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News :: Civil Liberties & Human Rights : Law & Justice : Politics & Elections : Trade & International Relations : War & Peace |
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The pursuit of justice for David Hicks |
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by ke |
14 Apr 2006
Modified: 11:19:21 AM |
 Adelaide-born David Hicks has been incarcerated in the United States' notorious military prison at Guantanamo Bay for over 4 years. Unlike other countries such as Britain which have successfully negotiated the return of their nationals, the Australian Government has consistently refused to negotiate for a fair deal for Hicks, who now faces trial under the controversial military commision system. Hicks, who has a claim to British citizenship, achieved a victory on 12 April 2006 when the British Court of Appeals dismissed the UK Government's attempt to overturn his citizen's rights. In Adelaide on the same day a public meeting was organised by Fair Go for David, bringing together Hicks' legal counsels and his father to update the large audience on the progress of the campaign to bring him home.
Read the legal updates at the public meeting
Fair Go For David |
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News :: Civil Liberties & Human Rights : Law & Justice : Police & Thieves |
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Willful neglect by DFAT of Australian imprisoned in Argentina |
by karin eliot
Email: karineliot (nospam) gmail.com |
03 Nov 2005
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 On 4 February 2003 Australian man Stephen Sutton was arrested in a joint Australian Federal Police/Argentine police operation in Buenos Aires.
After being held for two an a half years without charge, he was finally convicted of drug trafficking, and sentenced to 11 years in an Argentine prison. This conviction was despite ANY drugs being found on Stephen or in his hotel at the time of the raid.
Moreover, when Stephen was 15 he had a rare type of scalp tumour removed, and according to his family 'was never the same ... and seemed to stay in this age bracket'. This fact alone suggests it is more likely that, if indeed there is ANY connection between Stephen Sutton and the drug trade, Stephen was exploited by unscrupulous others, tricked into being an unwitting drug mule in what has been described as a 'transnational organised crime syndicate'.
Now Stephen Sutton is seriously ill in prison with tuberculosis, and being denied basic health care. His concerned family have been consistently fobbed off by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and even threatened with imprisonment themselves under the Privacy Act for discussing their own frustrations with the system.
Stephen's older sister Ann Cluse, from Salisbury Downs discusses her experiences dealing with government bureaucracies that appear completely uninterested in offering basic protection to an Australian citizen abroad in dire trouble.
Does being in prison mean you have lost all human rights?
Are there are other Australians imprisoned overseas enduring similar neglect from Australian Consular agencies?
Is this a systemic problem?
Read more....
background to Stephen Sutton's situation
Interview with Stephen Sutton's sister
Stephen Sutton support website
Letter from Stephen Sutton
Photo caption: Stephen Sutton with his niece Dee, in Australia |
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News :: Nuclear issues |
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Green-Black Alliance reborn in Quorn |
by Rig
Email: sievx01 (nospam) yahoo.com.au |
28 Sep 2005
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As Australia’s uranium industry looks to expansion and the nuclear power debate ricochets around parliaments across the nation, Indigenous groups and environmental organisations concerned about the nuclear industry’s destructive impacts met in Quorn, in South Australia’s southern Flinders Ranges . |
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Read the full article... (22 comments) |
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Everything is Not Fine and Dandy in Port Augusta |
by Rig
Email: sievx01 (nospam) yahoo.com.au |
09 Jun 2005
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The Baxter immigration detention centre is an obvious blight on the image of this town, however there is a more deep-seated conflict. This is the intensification of policing operations aimed at the town’s Aboriginal population and the underlying racist sentiment that drives it.
