- 14 Sep 2003 04:42
#26687
This is an article from the Communist Party of Australia website.
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Are you a terrorist?
There are new laws before Parliament that attack our democratic rights and criminalise militant unionism, direct action by social movements and other social dissent.
These laws will be used to further harass and intimidate the Islamic and Arab communities and other minorities in Australia.
The definition of 'terrorism', includes actions made 'with the intention of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause'. It is so broad that it would cover civil disobedience by peace groups, M1 and other anti-globalisation blockades, union pickets and strikes, actions to stop logging in forests and similar activities. The demonstrators who pushed over a fence at the refugee detention centre at Woomera would be defined as 'terrorists'.
The Attorney General will be able to ban organisations 'likely to endanger, the security or integrity of the Commonwealth or another country.' Members and those 'assisting' a banned organisation may be sentenced to 25 years jail. Bank tellers could face criminal charges for taking a deposit from a group which -- unknown to the teller -- was a 'proscribed' organisation.
ASIO will move from being a spy agency and become a secret police. With new powers it will be able to:
* Arrest and detain people for questioning for 48 hours. Detention warrants can be renewed every 24 hours which means detainees could be held indefinitely.
* Detainees would have no right to a lawyer.
* Detainees could be held incommunicado with no contact with family and friends.
* Detainees could face up to five years in jail for refusing to answer questions.
* There are no rules for interrogation of detainees. Will torture be used?
Answer this 5 point quiz:
1. Have you ever disagreed with any government policy and joined with others to express this by sending emails or phoning any politician, government department or bureaucrat?
2. Have you ever joined or been associated with the activities of a trade union, local protest group, or political or religious organisation?
3. Have you ever participated in a non-violent protest, rally or strike?
4. Have you ever donated money, bought raffle tickets or in any other way supported an international environmental, political or human rights organisation such as Amnesty International or Greenpeace?
5. Have you ever provided any professional advice for any political or religious organisation?
If you reply Yes to any one of these questions the Government could brand you a 'terrorist' using its proposed legislation.
http://www.agitprop.org.au/stopasio.htm
Thoughts?
[/quote]
============
Are you a terrorist?
There are new laws before Parliament that attack our democratic rights and criminalise militant unionism, direct action by social movements and other social dissent.
These laws will be used to further harass and intimidate the Islamic and Arab communities and other minorities in Australia.
The definition of 'terrorism', includes actions made 'with the intention of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause'. It is so broad that it would cover civil disobedience by peace groups, M1 and other anti-globalisation blockades, union pickets and strikes, actions to stop logging in forests and similar activities. The demonstrators who pushed over a fence at the refugee detention centre at Woomera would be defined as 'terrorists'.
The Attorney General will be able to ban organisations 'likely to endanger, the security or integrity of the Commonwealth or another country.' Members and those 'assisting' a banned organisation may be sentenced to 25 years jail. Bank tellers could face criminal charges for taking a deposit from a group which -- unknown to the teller -- was a 'proscribed' organisation.
ASIO will move from being a spy agency and become a secret police. With new powers it will be able to:
* Arrest and detain people for questioning for 48 hours. Detention warrants can be renewed every 24 hours which means detainees could be held indefinitely.
* Detainees would have no right to a lawyer.
* Detainees could be held incommunicado with no contact with family and friends.
* Detainees could face up to five years in jail for refusing to answer questions.
* There are no rules for interrogation of detainees. Will torture be used?
Answer this 5 point quiz:
1. Have you ever disagreed with any government policy and joined with others to express this by sending emails or phoning any politician, government department or bureaucrat?
2. Have you ever joined or been associated with the activities of a trade union, local protest group, or political or religious organisation?
3. Have you ever participated in a non-violent protest, rally or strike?
4. Have you ever donated money, bought raffle tickets or in any other way supported an international environmental, political or human rights organisation such as Amnesty International or Greenpeace?
5. Have you ever provided any professional advice for any political or religious organisation?
If you reply Yes to any one of these questions the Government could brand you a 'terrorist' using its proposed legislation.
http://www.agitprop.org.au/stopasio.htm
Thoughts?
[/quote]
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