 Hello and welcome to around the world in 8 minutes, a show from People's Dispatch, where we bring your voices of the working class and the oppressed, as they work to resist the tyrannical forces of capitalism and imperialism and attempt to build a better world. First, we go to West Papua, where massive mobilizations and protests are continuing, even though confrontations between the police and the protesters have turned increasingly more violent. On August 31, according to sources from the region, a police firing in the city of Jaipur in West Papua killed three and injured more. In a similar incident on August 28, in the DI district in West Papua, the police opened fire at a group of protesters. Although there have been conflicting reports about the number, sources from the region have stated that at least seven people have been killed in the incident and at least a dozen civilians are injured. It is difficult to report or ascertain the accurate fallout from the region because of a partial communications lockdown imposed upon by the government. Internet is extremely sporadic and often hours or an entire day goes by before any news outlet can report on the happenings of the rest of the region. While international media houses are prevented from reporting from the ground, even domestic Indonesian media is finding it difficult to access facts from the ground. In the meanwhile, mobilizations have also spread among Papuans and other parts of Indonesia as well. On August 31, students in Medan in North Sumatra took out a protest rally in the city and called for independence. There have been at least a dozen such rallies by Papuan students and migrants, especially in the areas of Java and Sumatra, which has witnessed some particularly racist violence on the community. Protests flared up across the two Papuan provinces of Indonesia in response to police repression and racist violence that happened in the days leading up to the Indonesian Independence Day. On August 16, the eve of Independence Day, the police undertook clandestine detention of nearly 170 Papuan students and protesters. On August 15 and 16, Papuan students were victims of racist mob attacks in East Java in their hostels over unsubstantiated rumors, which also had a town mayor calling for the deportation. The protests first began in Jayapura and other coastal cities and then fast-spread to the hinterlands of West Papua, like Dogiay, where thousands called for anti-racist demonstrations and also demanded for an end to violence on Papuans. The protests that were triggered by police violence have since snowballed into a complete breakdown of law and order in the provinces of Papua and West Papua. This, as despite the Indonesian government's response to further militarize the region by adding in extra 300 troops and 1200 police personnel. Even though a large part of the protests have remained peaceful, apart from a few instances of damage to public property and government buildings, the region has been virtually shut down for around a week. The protests have led to the renewing of the long-held demand for an independence referendum. West Papua, which was earlier a Dutch colony, formally held under the Dutch East Indies, was handed over to Indonesia, led by Suharto at the time after the signing of the New York Agreement of August 15, 1969. Papuans have historically commemorated the anniversary of the agreement to call for a democratic referendum and the right to self-determination that has long been denied to them by the Indonesian government. Now going to Zimbabwe, a magistrate in Harare has extended the demand of Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union's President Peter Mutasa and Secretary General Jaffet Moyo until October 2. The ZCTU is the country's largest trade union affiliated to the main center's opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change. In January, during the labor protests triggered by the 150 percent hike in fuel price, over a thousand people, including Mutasa and Moyo, were arrested along with amalgamated rural teachers union of Zimbabwe President Oberth Masarare. All three leaders were charged with treason. Jaffet Moyo informed people's dispatch that as part of the conditions of the remand, they were required to surrender the title deeds of the properties and houses they owned. They were also not supposed to be involved in similar calls for any strike actions. On August 20, the government filed an application to extend the remand till November. Messages expressing solidarity with the leaders and their cause poured in from unions outside the continent as well, with various leaders from across the world calling for the dropping of treason charges and an end to their persecution. However, the Harare magistrate has extended the remand until October 2. The two leaders have also been facing death threats which the police has been reluctant to investigate. On August 15, a day ahead of protests called by the Movement for Democratic Change in Harare, the leaders received death threats again, warning them against participating in the event. On June 16, the two leaders had received death threats in a letter accompanied with a parcel carrying a bullet. A number of activists who had received such threats have been abducted in the recent past. The protests scheduled by the MDC in the capital on August 16 was finally banned by the government. Some of the leaders who defied the ban and came out with their supporters to hold demonstrations were attacked by the police who made use of batons, tear gas and water cannons. A number of other protests planned in different cities have also been banned. Being unable to address the severe economic crisis, the insecurity of the government is becoming increasingly evident with the targets of such abductions expanding from union leaders and opposition politicians to artists who are critical of the government. Finally, in Colombia, thousands of teachers marched on the streets of the capital city on Wednesday, August 28, beginning a 48-hour strike. This is the second such strike by teachers this year. The strike call was given by the Colombian Federation of Education Workers or FICOT, protesting the violence against social and union activists which includes education workers and also calling attention to the neglect faced by the education sector due to underfunding. Violence against social and union leaders is becoming increasingly common in Colombia, with teachers also being among the targets. Recently, a professor at the Huasano Agro-Impressarial Education Institute, Orlando Gomez, was abducted by armed men in northern Coca, one of the most violent areas in the country. His body was found nearby a few days later. Teachers in Bogotá came from different provinces to gather at the National Park and march till the Education Ministry. They displayed signs and slogans such as more books, fewer weapons, fight for education and education is dead. Demonstrations were held in other cities of the country as well. The protesters were also rejecting a recent campaign carried out by former president Alvaro Uribe, who backed current right-wing president Iván Duque. The protesters were also rejecting a recent campaign carried out by former president Alvaro Uribe, who backed current right-wing president Iván Duque. In his campaign, Uribe accused Colombia schools of indoctrinating students. Nelson Alacron from Ficot rejected this charge saying that teachers educate boys and girls. They teach them value so they can decide and make their own decisions. They do not indoctrinate them. One of the other major demands of the teachers is for the government to improve the conditions of the health services provided to teachers. Ficot has said that currently those services are in critical shape, which has led to suspension of treatment for cancer patients, refusal to attend to urgent health issues and a lack of information about healthcare networks. Education infrastructure has also been facing neglect. Some school buildings have had to be demolished due to their deterioration. Teachers have also raised doubts about the $630 million budget allocated for maintenance, fearing it is either being held back or may have been embezzled. Moreover, Duque's administration has also allegedly cut enrollment goals by half in his national development plan, while giving himself additional powers over education. Due to underfunding of the education sector and reports of the president holding extra powers, teachers are also fearing privatization attempts. So this is all the time we have in this episode of Around the World in 8 Minutes. For more such stories and videos, visit our website peoplesdispatch.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.