https://www.noise11.com/news/dili-allstars-timor-leste-solidarity-concert-melbourne-2026-20260428

(Note: For over a decade, Timor-Leste's minimum wage has remained stagnant at $115 a month despite the rising cost of living.)

#APHEDA #DilliAllStars #domesticWorkers #EastTimor #labourmovement #MUA #Organize #solidarity #TimorLeste

$10 Billion Financial Aid For Asian Nations Confirmed by Japanese Prime Minister

With many nations in Asia already struggling with the very expensive prices of fuel related to the conflicts in the Middle East, their respective economic struggles are only getting worse. That said, they are very fortunate to have Japan on their side as Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae officially announced that her government will provide them financial support worth $10 billion, according to a Kyodo News report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of Kyodo News Some parts in boldface…

The Japanese government said Wednesday it will provide a total of $10 billion in financial support to other Asian nations to help them secure crude oil supplies as prices soar amid the Middle East conflict, aiming to ensure that petroleum-derived products made in those countries keep flowing into Japan.

The aid, announced by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi following an online meeting with her counterparts mainly from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is aimed at beefing up energy supply chains across the region such as through loans for procuring crude oil and petroleum products as well as expansion of stockpiles.

“Japan is closely interconnected with each Asian country through supply chains and mutually dependent with them,” Takaichi told reporters, adding that oil shortages or supply disruptions in Asia could have a “significant negative impact” on her nation’s economy and society.

The planned financial aid is equivalent to up to 1.2 billion barrels — about one year of crude oil imports by ASEAN countries, she said.

Japan imports petroleum-derived products from Southeast Asia, including items used at medical facilities. Many countries in the region maintain limited oil reserves, so there have been concerns that supply shortages could eventually affect shipments to Japan.

The surge in oil prices on the back of the war that led to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global energy transportation, has raised concerns in some Southeast Asian countries over their ability to pay for imports.

Tokyo aims to address the risks through financial support, including loans via the government-backed Japan Bank for International Cooperation, according to government sources.

The Japanese prime minister emphasized that the latest supportive scheme does not include direct crude oil provisions from Japan’s reserves and therefore will not negatively affect domestic supplies.

Given its high dependence on the Middle East for crude oil imports, Japan keeps abundant oil stockpiles in the country.

The other nations that joined the Japan-led, leaders-level virtual gathering were Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the $10 billion assistance of Japan will be sufficient for the Asian nations for their oil and energy needs? Do you think the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran will eventually stop harming its neighbors now that American forces have blocked all the Iranian ports to allow other ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz safely? Do you think the ASEAN member nations have learned their lessons about depending excessively on the Middle East for importing oil?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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No #exploitation of #EastTimor

https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2026/apr/06/prince-group-timor-leste-links-to-alleged-scam-empire?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Today in Labor History March 12, 1967: Suharto took power from Sukarno in Indonesia. He ruled Indonesia as an authoritarian, kleptocratic dictator for 31 years, and is widely considered one of the most brutal and corrupt dictators of the 20th century. During that time, he amassed a fortune worth $38 billion. Suharto rose to power under Sukarno during the 1965-1966 genocide. During that ostensibly anti-Communist purge, Suharto’s troops murdered 1-3 million communists, labor activists, peasants and ethnic minorities. During that genocide, he received support military and economic from both the U.S. and the U.K. In 1974, the Suharto regime, with approval of U.S. president Gerald Ford, invaded East Timor, killing over 200,000 Timorese. Another 75,000-200,000 died from starvation and disease. The current Indonesian government is considering awarding him the posthumous honor of National Hero.

#workingclass #LaborHistory #genocide #indonesia #easttimor #massacre #deathsquads #suharto #sukarno #dictator #communist #union #torture #imperialism #coldwar #starvation

"Since the atrocities of October 7, 2023, a number of American and Israeli negotiators — among them Robert Malley and Daniel Levy — have spoken openly about how deeply flawed and performative past peace efforts have been. Behind closed doors, they acknowledge what was long known: that the so-called “peace process” was never designed to deliver a Palestinian state."
#IsraelWarCrimes #WesternComplicity #Gaza #Palestine #Genocide #EastTimor

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/02/13/timor-leste-and-the-future-of-palestine-lessons-in-freedom-and-the-failure-of-power/

“It is white people supporting white people being attacked. But then they are silent on Israel as it bulldozes the whole of Palestine; carpet bombing, killing tens of thousands of civilians.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/12/qa-east-timors-president-ramos-horta-on-diplomacy-gaza-and-the-west

#gaza #ramoshorta #easttimor

Yesterday in Labor History, November 29, 2023: Mass murderer and War Criminal Henry Kissinger is finally dead!

He won the Nobel Peace Prize, along with Lê Đức Thọ, for their work in orchestrating a ceasefire in the Vietnam War. Two Nobel Prize committee members resigned in protest. During his diplomatic career, Kissinger was involved in orchestrating and/or supporting the Chilean coup and Pinochet dictatorship (over 3,000 killed); the Argentine Dirty War (up to 30,000 killed); the Pakistani genocide in Bangladesh (3 million killed); and the Genocide in East Timor (up to 300,000 killed).

#kissinger #WarCrimes #genocide #HumanRights #imperialism #MassMurder #dictatorship #NobelPrize #vietnam #chile #EastTimor #bangladesh #argentina

East Timor still searches for justice, 50 years after Indonesian invasion | Human Rights News | Al Jazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/28/east-timor-still-searches-for-justice-50-years-after-indonesian-invasion

#EastTimor #Indonesia #Genocide