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Thread: security threat to Australia

  1. #1
    I eve's Avatar
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    Thumbs down security threat to Australia

    Scott Parkin, who had been teaching peace activism workshops in Melbourne, was detained on Saturday and had his six-month visitor visa cancelled on national security grounds. He is being deported to the US. One of his lawyers Marika Dias said her client, a long-time peace activist who was once arrested in America over a Greenpeace action, hadn't been told why he was considered a security risk in Australia.

    The above is from an article in "The Age" and it is worrying. The url is http://www.theage.com.au/news/Nation...377198475.html
    Eve

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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    It's so nice to see that your government is helping ours enforce the lovely Patriot Act, Eve. Soon we will only have conforming, "patriotic" people all over the planet and Bush's plan to spread "democracy" will have been a great success. A worrying article, indeed.
    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein

  3. #3
    antony abrennan's Avatar
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    thanks Diane we're so proud NOT!!!

    another problem we have is that our opposition have been so weak that they usually fall over themselves to support the Gov't when it comes to things like this. there are some people working on his behalf here lets hope he is released soon. they have revoked his Visa for some "secret" reason

  4. #4
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    Orders from Washington behind deportation: Brown

    September 11, 2005 - 7:00PM

    An American peace activist facing deportation from Australia may have been arrested for political reasons on orders from Washington, Greens leader Bob Brown said tonight.

    Scott Parkin, a teacher and activist who was once arrested in the United States, was detained yesterday by Australian Federal Police on the authority of the immigration department.

    Mr Parkin's lawyer Marika Dias today said Mr Parkin was told he'd been arrested, and had his visitor's visa cancelled, because he was considered a threat to national security.

    Mr Parkin - who had been teaching peace activism workshops in Melbourne - is being held at the Melbourne Custody Centre, where protesters rallied today against his detention and expected deportation.

    Ms Dias said authorities had not told Mr Parkin why he was considered a security risk in Australia.

    Senator Brown said he had serious concerns about the reasons for Mr Parkin's arrest given his history of activism against US military contractor Halliburton, which has close ties to US Vice President Dick Cheney.

    "I think the big question here is whether it's a political arrest and deportation," Senator Brown said.

    "It seems to have nothing to do with terrorism.

    "The Howard government will do whatever Washington asks of it and I am very concerned the request for his arrest came in the wake of information from Washington ... because he's an absolute thorn in the side of Dick Cheney, Halliburton and profit making deals that apply in Iraq."

    Senator Brown said he doubted the order for Mr Parkin's arrest had come from Australia's security services, given that he was cleared for a visa months ago.

    He said the government had been "very secretive" about Mr Parkin's detention and would not say under what law he had been arrested and held, nor why.

    Ms Dias said Mr Parkin had been involved in one non-violent protest against Halliburton in Sydney, but no arrests were made at that rally.

    Her client was now considering whether to appeal the decision to cancel his visa, Ms Dias said.

    "Really it seems to be that there are simply no grounds for this decision," she said.

    "He certainly feels that a grave injustice has been perpetrated here. He feels targeted. He feels, I suppose, that he's been treated very unfairly."

    Ms Dias said up to six AFP and immigration department officers took Mr Parkin from a Melbourne cafe on Saturday.

    He was now paying about $130 a day for his detention.

    Attorney-General Philip Ruddock told the ABC that Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone had made the decision to detain the American after a security check.

    He said visas could be revoked for a number of reasons.

    "I'm not going to comment on matters about which assessments are made by competent agencies," he told the ABC.

    "The only point I'd make is that in relation to those matters, there are provisions by which the decision can be challenged if people are inclined to do that."

    National Anti-Deportation Alliance spokeswoman Liz Thompson said Mr Parkin had done nothing wrong.

    "He's a hippy giving workshops on peace, non-violent direct action," she told the ABC.

    "I'm baffled. We'd love to know what the secret stash of information on this guy is, that makes him a threat to national security."

    Melbourne activist Rory Gutterson was among 30 people who protested against Mr Parkin's detention outside the Melbourne Custody Centre.

    He said he believed the detention was part of a wider government campaign to silence Australian activists.

