the polls on June 15 and the
ballot was meant to be completed in a
fortnight. Six weeks later we still
don`t know who PNG`s next prime
minister will be. The campaign has
been marked by voter intimidation and
gang violence, with more than 30
people killed. The worst affected area
has been the often troublesome
Highlands, where tribal gangs torched
ballot boxes and even killed some
candidates. Tonight`s report on the
PNG election comes from two young film-
makers, James Frankham and Thom Cookes,
who followed the course of the
election. Their extraordinary footage
was put together by Mike Carey. -
Wednesday, 24th July,2002
RICHARD BUTLER INTERVIEW
There is no consensus on whether
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Saddam Hussein has continued to
develop weapons of mass destruction.
The last systematic monitoring of
Iraq`s weapons programs ended in 1998
with the withdrawal of UN inspectors.
Chief of that operation was
Australian, Richard Butler. I spoke
with him earlier about what evidence
he saw to justify a strike on Baghdad. -
Wednesday, 24th July,2002
IRAQ REPORT
When George W. Bush declared war on
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terrorism, it was inevitable that
Saddam Hussein would ultimately become
the focus of US attention. Washington
charges Saddam with sponsoring
terrorism and replenishing his arsenal
of chemical and biological weapons.
But sceptics are asking, "Where`s the
proof?" Shortly we`ll hear Richard
Butler`s views on that question. He
was, of course, the head of the United
Nations weapons inspection team in
Iraq. But first, Geoff Parish has this
report on America`s preparations for
taking on the Iraqi leader. -
Wednesday, 24th July,2002
AN AMERICAN IN MOGADISHU
Somalia has made a name as a home to
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Islamic terrorists, an enemy of the
United States and the focus of the
film `Black Hawk Down`. Yesterday,
fighting broke out again between
warring factions in its capital,
Mogadishu, part of a new wave of
violence in recent months. Observers
believe it may be the start of the
ultimate battle for control between
the warlords of this ravaged country.
Mark Davis reports on one of the key
players in the struggle ahead - a man
who has all the right ancestry, but
who happens to be a citizen of the
United States of America. -
Wednesday, 17th July,2002
SRI LANKA GEMS
Ratnapura City is the treasure chest
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of Sri Lanka - it`s very name
means ‘City of Gems’. According to
ancient lore, the gemstones from the
valley surrounding the city carry
magical healing powers. Pre-Christian-
era schooners are said to have
anchored off Sri Lanka, in search of
jewels for the seductive Queen of
Sheba. Regardless of whether all this
is truth or convenient legend,
Ratnapura has always been a magnet for
the world`s precious stone merchants
and traders. And today, gems are one
of this war-torn country`s leading
exports. But, as Ginny Stein reports,
the work of recovering the precious
stones is far from romantic. -
Wednesday, 17th July,2002
SIEV-X
In October, an asylum seeker vessel
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sank on its way to Australia - 353
people drowned. Known as SIEV-X - an
acronym for `Suspected Illegal Entry
Vessel X` - the boat and its fate have
been the subject of a Senate inquiry.
It is trying to determine who knew
what about SIEV-X and whether
Australia could have rescued the
survivors. For months the nation`s
most senior military commanders and
public servants have tried to answer
those questions. Tonight, one former
senior Defence official tells Dateline
that if the operation had been
properly handled, lives may have been
saved. In this story, reporter Geoff
Parish retraces key parts of the
doomed boat`s journey. -
Wednesday, 10th July,2002
IRAN FILMS
For the past two days, Iranian
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militiamen and police have battled
thousands of students defying a
government ban on public rallies.
Though many of the demonstrators were
beaten and arrested, dissent is on the
increase in Iran. But it`s not always
obvious. Rather than public
confrontation, the country`s film-
makers are outwitting the
conservative, religious leadership
with subtlety and creativity. Matthew
Carney reports on the brave directors
and producers whose work is making an
impact - both at home, and overseas. -
Wednesday, 10th July,2002
THE NEW RUSSIAN ROULETTE - DRUGS AND HIV
The world`s largest AIDS conference is
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under way in Barcelona this week and
so far the news isn`t good. The
meeting has been told more than 21
million young people could be living
with HIV-AIDS by the end of the
decade. The experts say uncertainty
about a vaccine, lack of funding, and
the unavailability of drugs means
aggressive prevention is essential.
