THE deportation of the American activist, Scott Parkin, may be the thin end of the wedge when it comes to political dissent here in Australia. Or worse.
It seems that ASIO considered that he had “changed his intentions” since his arrival here and decided to recommend his deportation. From all accounts he has simply participated in peaceful protest and advocates non-violent dissent through education and information dissemination. He certainly hasn’t been charged with being been involved in any illegal activity while here in Australia.
If this is part of ASIO’s strategy to make us more secure from the threat of terrorism it’s likely to be counter productive. Peaceful protest and non-violent dissent is an integral and valuable part of our democratic system. Not only is it an important aspect of freedom of political expression it helps prevent underground activity that is much more likely to eventually lead to violent reaction.
The perception that ASIO is monitoring every act of dissent and likely to take action against those participating will never stop those who are passionate but is likely to encourage them to keep very quiet about their views. Rather than the more conventional attempt to persuade others to join in open protest they are more likely to take direct action. Direct action by an individual, in order to have an impact, is likely to be violent.
Pat Synge
www.buyselltrade.com.au
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Tasmania’s community notice board
Justa Bloke
September 15, 2005 at 09:21
Non-violence is not only un-Australian, but, worse, it is un-American. If we don’t deal firmly with every pacifist and potential pacifist we are in danger of the US Government thinking we are not ‘fair dinkum’ in our commitment to war as the solution to all international conflict (or potential conflict).
If George W Bush thinks we are not 100 per cent with him on this, he will, according to his own post 9/11 ultimatum, assume we are against him. Then the Scott Parkins of this world and their Australian equivalents will discover that non-violent protest is a lot less effective from inside an Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo Bay type facility, and it is much less convenient trying to organise demonstrations from inside a hospital ward crammed full with fellow post-bombing raid amputees.
Fear is the most effective means of building political allegiance, and it is our duty as subjects of a vassal state to be so scared that we will not dare protest, either violently or not.
Dave Groves
September 16, 2005 at 01:15
It is 2010 Australia, now known as Fear Island.
Parliament house in the ACT (Australian Centre for Terrorism) has been lowered into a giant bunker and our leaders scurry like lab rats in the shadowy caverns, quivering at the thought of “terrorists†who want them blown up.
The Stasi, long unemployed, have found abundant work on Fear Island.
Grandma and that kid down the road with the beady eyes have all been shipped off to lands far away-you can never be too afraid!
Up Up and a One-Way Airlines is doing great business and school students can now aspire to be Air Marshals if they pass the allegiance to the Fuhrer test.
With the right papers you can gather in the street in groups of 2 or less as long as you speak into one of the multitude of street cameras.
People are required to wear blue uniforms with tracking devices when they leave the dormitories and are required to watch the Government television channel FIGJAM (Fear Is Good, Just Ask Me).
There they are shown the finer points of dictatorship by stealth, erosion of civil liberties, dodging tricky questions, diverting attention of the masses and telling porkies.
I must sign off now as a black van has pulled up out the front and there are men running around the back door … perhaps they are looking for a terrorist?
Paul de Burgh-Day
September 18, 2005 at 08:34
It may be a coincidence, but immediately prior to this action, a US Federal Court overturned a lower court decision that Bush did not have the right to lock up US citizens and throw away the key.
There is a guy named Jose Padilla who has been locked up without charge or trial – so far – for 3 years and 132 days.
The three judge Federal judgement now says Bush is quite entitled to do this. He has absolute power!
Padilla is being denied any access to lawyers or family, or friends. No one! If you want to read about it, go to
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10223.htm
This folks is in the land of the free – the land of free speech. Watch very carefully what Howard and the repulsive Ruddock are doing. We may soon be going down the same path.
Rob Walls
September 18, 2005 at 17:22
Despite the Orwellian nature of the event, no one seems to have noticed that Scott Parkin, the American activist deported last week, was charged $4235 for a one way ticket to LA? For that my local travel agent could probably do a family return and throw in 3 day passes to Disneyland!
The one-way economy fare on Qantas to Los Angeles is $2041. Maybe Parkin was deported first class. His minders must have had to travel up the back of the plane because their return fares and accommodation were only charged to Parkin at $3,000 apiece.
Is the government’s travel agent ripping them off? Or has the Department of Immigration discovered that there is actually a profit to be made from deportation?
Rob Walls
Cascades
Tasmania
Kirk Pinner
September 19, 2005 at 04:13
News Update – for immediate release Thursday September 15 2005 10pm.
The Commonwealth Office of the Privacy Commissioner has been investigating the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department concerning several violations of the Privacy Act by the Attorney General’s Department in relation to the Kirk Pinner case. The AG Dept. has sought from the Privacy Commissioner 2 extensions in which to respond to the serious allegations levied against them in relation to their illegal disclosure of over 40+ pages of personal and confidential documents to the Idaho Prosecution during 2002 and 2003. Such documents being letters to PM John Howard and Ministers Alexander Downer and Chris Ellison, from Kirk Pinner, his partner Tracy Anderson, and their respective parents. The AG Dept. has been given a 3rd and final deadline of September 21 2005 in which to respond to the Privacy Commissioner’s questions and letter of July 15. If the AG Dept. is found guilty of violating the Privacy Act and of the serious allegations, the AG Dept. could be forced to formally apologize as well as financial compensate Kirk Pinner, Tracy Anderson and their family. The AG Dept. have been attempting to conceal their illegal actions and violating of the Privacy Act in relation to the Kirk Pinner case for several years, but now seem to have been finally caught out.