    "Thousands of people have committed exactly the same 'offence' that's not actually illegal, as Scott has done," Mr Gutterson said.

    "We've spoken out against war, we've spoken out against detention and now we feel threatened by this and this is the government's aim."

    Mr Parkin arrived in Australia in early June and was planning to leave Australia in September, Ms Dias said.

    She said a number of "high-profile" Australian lawyers had offered to act on his behalf, but that he would have to stay in detention if he pursued an appeal.

    Greenpeace spokesman Dan Cass confirmed Mr Parkin had been arrested in America as part of a Greenpeace action, but said his treatment in Australia was unwarranted.

    He described Mr Parkin as Australia's first political prisoner, telling the ABC: "This only encourages us to think that when the Howard-controlled Senate looks at review of the ASIO laws, Australia will be facing potentially police state powers."

    AAP

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    cross barer
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    oh great we're all completely fucked.
    You know what this says to me? This says non-violent direct action actually works, otherwise they'd not be arsed with trying to stop it.

  6. #6
    Kevster
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    'Once arrested for a Greenpeace action' and then gets booted out, not quite like that in the UK. (yet..)

    That says to me that the Australian government feels threatened by a pacifist. I've never felt threatened by a pacifist, what other shadows are they chasing???

    Pacifist spreading peace message alert! Major threat to the country!

    It just gets more absurd, it should be funny.

  7. #7
    Kevster
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    Anyone feeling threatened by the English cricket team?

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    antony abrennan's Avatar
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    Legal bods from the big end of town are offering there assistance free to this guy. We're still waiting to see wethere he decides to appeal.

    Did you know we are charging HIM money to keep HIM in detention $130 a day!!

    Have a fallen into an illusion or something?

    Antony

  9. #9
    I eve's Avatar
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    Well I had to smile at Crikey.com's piece today after the Al Q'aeda threat to Melbourne (for non-Aussie's reading this, there's a certain rivalry between Sydney & Melbourne)

    "Sydneysiders are reeling this morning over news that Al Qaeda has announced Melbourne as a possible new target of their worldwide campaign to scare the p*ss out of people. This is being seen as a major snub in social and political circles of the 2000 Olympic City, and leading Sydneysiders are calling on Al Qaeda to reconsider their choice of future targets.

    The Al Qaeda announcement is also expected to make it even harder for Sydney politicians to redirect millions of taxpayer dollars from spending on education, child care and medicines for the elderly to buy CCTV cameras and other anti-terror related security measures. "It's terrible news," said one Sydney security specialist who has been campaigning for the NSW government to spend $100 million on his line of robot dogs that sniff out bombs concealed in the buttholes of Islamomaniac poodles.
    If Sydneysiders are disappointed by the Al Qaeda snub then Melbournians are absolutely gloating at the news that hit front pages and headlines around the world today. Fashionistas down south claim the Al Qaeda announcement is yet another sign of just how "cool" Melbourne had become."
    Eve

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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    Oh, you Australians have a great sense of humour.

    (that type of humour could get you put on a terrorist watch list here)
    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein

  11. #11
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    I reckon we're all on the terrorist watch over there

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    Peace activism no reason for deportation, Beazley says

    Opposition Leader Kim Beazley says he has sought a briefing on the reasons for the proposed deportation of the American peace activist.

    Scott Parkin has been in Australia since June and was arrested in Melbourne on Saturday after his visa was revoked when an assessment showed he posed a threat to Australia's national security.

    Mr Beazley says a history as a peace activist alone is not reason enough to be excluded from the country.

    "The Government has said there are additional security concerns in relation to that person and we are not aware of those," he said.

    "We are seeking to have ourselves made aware of those."

    Human rights lawyer Julian Burnside QC says he wants to know why it took so long for authorities to act if indeed Mr Parkin is a security threat.

    Greens Senator Bob Brown has described Mr Parkin's detention and probable deportation as an abuse of ASIO's powers.

    "ASIO's emergency powers, which have gone through the Parliament opposed by the Greens, were meant to be for terrorists, not for people who are campaigning against the misdeeds of the US administration or its associates," Senator Brown said.