But how many governments are
listening? HIV is spreading faster in
the former Soviet Union than anywhere
else in the world, and most of those
cases are linked to intravenous drug
use. Yet, close to nothing is being
done by the Putin Government to
prevent and treat drug abuse. Kim
Traill reports on the new Russian
roulette. -
Wednesday, 10th July,2002
DAMON SILVERS INTERVIEW
Overnight, George W. Bush made his
long-awaited speech on the corporate
implosions that have bedevilled Wall
Street in recent times. The US
President called for a new age in
American business.GEORGE W.
BUSH,
US PRESIDENT: With strict enforcement
and higher ethical standards, we must
usher in a new era of integrity in
corporate America, we will use the
full weight of the law to expose and
root out corruption. My administration
will do everything in our power to end
the days of cooking the books, shading
the truth and breaking our laws.
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If Mr Bush`s speech were aimed at
boosting confidence in American
corporate governance, then it seemed
to fall well short of expectations.
The markets themselves fell and the
President`s critics branded the
address long on rhetoric and short on
action. On the other hand, Mr Bush`s
strong business constituency is wary
of attempts to tighten up the rules.
Among those watching closely has been
the US Federation of Labour
Organisations. Its millions of members
were hard-hit by the company crashes,
losing jobs and retirement savings. I
spoke with the Federation`s Damon
Silvers after the President`s speech. -
Wednesday, 10th July,2002
THIS WEEK: THE NEW RUSSIAN ROULETTE DRUGS AND HIV
HIV is spreading faster in the Russia
than in anywhere else in the world.
The country also has one of the
highest rates of intravenous drug use –
the source of 93% of its HIV
infections.
Eleven years after the collapse of
the Soviet Union, Kim Trail reports on
how Russia has become a perfect
breeding ground for a drug epidemic.
The United Nations estimates that
between one to two and a half million
Russians are now intravenous drug
users. Last year the number of HIV
infected people rose from 80,000 to
172,000 – a 115% increase.
Nastya, 24-years-old, is typical of
those who got caught up in a huge new
underground nightclub craze. She took
cocaine before she
went dancing and heroin the next
morning “so you can sleep”. Now most
of her friends have tested positive to
HIV and have hepatitis C, another
epidemic.
But the government is not treating the
problem as a priority. The entire
federal budget for AIDS is less than
$6 ($A10) million. According to the
head of the Federal Aids Centre, Vadim
Pokrovsky, this is only enough to
treat 500 to 600 infected people.
The attempt to use law enforcement to
address the problem has been
completely ineffective. Father Anatoly
Berestov, who runs a drug-counselling
centre for the Orthodox Church,
believes it is making the situation
worse, “The police are the main
facilitators of the narco-mafia…I have
not met one single honest policeman
who works with drug dependents.”
According to the law, if someone
smoking a joint of marijuana passes it
to a friend that constitutes dealing
and can be punished with 7 to 15 years
jail. You can be prosecuted and
severely penalised for possessing a
spoon in which heroin was prepared,
without being in possession of the
drug itself.
That’s Dateline, this Wednesday July
10th at 8.30 pm.Also on DATELINE this week:
Iranian Films
The Iranian film “The Circle” was
recently released in Australian
cinemas. The film has been sold to 36
other countries but still has not been
seen in Iran. The director, Jafar
Panahi, would not agree to the cuts
the Iranian censors demanded to permit
the film, which tackles taboo subjects
such as prostitution, to be shown.
Another director to run foul of the
censors is Tamineh Milani. For her
last film “The Hidden Half” she has
been charged with crimes that carry
the death sentence. Milani has drawn
on her own experiences for the film,
which is set in the years following
the Islamic revolution in 1979 when
the new regime carried out a brutal
crackdown on any dissent.
For legal reasons Milani is unable to
comment. Her husband, who financed
the film, says the charges are a
complete fabrication and part of an
ongoing campaign to silence Iranian
filmmakers. Ironically, the charges
followed the film’s opening and it
continues to screen across Tehran.
Baham Farmanara has directed films in
both Hollywood and Iran. He says
filmmaking in Hollywood can be just as
restrictive, “The censorship there is
financing and here it is the
government. My preference after
working in both systems is ours
because ours is at least closer to
art.”
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That’s Dateline, this Wednesday July
10th at 8.30 pm. -
Wednesday, 3rd July,2002
ACHE - IN BED WITH THE TNI
For the past two months, the Indonesian military has been engaged in a massive assault against separatist rebels in Aceh, mostly away from the prying eyes of the media. Dateline’s David O’Shea is one of only a handful of foreign journalists who’ve managed to get inside the province. He’s been following Indonesian journalists, who’ve been officially embedded with the military, and their struggle to put out accurate reports on the bloodshed in Aceh. And a warning - there are some disturbing scenes in this report.