The documents provided by the AG Dept. to the Idaho Prosecution heavily aided the Prosecution’s case against Kirk Pinner in Idaho, and assisted the Prosecution structure and mold its case around evidence of innocence supplied to the Australia Government by Kirk Pinner, Tracy Anderson and their parents. Without these 40+ pages of private and confidential documents, the Prosecution would not have know Kirk Pinner’s evidence of innocence, and would not have been able to wrongfully convict him.
In light of the recent dismissal of Kirk Pinner’s Post-Conviction Relief Appeal Application and Motion for Court Hearing Transcripts in the Idaho Courts, Mr. Pinner has been surveying his legal options. The dismissal of the Motion for Court Hearing Transcripts was based on Mr. Pinner’s non-US nationality, in that Judge Mike Wetherell stated that Mr. Pinner was not a resident of Idaho and not a US Citizen, therefore the State of Idaho did not have a responsibility to supply a ‘foreign national’ court hearing transcripts which were necessary and essential for his Appeal. Judge Wetherell’s decision came despite court precedence whereby US Citizens pursuing the exact same type of Appeal as Mr. Pinner had been granted the court hearing transcripts. Judge Wetherell ignored a 20 page typed appeal brief and 76 pages of evidence supplied to him in support of the Appeal. This is blatant and clear discrimination displayed by Judge Wetherell and the Idaho Courts & Government. After contacting the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU has strongly urged Mr. Pinner to immediately appeal Judge Wetherell’s decisions and dismissals to the Idaho Appeals Court. Jude Wetherell’s decisions clearly lack merit and legal precedence, along with displaying pure biase, prejudice and discrimination.
The Australian Government remain silent on the above 2 issues, and fail to assist Kirk Pinner, an Australian Citizen in any regard, just as they did when Kirk Pinner was held captive in Idaho for 2 years. Kirk Pinner only returned to Tasmania in late April, at the completion of his sentence in Idaho, with the Australian Government failing to bring him home despite Commonwealth legislation and a Prisoner Transfer Treaty with the USA permitting so.
Jessica
September 19, 2005 at 12:28
How can Australians honestly believe that Scott Parkin was a “security threat”? I have met and attended a workshop by this man and I only met a peaceful, unassuming, quiet man who inspired me to stand up for what I believe in.
“Non-violence is not only un-Australian, but, worse, it is un-American” – Justa Bloke
To say that non-violence is un-Australian is like saying that apples aren’t Tasmanian. To begin with Australia certainly wasn’t non-violent. Just think back to the attacks and massacres of Indigenous Australians when Australia was first settled by caucasians. However if Justa Bloke knows anything about current styles of political protests (excepting individual extremists or radicals at some protests), he would know that more and more organisations are turning to non-violent protests and actions as means to get their message across.
Why on earth we would want to achieve “political allegiance” as he seems to believe we want/need to is beyond me. To be made to feel so scared and intimidated that my only option is to kow-tow to such dictatorship – I would rather not be alive! I know I am never going to go down on bended knee to John Howard or Kim Beazley and swear my allegiance to them, let alone any other politician.
So… Should I be scared that ASIO has a file on me? Should I be scared that every time I say something slightly controversial or something that’s “un-Australian” that I’ll be arrested? Should I be scared that when I attend a protest or take part in an environmental action that I will be locked-up and sentenced under the Howard government’s new extreme terrorist laws? I hope not. I don’t want to live in a world where I don’t have the right to have my own beliefs.
If we follow this thinking, then we must surely lock up all people who attend church as we all know there’s the possibility they’re plotting to blow something up or maybe we should keep files on all the people who live in small communitites as again, we all know how small communities band together – they could very well be arranging for (an attack on) Paul Lennon.
I’ve protested. I’ve taken part in political demonstrations. I’ve been arrested for my beliefs in the environment. Does that make me a security threat? I don’t think so.
I can honestly say that I have never been violent towards another human being in my life, and I believe this is the way I shall always be.
I also believe that if Australia continues on the path it is currently walking down, we shall not be a democratic country for much longer.
I urge anybody, everybody to really think about this. Write to the goverment seeking answers. Speak to politicians when you see them. Work out for yourself why a peaceful, educated man would be deported for sharing his beliefs. I myself, cannot work this out.
Mel Mles
September 22, 2005 at 06:00
Regarding the Kirk Pinner case.
From all I read and hear, this man has been served an absolute injustice and travesty, and our Government are responsible.
The Australian Government abandoned this man and his family, for political reasons. Our Government assisted the Idaho Prosecution wrongfully convict this man, allowed him to become severely ill in the inhumane Idaho prison system & contract tuberculosis.
At his trial in Idaho, the Australian Consulate officer who attended sat directly behind the prosecution, NOT Kirk Pinner the Aussie Citizen.
Our Government and our locally elected Federal Member have let this man and his family down and must be exposed for their doings and held accountable. I urge people to contact Kirk Pinner and assist him in his endeavours to hold our Government accountable.
Mel Miles.