    "We're not a police state."

    Mr Parkin's legal adviser, Marika Dias, says he has attended several protests in Australia but has done nothing wrong.

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    AR Activist Roxy's Avatar
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    Wow! This is crazy. I wonder what the big secret is!!??

    Is Halliburton the company that Michael Moore discussed to some length in Fahrenheit 9-11? If so, good on the guy for protesting against them!


    Why is the Australian government trying to live in the United States shaddow? Don't we have an identity of our own?

  14. #14
    Kevster
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    This is pretty embarrassing for the Australian government. Looks like the supposed crackdown on Terrorism may also be a very thinly disguised crackdown on protest. Looks like there'll be some freedom of speech issues coming up...

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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    Parkin deported to US: FBI says he's 'welcome'

    By Jano Gibson
    September 15, 2005 - 11:09AM


    Security threat ... Scott Parkin




    US peace activist Scott Parkin, who was deported from Australia this morning after being deemed a threat to national security, would be welcome back in his homeland, the FBI says.

    A Federal Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman in Los Angeles told smh.com.au the 36-year-old Texan teacher would not be tracked by the agency when he arrived back in the United States tomorrow.

    "As far as I'm aware a US citizen is welcome home," spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.

    Mr Parkin would only be subject to the standard regulations that any individual would face when arriving in the country, she said.

    The activist, who had been held in a Melbourne correctional centre since last Saturday, was believed to have boarded a Los Angeles-bound flight at 10.25 this morning, said Greenpeace, who are helping Mr Parkin challenge the Immigration Department's decision to revoke his visa.

    In a statement released by the organisation, Mr Parkin said he was "still baffled" as to why ASIO had given him an adverse security assessment.

    "I find this entire experience incomprehensible and am still baffled as to why my visa has been cancelled," he said.

    Mr Parkin, who had participated in protests against the Forbes CEO Conference in Sydney last month and was due to deliver a workshop on non-violent protests when he was detained, rejected Government assertions he was involved in violent political activity.

    "I am a student of mass social movements in the tradition of Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King jnr and I think that these movements have shown us the way to achieve positive social change," said Mr Parkin.

    He said he hoped Australians in the US would not be treated as he had been in Australia.

    "I hope that when Australians visit the US that they are allowed to voice their criticism of government and corporate policy without fear of reprisal, and that they are freely allowed to participate in peaceful protest."

    AAP reports: Peace protesters gathered at Melbourne Airport early today waving signs saying "Thanks for your non-violence, Scott" and "Peace is the Word".

    A supporter, Iain Murray, said it was ludicrous that Mr Parkin was considered a threat to Australia.

    "The only threat that Scott could represent is a threat of embarrassment and exposure of a government that has supported the war on Iraq," Mr Murray told reporters.

    "There's about as much evidence of Scott representing a threat as there's been evidence found of weapons of mass destruction."

    Mr Murray said Mr Parkin was taken from Melbourne Custody Centre about 6am and had been spirited into the airport by Immigration Department officials.

    "Scott is being deprived of that final dignity of being able to see his friends," he said.

    Mr Murray said Mr Parkin's removal from Australia was a gross violation of his rights, and he had not been adequately told why he was locked alone in a cell and then deported.

  16. #16
    cross barer
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    Well he's got a beard, he is obviously a member of Al Qaeda

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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    Looks like brown eyes too.
    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein

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    I eve's Avatar
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    And apparently he has to pay for the 5 nights he was locked up!
    Eve

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    Compensation for deported activist unlikely: Ruddock

    Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock says he doubts the American peace activist Scott Parkin will be able to successfully mount a claim for compensation.

    Mr Parkin, 36, was removed from Australia by the Immigration Department yesterday after intelligence agency ASIO ruled he was a risk to national security.

    He has vowed to seek compensation after receiving an $11,000 bill from the Australian Government for his deportation.

    Mr Ruddock says there are avenues for appeal but he doubts Mr Parkin will succeed.

    "Compensation would only be possible if the Government had behaved unlawfully," he said.

    "The Government hasn't behaved unlawfully. People who want to test the lawfulness of the decisions can do so, and he's free to do that and he's flagged it."