In February of this year a STAR force team was used against Aboriginal people congregating on an area of foreshore. The STAR force team was deployed at the request of the Local Council and police. The Council cited serious public order issues as the reason for this aggressive action, however in the context of Port Augusta’s history of white settlement and Aboriginal dispossession, this seemed like yet another act in a long line of racially motivated abuses by the white land-owning establishment |
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Read the full article... (18 comments) |
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News :: Civil Liberties & Human Rights : Refugees & Asylum seekers |
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Notorious isolation unit re-opened at Baxter |
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by adele indy |
25 May 2005
Modified: 03:19:15 AM |
 Just in case you were thinking that the release last night of 3 year old Naomi Leong from the Villawood immigration prison marks a change for the better in Australia's brutal and unyielding treatment of refugees, think again. The ghosts of Tampa and SIEV-X are not so easily dispelled. The notorious 'Red 1' isolation compound in Baxter Detention Centre is being used again, after being closed since the February release of Australian Cornelia Rau who had been wrongfully held there for over two months. Ask any asylum seeker who has been locked up in "Management" at Baxter about their individual experience and you will hear reports of humiliation, physical and mental cruelty, and deprivation of basic human rights. An African asylum seeker was forcibly taken to Red 1 compound last Saturday (21 May). He has not been able to make any phone calls since being placed in the compound. Baxter refugees staged a protest on May 23 to highlight the situation of the man placed in Red 1. Mira Wroblewski, National Rural Australians for Refugees (RAR) spokesperson, said her organisation is extremely concerned about this development. "Detainees who are psychologically fragile after years of detention, are again being punished by being placed in isolation units." RAR is concerned that detainees who are put into Red 1 compound have no right of appeal, and their placement in this compound is under the control of individual employees of GSL, the company contracted by the Australian Government to run detention centres. "GSL is able to operate with secrecy and its actions lack accountability", said Ms Wroblewski.
Meanwhile Attorney-General Philip Ruddock has used the controversial and illegal deportation of Australian citizen Vivian Alvarez to the Philippines 4 years ago to again push the barrow of the necessity of a universal identification system, claiming that its lack made it difficult to identify people who did not provide correct information to authorities. This is a highly spurious argument given the existence of extensive inter-linked government databases such as the Movements and Reporting System that contains details of ALL individuals' movements in and out of Australia, holding data from 1980.
LINKS:
Notorious isolation unit re-opened at Baxter
freed from life in detention
Cornelia Rau's first press conference (video)
more Rau digest from mainstream wires
Ruddock 'in dark' on Alvarez
Personal Information Digest-Border Control and Compliance Division |
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| Regional features from Oceania |
| oceania :: features |
| 2008 South Pacific Christian Anarchist Conference - July, Otautahi |
| by Anonymous
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14 Apr 2008 |
From July 11-13 the South Pacific Christian Anarchists (SPCA) will hold their third annual conference. The venue is Onuku Marae, Akaroa - an hour or so from Otautahi/Christchurch. The kaupapa for the Hui is examining how women lead in peace-making, justice-making, community-building and family. All welcome!
More: 2006 Conference | Audio: Anarchism in Aotearoa (With SPCA Manu Caddie) | Anarchopedia: Christian Anarchism |
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| oceania :: features |
| Decentralized Days of Action for Squats and Autonomous Spaces |
| by Anonymous
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14 Apr 2008 |
Following a meeting in the autonomous space 'Les Tanneries' in Dijon (France) last year, there was a call out for two days of decentralised actions in defence of free spaces and for an anti-capitalist popular culture on 11/12 April 2008.
A Reclaim the Streets party took place in Wellington outside 128 Abel Smith Street, a radical social centre which was raided only 6 months ago on 15th October in the so-called 'anti-terror' raids. The party was a great success, although the police showed up several times and some sound gear was confiscated. [ Report and Photos | Video ] |
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| oceania :: features |
| Labour party humiliated by protest at election congress |
| by Anonymous
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12 Apr 2008 |
The Labour Party and its cabal of ministers including Cullen, Maharey, King, Laban, Goff and Horomia were humiliated at a protest today outside of their election year congress by people holding them responsible for a range of issues. Helen Clark’s speech was interrupted and ministers were forced outside when a fire alarm went off at approximately 2:20pm. Cullen sought refugee behind his mummy as he walked outside, but that didn’t stop him being confronted by people who had been arrested on October 15th.
