This International Dateline episode includes three segments: Zimbabwe - Operation Tsunami, a Mary Robinson Interview, and Tonga - At the Tipping Point.
Zimbabwe - Operation Tsunami
In the '80s, Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe was hailed as a liberator and a national hero after he rid his country of British colonial rule. But now, Robert Mugabe stands accused of presiding over a reign of terror that's seen tens of thousands of Zimbabweans violently displaced from their homes in what Mugabe calls "Operation Drive Out Trash." More than 700,000 urban poor have been left homeless in what they refer to as "Operation Tsunami." Dateline reporter Ginny Stein spent the last three weeks secretly filming this disaster in Zimbabwe.
Mary Robinson Interview
In 1990, Mary Robinson -- lawyer, philosopher, activist and academic -- burst onto the global scene when she was elected President of Ireland. After her role as the first-ever female president of Ireland, she ran the UN High Commission for Human Rights and now chairs an independent international body known as The Ethical Globalization Initiative. Dateline caught up with Mary Robinson during a recent trip to Australia and to discuss her thoughts on democratic freedoms during this time of "war on terror."
Tonga - At the Tipping Point
The only remaining feudal monarchy in the South Pacific is under threat in Tonga. Public servants are on strike, the King's beach house has been burned to the ground and demonstrations over pay and electricity prices have rocked the capital in recent weeks. Behind the unrest is a feeling that the monarchy's days are numbered. The ailing King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV is not expected to live much longer and his son and heir the Crown Prince is deeply unpopular, with an image as a spoilt playboy with his fingers in far too many lucrative businesses. Dateline's Chris Hammer reports from the streets of Nuku'alofa where he's been spending time with the strikers to assess whether this is really the start of a political revolution. Tensions are high and there is even talk of the military being called in to restore order and services.
About International Dateline
SBS Dateline, which began in 1984, is Australia's longest-running international current affairs program. It has a well-earned reputation for authoritative and incisive reporting. Dateline has taken the traditional way of producing TV current affairs and turned it on its head. Reporters who used to travel with a cameraperson and sound recordist now travel alone and have the responsibility of both filming and reporting their stories. The reporters became video-journalists, gaining access to people and places that the conventional camera crews cannot.
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