    Mr Parkin says he was in the country for three months on a tourist visa, holding peace workshops and anti-war protests.

    He says he has no idea why he was targeted by the Immigration Department.

    "I have completely no idea. I'm speaking out against the Government's policies supporting the war, the illegal war and occupation in Iraq."

    Mr Parkin says he has been banned from returning to Australia for three years.

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    Default and whilst I'm at it what about this

    Court strikes out AWI's conspiracy application against PETA

    The Federal Court in Sydney has struck out parts of Australian Wool Innovation's (AWI) case against People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

    But the court is allowing AWI to serve documents on PETA and its employees in the United States.

    Justice Healy struck out AWI's conspiracy application and its application under Section 45DB of the Trade Practices Act against Ingrid Newkirk and two others.

    AWI was relying on Section 45DB to argue PETA was using others to impede its ability to export wool.

    However, Justice Healy granted AWI leave to serve court documents on PETA in the United States and several of its employees.

    In a separate request, he also granted Western Australian wool-grower David Webster access to all court documents on the public record, in relation to the legal proceedings.

    And he granted AWI's request to subpoena Channel 9's out-takes of the 60 Minutes program the station aired involving an interview with Ms Newkirk.

    Directions were set down for November 11.

  21. #21
    Kevster
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    Default Re: and whilst I'm at it what about this

    I wonder who the next bogeyman the Aussies are going to throw out? My money is on Barney the dinosaur, if there was ever a threat to a person's sanity...

    Of course he'd have to get in first.

    Here's his home page:
    http://pbskids.org/barney/

    And something a little more strange:
    http://www.jihad.net/

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    antony abrennan's Avatar
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    Default Re: and whilst I'm at it what about this

    Quote Kevster
    I wonder who the next bogeyman the Aussies are going to throw out? My money is on Barney the dinosaur, if there was ever a threat to a person's sanity...
    Why don't you come over Kev

    we'll chuck you out

    thye great thing about this country is that we not only lock you up in solitary confinement, without telling you why, but we charge you for that then charge you for the flight home then ban you from coming back for three years.

    what a country

    Antony
    Australia and embarressed

    Australia, we'll chuck you out like no-one else

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    cross barer
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    Default Re: and whilst I'm at it what about this

    Quote Kevster
    I wonder who the next bogeyman the Aussies are going to throw out? My money is on Barney the dinosaur, if there was ever a threat to a person's sanity...

    Of course he'd have to get in first.

    Here's his home page:
    http://pbskids.org/barney/

    And something a little more strange:
    http://www.jihad.net/
    Did you see the simpsons episode where homer is watching Barney singing:
    "Two plus two isfour...two plus two is four...two plus two is four..."

    And homer summing up all the hype about the show says "It's not that good"

  24. #24
    Kevster
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    Default Re: and whilst I'm at it what about this

    Barney is a weapon of mind destruction....

  25. #25
    AR Activist Roxy's Avatar
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    Re: Scott Parkin

    Quote abrennan
    "The only threat that Scott could represent is a threat of embarrassment and exposure of a government that has supported the war on Iraq," Mr Murray told reporters.

    That's it in a nutshell, right there.

  26. #26
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    Default Activist's expensive exit goes to appeal

    Activist's expensive exit goes to appeal


    An Australian lawyer for Scott Parkin says the American peace activist will have to wait months to learn whether he will be made to pay more than $11,000 for his deportation.

    Julian Burnside, QC, said he had lodged an appeal with the Migration Review Tribunal over the cancellation of Mr Parkin's tourist visa, and the bill could be withdrawn only if the appeal was successful. Mr Parkin flew out of Melbourne on Thursday after his visa was cancelled on national security grounds last weekend.

    His bill for almost $11,700 includes $4235 for his air fare to Los Angeles and $6675 for the return air fares of his two corrective services escorts as well as their accommodation in the US.

    Mr Parkin told said in Los Angeles on his return that his five-day stay at the Melbourne Custody Centre would cost him another $777. "They said if I ever decided to return to Australia I'd have to pay them back."