Members of the Labour Party assaulted people in an attempt to protect their |
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| oceania :: features | :: perth |
| Police Violence at treesit action in College Grove, Bunbury |
| | 11 Apr 2008 |
| From the newswire: April 14, 2008 -- Following a pre-dawn raid at College Grove bushland in Bunbury last week, two activists were arrested with one taken to hospital after a forceful and violent push by WA Police. A spokes for the Community Independent Activists (CIA) group says it was the "most violent display by police in 15 years of forest activism..." UPDATE: College Grove protesters stop machines for the day The forest rescuers managed to stop heavy machinery for over two hours on the first day and locked onto vehicles shutting down the destruction of native bushland for most of the |
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| oceania :: features |
| Boikot Obor Olimpiade, Boikot Beijing! |
| by Jakarta IMC
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8 Apr 2008 |
| 22 April Api Olimpiade tiba di Jakarta Solidaritas Global mendukung anti kekerasan Pemerintah Komunis Cina terhadap Tibet. Boikot Api Obor Olimpiade Beijing 2008. Sejak rusuh Tibet tiga pekan lalu, gerakan solidaritas dunia mulai muncul. Persis seperti aksi massa yang dipimpin para Biksu Budha di Burma, yang akhirnya mendapatkan dukungan secara Internasioal. Kedua momentum tersebut seakan-akan memilki kondisi yang sama, yakni ketertindasan, dikerangkengnya kebebasan HAM dan Demokrasi , Rakyat Burma dan Tibet. Walaupun mungkin terkesan terlalu berlebihan untuk menyetarakannya, namun pada |
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| oceania :: features | :: perth |
| Apartheid Actions in the Alice |
| | 4 Apr 2008 |
| UPDATE: Tuesday 8th April 2008: 188 taken into custody in Alice raids linked to intervention - From the Newswire... 4 April 2008 - Over 100 people were arrested in Alice Springs last night in a "special operation" targeting alcohol consumption. Police have been given increased powers under the NT intervention. Reports indicate the raids were focused around town camps "prescribed" under the intervention. Aboriginal activists ask that, "while most of those arrested have apparently now been released, someone tell me this isn't apartheid...? Because it is." This legislation and government action |
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| oceania :: features | :: perth |
| Feminists oppose the use of Jim Beam party girls at SouthBound |
| | 3 Apr 2008 |
| From the newswire:. "There is a growing trend for so called 'community events' such as the SouthBound festival and the Blues and Roots festival to allow their corporate sponsors, in this case Jim Beam to promote their products in a way which defies any level of social responsibility - in particular responsibility to ensure that women are included, respected and feel safe at their events. At both the SouthBound and Blues and Roots festival, Jim Beam used their 'party crew' AKA young, sterotypically attractive women wearing sexualised and skimpy uniforms to promote their product (primarily to |
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| oceania :: features |
| The Life and Times of Melbourne Indymedia |
| by Melbourne Indymedia
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14 Mar 2008 |
The Melbourne Indymedia collective met in February after a long hiatus to discuss its future. We decided that we did not have the energy required to continue the project and that therefore the collective had come to an end.
We are however keen to help others take up the challenge of producing an activist based, participatory news site, whether that be a Melbourne Indymedia, an Australia Indymedia or something all together new. We feel such a space is very much needed.
Several Melbourne Indymedia members expressed interest in mentoring such a project. If this interests you please contact us |
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| oceania :: features |
| Memburu harta karun Soeharto |
| by Jakarta IMC
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19 Feb 2008 |
| Sebuah keseriusan ataukah lagi-lagi sekedar sandiwara politik  Setelah hampir satu dasawarsa perkara kasus dugaan korupsi mantan penguasa orde baru, Soeharto yang nilainya mencapai Rp 1,4 trilyun dan 416 juta dolar Amerika itu, belum juga terselesaikan. Padahal empat presiden silih berganti. Bahkan dapat dikatakan, kasus Soeharto merupakan simbol paling kuat dari diskriminasi hukum. Sebab kasusnya dibiarkan mengambang tanpa ada penuntasan sejak 10 tahun terakhir ini. Apalagi sejumlah politisi ikut memperkeruh masalah ini.