Read more... -
Wednesday, 3rd July,2002
ACHE - IN BED WITH THE TNI
For the past two months, the Indonesian military has been engaged in a massive assault against separatist rebels in Aceh, mostly away from the prying eyes of the media. Dateline’s David O’Shea is one of only a handful of foreign journalists who’ve managed to get inside the province. He’s been following Indonesian journalists, who’ve been officially embedded with the military, and their struggle to put out accurate reports on the bloodshed in Aceh. And a warning - there are some disturbing scenes in this report.
Read more... -
Wednesday, 3rd July,2002
ACEH - IN BED WITH THE TNI
For the past two months, the Indonesian military has been engaged in a massive assault against separatist rebels in Aceh, mostly away from the prying eyes of the media. Dateline’s David O’Shea is one of only a handful of foreign journalists who’ve managed to get inside the province. He’s been following Indonesian journalists, who’ve been officially embedded with the military, and their struggle to put out accurate reports on the bloodshed in Aceh. And a warning - there are some disturbing scenes in this report.
Read more... -
Wednesday, 3rd July,2002
INDIA - WAR AND PEACE
The prospect of war between nuclear
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armed neighbours, India and Pakistan,
has receded in the last few weeks, but
the area remains one of the most
volatile in the world. An award-
winning documentary by Indian film-
maker Anand Patwardhan provides a
fresh perspective on the long-standing
hostility between the two nations. In
stark contrast to the angry rhetoric
of the two countries’ leaders, the
film shows many everyday people on
both sides of the border wanting to
talk peace. The epic 3-hour film also
paints a disturbing picture of the
health hazards of India`s nuclear
industry. Screened recently at the
Sydney Film Festival, `War and Peace`
still hasn`t been passed by India`s
Censorship Board. Geoff Parish has
more. -
Wednesday, 3rd July,2002
KENTON KEITH INTERVIEW
After last September`s attacks on US
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territory, the Bush Administration
assembled a coalition to fight the
terrorist threat worldwide. But
the `war on terrorism`, like most
wars, is not only a military challenge
but also a campaign to win hearts and
minds. Kenton Keith was the man
dispatched to Pakistan to put the case
for the US and its coalition partners
to the world`s media. I spoke with
Ambassador Keith earlier this week, on
a visit to Australia. -
Wednesday, 3rd July,2002
MADAGASCAR MADNESS
Crisis-wracked Madagascar is to be
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barred from next week`s summit of
African heads of state. The
Organisation of African Unity says
Madagascar`s seat will remain vacant
because last December`s election was
invalid. At that time, outgoing
president Didier Ratsiraka refused to
concede defeat to Marc Ravalomanana.
Since then, Ravalomanana has gained
ground, achieving recognition from
some powerful nations. But at home,
troops and militia supporting the two
men are locked in a bitter power
struggle. The result is an island
divided by politics and violence, as
Nick Lazaredes reports. -
Wednesday, 3rd July,2002
THIS WEEK: MADAGASCAR MADNESS
Madagascar has two presidents, two
governments , two armies and a bitter
power struggle that has brought the
country to its knees.
Last December, Marc Ravalomanana, a
young mayor of Madagascar’s capital,
Antananarivo, challenged the former
Marxist military boss, Didier
Ratsiraka for the presidency. The
official result meant neither had an
absolute majority, prompting a second
round of voting. Mr Ravalomanana cried
foul and had himself inaugurated as
head of state.
While the United States and Sweden
have recognised Mr Ravalomanana ’s
government, most of the international
community back Mr Ratsiraka.
Crucially, he is a close friend
of Jacques Chirac, with the support of
France (Madagascar’s former colonial
power) and the African governments.
The country has ground to a halt. Mr
Ravalomanana controls Antananarivo but
Mr Ratsiraka controls most of the
countryside and has laid siege to the
capital. No longer able to receive
vital supplies, Antanarivo has been
crippled by the blockade.
Malnutrition
rates in children under five are now
close to 20% and children are dying.
Didier Young from Care International
says, “It was really improving, there
were really good signals, good
indicators of growth…and now in just
six months everything is down, back
ten years in the past.”
Businesses, and the hope of future
overseas investment in Madagascar,
have also been destroyed. Floreal was
one of the biggest overseas clothing
factories in the country, employing
ten thousand people. Today those
people are out of work and the company
is in danger of collapse.
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That’s Dateline, this Wednesday July
3rd at 8.30 pm.
