North Korean defectors are spearheading efforts to promote democracy by launching balloons carrying propaganda and aid packages across the border. But is it really making an impact on the citizens in the North? "Kim Jong-un used up money that could feed 20 million people for a year just for missiles," despairs Park Sang-Hak, a North Korean defector who's gained international attention for sending aid balloons to his homeland. With North Korea gearing up for war, the plight of its people suffering from poverty, chronic malnutrition and political repression remains as alarming as ever.
Frank Smith
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Israel/Palestine - Renegade Jewish Settlers
- 32' min 24" sec [3 September 2012]
Ranging from plywood shacks to large suburban housing complexes, 300,000 Israeli settlers now occupy outposts along Palestine's West Bank, increasing tension and grinding the two-state solution to a halt. "Jewish people have been here for 5,000 years. We were given the opportunity to come back," one settler states. Originally a temporary occupation of Palestinian territories, illegal Jewish squatting outposts are on the rise, causing the fragile peace process to grind to a halt. At a thriving "counter-terrorism" shooting range, Jewish settlers can easily get their hands on guns, unlike their Palestinian neighbours. "We've got to be alert: Arabs infiltrate our settlements to steal and get information." As tensions escalate, the stand-off looks unlikely to change. "Settlers have learned that if they squat a site long enough, Israel will give them its approval, its infrastructure and its security." VBS.tv
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Ukraine - Lords of the Ring
- 25 min 30 sec [3 September 2012]
Klitschko packs punch for opposition ahead of elections
With Ukraine's elections set for 28th October the country is still dogged by corruption. But now the Klitschko brothers, famed for their fights in the ring, are taking on the dark world of Ukrainian politics.
Vitali and Vladimir Klitschko have amassed an amazing record in the ring, winning all four international heavyweight belts. But now these articulate and charismatic sportsmen have plans to take on a new fight: the political forces that have made their beloved homeland one of the most corrupt states in Europe. "We have to change a lot of things in Ukraine", says Vitali. The campaign trail is littered with candidates battered and beaten by government thugs, but the Klitschkos say the stakes are too high to ignore. "The democratic process has to get better." ABC Australia
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Belarus - Europe's Last Dictator
- 54' min 30'' sec [18 June 2012]
Alexander Lukashenko has held office in Belarus for 18 years, keeping power through torture, murder and kidnap. Looking back at the aftermath of the rigged 2010 elections, the regime seems unshakable. "Animals don't behave like that", recalls Irina, wife of the 2010 opposition candidate, Andrei Sannikov. Hundreds of people were brutally beaten and imprisoned in a single evening following the elections: part of Lukashenko's promise to "wring the necks" of the opposition. Since then, "people are isolated from information and 10 million people live in jail". This doc offers a rare and terrifying glimpse into Europe's most repressive regime.
Daffodil Productions
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Angola - Chinese Days
- 14' min 28'' sec [28 November 2011]
As Jose Eduardo dos Santos wins five more years of power in Angola, questions still surround the oil-for-infrastructure relationship between China and the once war-torn African country.
In exchange for rebuilding the country, China gains access to Angola's vast oil supplies. Government spokesman, Rui Falcao, insists Angola benefits from the investment: "The only country that came to help us was China". Yet behind the gleaming tower blocks and shopping centres lies a growing Angolan underclass. With a predicted growth of 8% this year, the country is on course to become one of the world's top economic performers. But at what cost?
SBS