Padahal berkas perkara setebal 3.500 halaman yang berisi dugaan |
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| oceania :: features |
| Aksi serentak organisasi rakyat dan LSM di 94 negara |
| by Jakarta IMC
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29 Jan 2008 |
| World Social Forum 2008: Global Day of Action  Organisasi rakyat dan LSM yang tergabung dalam World Social Forum menggelar aksi di 94 negara.
Menurut catatan Forum sosial Dunia (WSF), tahun ini ada 691 aksi yang dilakukan serentak. Aksi tesebut merupakan protes WSF terhadap pertemuan Forum Ekonomi Dunia (WEF) yang dihadiri pebisnis-pebisnis dan pemerintah di Davos, Swiss.
Link: Foto Rangkaian "Globay Day Action WSF 2008" | WSF 2008 Jutaan rakyat dan organisasi mengadakan aksi untuk menunjukkan bahwa masih ada jalan lain, yakni dunia yang berkeadilan sangat mungkin diwujudkan. |
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| oceania :: features | :: manila |
| Indigenous Action Against Mining Hold Australian Firm At Bay |
| | 17 Jan 2008 |
| NUEVA VIZCAYA, Philippines- Tribal villagers up north Luzon blockaded the Australian mining company from further exploring minerals in their community, Friday noon, and forced the mining firm to leave the village. According to reports, hundred dozens of indigenous residents in Kasibu town ,"pushed away employees of a foreign mining firm and their earth-moving equipment that were supposed to start exploration in their community", said Inq.Net. The action held by local people has lead to an indefinite operation shut down of OceanaGold Philippines Inc.- an Australian company. Indigenous residents |
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| oceania :: features | :: manila |
| Letter to the Manila Indymedia Editor |
| | 4 Dec 2007 |
| To us members of the Progresibong Alyansa ng mga Mangingisda sa Pilipinas (PANGISDA), the curfew imposed by Malacanang last Friday was a stark reminder of Martial Law. In Central and Southern Luzon, the curfew prevented fishermen living in interior villages from going to the sea to fish and thus violated their constitutional right to travel freely. [ Read More ] Related Stories: [ Rise Up And Be Counted | Condemn Detention of Journalists | Workers Vow To Continue The Struggle ] |
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| oceania :: features | :: manila |
| Nine Filipinos Staged Mutiny In the High Seas |
| | 14 Nov 2007 |
| Roderick Sumang, Delter Algay, Edwin Lee, Jesus Manaqued, Sherilo Moraleja, Socrates Silan Jr., Dennis Tolentino, Noel Cusi and Jose Menpin -- all undocumented workers -- flew to Mauritius a month ago to work as crew members on the fishing vessel Ruei Thih Fa. With their Taiwanese captain Jui-yin Huang and nine other Chinese crewmen, they set sail from Mauritius' capital, Port Louis, on Oct. 31 and began work on Nov. 2, unaware that they were to fill 22-hour work days. On Nov. 5, their fourth day at work, they took action. Jolted awake by the captain's buzzer after only two hours of sleep, |
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| oceania :: features |
| Melbourne Indymedia Suspends Publishing |
| by Melbourne Indymedia
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9 Oct 2007 |
 Open publishing has been suspended on Melbourne Indymedia as numbers in our editorial collective are insufficient to manage the site effectively and responsibly. We realise that MIM has played a vital role in reporting activist news from Melbourne, around Australia and internationally. To this end the present collective will be assessing options for how best to provide an activist news service in the future. If you wish to get involved, please contact us, or subscribe to our mailing list. |
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| oceania :: features |
| Indigenous Elder wins Environment Award |
| by Melbourne Indymedia
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10 Jun 2007 |
 The Australian Conservation Foundation's (ACF) Peter Rawlinson Award was given to 'Uncle' Kevin Buzzacott, an Arabunna elder, on World Environment Day in 2007 for two decades of work highlighting the impacts of uranium mining and promoting a nuclear free Australia. Uncle Kev has been a tireless campaigner for indigenous rights including reclaiming the kangaroo and emu sacred totems from the Coat of Arms from Parliament House in Canberra and accusing the Federal Government of genocide. [Full Story] |
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