tional Liberation Front).
crops, population.
Since January governrepression the cities has escalated. At least tive trade unionists have been killed, wounded, 36 captured and more than workers have been sacked tor trade activities. Eight worko aces have been cupied by the army during industrial disputes. Industrial action having been declared illegal in 97 per cent of disputes this year.
The repressive ASSEMBLE 12 NOON UNITED STATES EMBASSY GROSVENOR SQUARE (NEAREST TUBE BOND STREET) ON 13 SEPTEMBER the El Salvador Solidarity Campaign is calling for a picket at the US embassy to protest against the worsening human rights situation during the past eight months in El Salvador. Repression backed by the Salvadorean government has increased on all fronts. Since January the Salyadorean Armed Forces (FAES) have launched four major operations against civilian populations in the areas controlled by the FMLN (Farabudo Marti NaThese involve massive bombings, assassinations, destruction of homes and and the forced displacement of civilians. Hundreds of civilian deaths and casualties have resulted from this 'bomb and burn' strategy. More than one million people have now been displaced from their homes - one fifth of El Salvador's methods have Low also been directed at destroying the human rights religious organisations that campaigning against the government's Human rights relief workers nave been held incommunicado for days, extrajudicial 'confessions' calracicu under torture, the more useful 'confessions', AGAINST WAR ATROCITIES AND US INTERVENTION FOR A PEOPLES RIGHT TO LIVE EL SALVADOR WILL WIN LAST MONDAY Mikhail Gorbachev announced where 'suspects' implicate Lennse ver others FMLN members, televised LIC Many group that ooposes government policy to the FMLN in order to justify silencing their opposition.
These attacks on the popular movement result the assassination more than 20 people each month. They bring the civilian death toll SINCE 1980 to more than 60,000.
Government efforts to destroy the FMLN'S civilian support, tion however are not succeeding. Salvador's president Duarte is becoming increasingly isolated both internally internationally. Popular opposition to his government's particularly 'economic package' (a set Grustenly measures alted at directing more national resources towards the civil war) is growing as the costs of pursuing the war place great strain on the economy.
Unemployment Salvador is over per cent and inflation is running at more than 30 per cent a year. So far during 1986, half million workers have taken part in action. Over demonstrations and protests have been organised.
The May Day demonby UNTS (National Unity of Salvadorean Workers), broad organisation that includes unions which were supporting Duarte's policies until 100,000 year, this attracted people. demanded withdrawal of the 'economic package' and that Duarte engage in a dialogue with the FMLNLa coalition of the EMLN with the Revolutionarv Democratic rront. to secure a peaceful solu tion to the conflict.
At its second general assembly in July UNTS to US intervention in the Coulill nearly $2 million a aay or ala lo Duarte. It also demanded that UNTS should be parthe she diment bad the government FMLN-FDR The FMLN-FDR itself has continued to offer public dialogue government. The offer has been directed at all narts ot Salvadorean society, as method searching toI implementing solution to the conflict.
The offer is flexible and the FMLN-FDR arguing for the establishNot Last olla government' in which they al C Culouncill along with other forces. The transitional ment would develop and implement agreed political solution up to the point where fair and free elections could take place. It would economic and land reforms in favour of the majority of Salvadoreans, reactivating the productive economy as a mixed economi system tackling the problems of unemployment and poverly. ll would also ena all forms of human rights • oursue I ternational policies based 10- vee self-determination.
This offer of dialogue has attracted wide support within El Salvador forc 19%. The no August August preparatory that took place in Mexico between the government and the 'FMLN-FDR indicate the political pressure the government is under.
Despite their lip service the principa dialogue Duarte and his Us advisors pursue the military solution to the contict. Us alc is supplying the sophisticated hardware to duct the war from the air attack helecopters with rocket launchers machine guns A37 bombers; AC-47 gunships as used in Vietnam that CanKera arca size of football pitch with 600 rounds cond; US pilots fly reconnaisance DUL' guerilla movements with infrared equipment from a height of 10,000 feet.
To evade detection the FMLN operates in small units that concentrate on sabotage operations inflicting rates on the FAES. Almost 3,300 casualties were in flicted on the government forces in the first six months of 1986. This was 25 per cent higher than 1984.
Large-scale operations, such as the capture of the largest FAES barracks in the East at San Miguel in demonstrate FMLN's ability to concentrate its forces and disperse them with few casualties despite sophisticated aerial surveillance equipment at the FAES's disposal.
The FMLN's strategy rests on this combination West Germany 'soft' on immigration.
border.
jet seeking better jobs New Zealand New Zealand ports.
country supporting the pact.
membership.
the the think that is a tragedy?
There has been a vicious, racist campaign against the entry of Tamils into West Germany, led by the parties of the right, who are attacking the Socialists and the Greens as being They have also denounced the East German authorities for allowing in refugees from countries such as Sri Lanka — after denouncing them for 25 years for refusing to allow West Germans to cross the There are estimated to be some 50,000 Tamils in West Germany. The right, who make a distinction between 'political' and 'economic' refugees, are claiming they are in West Germany It is this which lay behind the much publicised voyage of Tamils from West Germany to Canada. But the result of this campaign is that Tamils are in danger of being deported back to Sri Lanka where they face death and torture.
• Earlier this month New Zealand was expelled from the ANZUS defence pact because it refused to permit US ships to dock in The US wouldn't disclose whether or not the ships carried nuclear weapons. This has caused considerable tension in the region, with Australia as the only remaining The pact itself does not require the participants to use or deploy nuclear weapons. I| was only when New Zealand tried to apply its non-nuclear policy that it became clear that the US regarded this as a condition of ANZUS Economic reprisals against New Zealand might be expected. Meanwhile economic tension between the US and Australia over competition in agriculture is causing further tension. Hawke has said: "Australia is being held hostage to the economic bastardy of the European Community and the United States. This policy has caused disintegration of the body of support for the policies which underlined the ANZUS alliance. It hasn't disintegrated but it is weakening and I
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PROTEST LONDON SATURDAY 13th SEPTEMBER