"Don't Be Bush-Whacked" (Part 2)
The United Nations and the Sea Swap campaign

In the lead-up to Bush's visit to Australia, Jules Andrews spoke to 
Hannah Middleton, President of the Communist Party of Australia and a
co-convenor of the Sydney Peace and Justice Coalition. In the first part of 
the interview, published in last week's Guardian, Dr Middleton spoke 
about the forthcoming "Don't Be Bush-Whacked" action in Sydney and what 
Bush expects from Australia. She takes up the question of the United 
Nations and the Sea Swap campaign in this instalment.

Jules Andrews: You've mentioned the role of the United Nations.
Bush was there again recently asking for more assistance in Iraq —
this time a little more humbly — acknowledging the US is facing
great difficulties. Yet once again he got a very cool reception
from other countries.

Hannah Middleton: Yes, but a number of forces suggest that the 
United Nations is not an appropriate forum because it is so dominated by 
the United States.

No single country can stand up against the US at the moment. No power, no 
other state has the power the US has.

However, there is a struggle within the United Nations for the General 
Assembly to express its voice. The majority of the General Assembly are 
opposed to pre-emptive strike and opposed to the war on Iraq. So there is a 
very strong case for a reform of the United Nations.

JA: Australia is one of the countries arguing for an expanded 
Security Council, which is perhaps at odds with US policy.The Australian 
Government has argued for the inclusion of Germany and Japan. There are 
others — Brazil, Indonesia, India, South Africa and Nigeria. Is there a 
need for an expanded Security Council?

Eliminate veto

HM: Expanding the number on the Security Council will not change the 
situation so long as the nuclear club has veto power. The more countries 
that are added, the more one may be pretending the Security Council is 
genuinely representative, and it's not.

If just the three countries from the non-aligned movement (India, Brazil, 
and South Africa — Editor) were brought on it would change the political 
complexion of the Council and all kinds of wonderful decisions could be 
made. But as long as the United States retained its veto power it would use 
it to thwart the majority decisions of the Council, as it has consistently 
and effectively done since the inception of the UN.

To democratise the Security Council and make it work as an executive which 
carries out and expands the decisions of the world's countries, a genuinely 
democratic kind of multilateralism is needed. The veto power must be 
removed and the power within the UN must reside with the General Assembly.

JA: Immediately prior to, and shortly after the Iraq war there were 
a number of demonstrations which pulled record numbers of people onto the 
streets. This activity has dropped off in recent months. What difficulties 
are you having getting people active again?

New protest actions

HM: There are a number of actions being planned — the October 19, 
"Don't Be Bush-Wacked" protest — and protests against the Sea Swap scheme 
in WA. The huge demonstration on February 16 came out of a growing movement 
which had seen smaller demonstrations before it became a world-wide event. 
So by February there was already an enormous amount of publicity — we are 
going to have to battle very hard to make sure people know about the coming 
actions.

Another thing is that while ordinary people understand war, no-one is 
fighting a war at the moment — there is an occupation but not an invasion 
going on.

There are moments when people respond in very large numbers to a specific 
situation.

During the French nuclear testing at Muroroa there were two very large 
demonstrations. During the first Gulf War there were about 60,000 on the 
streets. But that war provoked only one demonstration of that size.

On February 16 this year there was a strong feeling that "We, the people, 
have spoken", and people were left very angry because Howard ignored them 
completely.

So perhaps they will want to come out again on October 19, and once again 
express their views to Howard and Bush.

However, while we are focusing on Bush's visit at the moment there are a 
wide range of things that need to be done.

In other areas of the country there are all kinds of other peace movement 
projects in process.

JA: There is a campaign in Western Australia against a new US naval 
facility.

HM: In Western Australia there is a very large campaign about Sea 
Swap. US naval ships come to Western Australia and swap their crews there 
instead of having to go back to mainland USA.

This would mean large numbers of US troops — for example, the whole crew 
of an aircraft carrier — living in WA, possibly with their families.

The Australian Government has also invited the US Navy to use the 
Australian Defence Force's Lancelin Training Area.

Now, the US military has the worst record in terms of world-wide 
environmental vandalism, and it has spread contamination not only via the 
wars it has waged — most recently again Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq -
- but through contamination at the over 300 military bases it has used 
outside continental United States.

It is very likely that they would use depleted uranium shells during their 
exercises at Lancelin. This would leave the West Australian people with the 
legacy of yet another nuclear no-go area, along with the Monte Belo Islands 
which were handed over to the British for nuclear testing in the 1950s.

The Fremantle Anti-Nuclear Group (FANG) has an excellent web-page with 
information on Sea Swap, Lancelin, depleted uranium and campaign materials 
at www.seaswap.org

What communists can do

JA: Finally, what is our role as communists within the peace 
movement?

HM: As communists in any mass organisation, we must try to be 
exemplary in the way we work to carry out the decisions of that 
organisation.

Party comrades should join working groups of the peace coalitions; they 
should be out postering, handing out leaflets and should encourage friends 
and neighbours to take part.

One idea of previous demonstrations was "Bring your street with you!". 
Actually go out and visit your neighbours and perhaps say "I don't know how 
you feel about this but how about we go together, and maybe we could make a 
banner together that says "X Street says we won't be bushwacked" (And then 
they could enter that in the competition for the best banner!)

People who don't often take part in demonstrations often like to go in a 
group. There is strength in numbers if they are not so familiar with 
demonstrations. Party members should initiate these kinds of activities.

A number of Party comrades already work within their local peace groups and 
should make sure their groups participate as a local group with a banner. 
They should also encourage their local group to take on the responsibility 
of publicity.

The Peace and Justice Coalition (in Sydney) has affiliated organisations of 
which the CPA is one. Party comrades should ensure that any mass 
organisation they belong to — an ethnic group, a trade union, an 
environmental group, etc. is affiliated and sends delegates. That is where 
the decision-making is done and the basic direction decided.

As well as working very hard to carry out the decisions when they're made 
Party members must argue for the content of those decisions and to find 
appropriate forms in which to express our views.

The Peace and Justice Coalition is very broad, it has ALP, Greens, trade 
unions, ethnic groups, religious groups and others in it.

That means its very pluralist in its position — as it should be. It should 
appeal to the broadest constituency possible to activate people and bring 
them into the peace movement.

At the same time it is always possible to bring out the structural analysis 
that the anti-imperialist forces make about why we have these wars and how 
terrorism is caused as a result of imperialism.

All those things need to come through in an appropriate form, at an 
appropriate time.

The impact of imperialism on ordinary people — the suffering, despair and 
hatred it breeds because of its brutality — it is important that a clear 
anti-imperialist line is argued for.

The Peace and Justice Coalition will not be an anti-imperialist 
organisation but that element is legitimate and it is important that that 
viewpoint be heard within it.