    He was banned from entering Australia for three years, and the visa in his passport was stamped with "Not for further travel". Mr Burnside said the situation was extraordinary. Mr Parkin's removal from Australia seemed to be based only on something he had supposedly said, although he had not been told what that was.




    "If you can be kicked out of the country for saying words, where the words are not a criminal offence … then you have got a problem with democracy," Mr Burnside said.

    He said the appeal had been lodged on Monday and the process would take several months. The bill was standard practice, and removing it would be a consequence of overturning the decision to cancel Mr Parkin's visa. Mr Burnside said it was worrying that the federal Opposition had backed the Government's actions.

    Mr Parkin had been in Australia since June on a six-month tourist visa. The Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, said Mr Parkin was "welcome to try" to take legal action.

    "It would only be possible if the Government had behaved unlawfully," he said. "It hasn't acted unlawfully … The visa was cancelled lawfully, the person was detained and the person was removed. None of that gives rise to a claim for compensation."

    AAP

  27. #27
    Kevster
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    Default Re: Activist's expensive exit goes to appeal

    I'm all for a little prevention, being vegan and all, but you can now stop Barney from getting to Oz by playing this 'fun' game:

    http://impressive.net/games/barney/fun.cgi

    (O.K That's the last time i post Barney stuff)

    Pretty interesting,

    "They said if I ever decided to return to Australia I'd have to pay them back."

    So he doesn't have to pay if he doesn't return, that's a bit strange? You order a guy to pay loads of money and then say 'no worries mate' unless of course you set foot in our country again.

  28. #28
    I eve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Activist's expensive exit goes to appeal

    The whole affair stinks! Mr Parkin deserves an apology.
    Eve

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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    Let's hope it gets investigated

    unfortunately the givernment won't know anything about it because nobody told them.

    Antony

  30. #30
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia....the latest

    Deported activist denies violent protest report

    Deported activist Scott Parkin has again denied accusations that he was engaged in promoting violent methods of protest during his time in Australia.

    A story in the Australian newspaper today claimed that intelligence agency ASIO had information suggesting Mr Parkin held seminars canvassing methods such as throwing marbles under police horses to bring them down.

    The story also said ASIO was concerned about Mr Parkin's teaching tactics involving the use of force to free protesters from police custody.

    But Mr Parkin insists he never supported violent protest.

    "Absolutely not, I never did do that or never planned to do that," he said.

    "I think the whole thing about breaking people away who are in police custody, I actually got up at different seminars during the Forbes conference in Sydney [and said] that I think it's a bad idea because it leads to things like assault, on a police officer, charges."

  31. #31
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    Default Rock and Roll

    Call for Senate inquiry into peace activist's deportation

    The Australian Greens is calling for a Senate inquiry into the deportation of US peace activist Scott Parkin.

    Mr Parkin denied being a threat to national security and rejected suggestions that he had promoted violent protest methods during his time in Australia.

    Greens Senator Bob Brown is demanding to know why he was denied a briefing on the reasons for Mr Parkin's arrest and says the Government should be made accountable.

    "I'll be moving in the Senate, when we return in a week's time, for an inquiry into how the Government and ASIO got it so wrong with Scott Parkin, who was under false allegations, gossip from somewhere, arrested and deported from this country on charges that are simply untrue," he said.

    Senator Brown says Mr Parkin should be compensated, his visa returned, and the Prime Minister should apologise for what Senator Brown says was a grave miscarriage of justice.

    The Greens leader is also writing to the inspector-general of Intelligence and Security.

    "I want to know why I wasn't briefed on it when I asked," he said.

    "It's patently obvious now because I'd have analysed this and without going into details put a very different, come to a very different [conclusion] to the Labor leaders who failed in their duty to analyse the information they were getting and make an independent judgement on it."

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    Default Re: Rock and Roll

    The unsurprising thing is that the labor leader, Beazley the bastard, was briefed on the matter, and he said that he was quite satisfied. Well he would, wouldn't he?
    Eve

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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    As Bob Brown says in the article Beazley and his mates "failed in their duty to analyse the information the recieved". They might as well join the Liberal party as far as I am concerned. I think the Labor party's problem is that there "isn't one." The use of the term opposition also has fallen into disrepair.

