Indonesia, for example, has seen steep increases in unemploy- ment and underemployment, accompanied by food shortages. One in every five Indonesian employees lost their jobs in 1998 and unemployment is around 15 per cent. Britain jails a higher proportion of its population than any other country in the European Union. One in six prisoners has defaulted on fines. The number of women in prison has doubled in the past few years despite the fact that the vast majority are serving sentences for giving false information to social security, shoplifting and other types of non-violent crime.
More blood is spilled over oil.
The killing started when soldiers opened fire in Yenagoa, capital of Nigeria s main oil-producing Bayelsa State, on 30 December. Youths had gathered there to protest the expiry of an ultimatum to oil firms to leave the region. Some unconfirmed reports from Nigeria allege that the military used Shell helicopters to bomb Ijaw towns. The demonstrators planned to stage a series of non-violent occupations and protests against gas flares, pipelines and other oil installations. They are demanding the withdrawal of the operating companies.