    Go Bob Brown.

    Antony

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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    From indymedia:

    Sedition Laws Target Peaceful Civil Disobedience
    by davey Tuesday October 18, 2005 at 11:09 PM


    The new Sedition Laws in the anti-terror bills clearly target people who call for acts of non-violent civil disobedience. Under the laws there is no defence for calling for change to any law by anything other than lawful means. Penalty is up to seven years jail.

    In an extremely dangerous development for free speech that is yet to be picked up by the mainstream press, the new anti-terror bills clearly outlaw calls for non-violent civil disobedience.

    The changes to the Sedition Act which are Part of Schedule 7 of the draft laws (p75) outline the following

    "In this section:
    seditious intention means an intention to effect any of the following purposes:
    (a) to bring the Sovereign into hatred or contempt;
    (b) to urge disaffection against the following:
    (i) the Constitution;
    (ii) the Government of the Commonwealth;
    (iii) either House of the Parliament;
    (c) to urge another person to attempt, otherwise than by lawful means, to procure a change to any matter established by law in the Commonwealth;
    (d) to promote feelings of ill-will or hostility between different groups so as to threaten the peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth.

    I draw your attention to section c) which clearly targets not just peaceful civil disobedience but anyone who calls for civil disobedience. By definition the civil disobidence is involves the attempt to change a law through non-lawful means. So shortly when you put up a post on Indymedia calling for blockading in Gippsland, being part of a non-legally sanctioned picket, a sit in against uranium mining etc you could face 7 years gaol.

    But wait you say - the government says that it is offering an "acting in good faith" defence against sedition charges. Read on:

    (p79 of law)
    80.3 Defence for Acts done in Good Faith
    (1) Sections 80.1 and 80.2 do not apply to a person who:

    (c) urges in good faith another person to attempt to lawfully procure a change to any matter established by law in the Commonwealth, a State, a Territory or another country;

    Note the law specifically only offers a defence to people who act in good faith to urge others LAWFULLY procure a change to the law. So the law on sedition specifically offers no defence to those who call for changes to law to happen outside the law ie this obviously includes peaceful non-violent civil disobedience.

    So the new sedition law makes it a serious criminal offence to even call for an act of peaceful civil disobedience.

    The sedition law also only offers a defence to those involved in union actions if

    "e) does anything in good faith in connection with an industrial dispute or an industrial matter."
    What the hell does this mean. Who decides what industrial actions "are in good faith". Its totally open to interpretation of the courts who we know can sometimes come down very hard on militant union action. So now calling for a picket if it is outside the ever narrowing legal framework of legal disputes will be a crime facing up to seven years gaol.

    The mainstream press are not even covering this aspect of the laws - but the deportation of a U.S. activist Scott Parkin who was calling for you guessed it - peaceful non-violent civil disobedience as a "national security threat" shows who the government are gunning for.

    These Sedition Laws are a drastic attack on free speech and are worthy of a fascist police state. I defy someone to explain to me how these aspects of the Sedition Laws can be justified as part of the so-called "War on Terror". How will these changes to the sedition laws make us safer? Rather it is obvious that these laws are designed to give the state the power it desires to crush dissent.

  35. #35
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    The Age has an online poll whether you think that parliament should spend more time discussing the new legislature or not.

    Click here to vote

  36. #36
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    Default Re: security threat to Australia

    ASIO attempts to admit the truth re US Activist:

    Deported peace activist blameless
    November 1, 2005

    AN AMERICAN peace activist deported from Australia on the grounds he was a threat to national security was not involved in any dangerous or violent protests in Australia, ASIO revealed yesterday.

    Scott Parkin, 36, from Houston, Texas, returned to the US in September after his visitor's visa was cancelled on the grounds he posed a national security risk. He was kept in solitary confinement by Australian Federal Police in Melbourne following an adverse security assessment by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.

    ASIO chief Paul O'Sullivan denied his agency was pressured by the US into making the adverse assessment. Asked if Mr Parkin had been violent in Australia, Mr O'Sullivan said he had not.

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