The following article was published in "The Guardian", newspaper of the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, August 30th, 2000. Contact address: 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. Sydney. 2010 Australia. Phone: (612) 9212 6855 Fax: (612) 9281 5795. CPA Central Committee: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> "The Guardian": <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Webpage: http://www.cpa.org.au> Subscription rates on request. ****************************** . Military's New Powers. Extreme Danger As "The Guardian" went to press the Howard Government's legislation to allow Australia's military to be used against civilian protesters was still before the Senate but was likely to be passed with some inadequate, ineffectual amendments from the ALP. by Marcus Browning Opposition to the legislation, which allows troops in cooperation with police forces, to take control of city blocks, search and detain citizens and shoot to kill with impunity, is gathering momentum, including the formation of Stop the Defence Legislation, a coalition of union, political and community groups. There has also been opposition from some police forces and from some State Governments concerned that their powers over police are being overridden. The Defence Legislation Amendment (Aid to Civilian Authorities) Bill, was introduced by the Government in June, but the groundwork for integrated police-military powers has been laid for some years through periodic joint exercises. It surfaced in Queensland in 1996, with state police and the military combining to attack a peaceful gathering in Brisbane's Musgrave Park. In October 1996 Community Radio 4ZZZ was holding a fund raising festival in Musgrave Park when the Queensland police riot squad, armed with riot gear, batons and shields arrived and began arresting members of the crowd. When some in the crowd responded by pelting the police with cans -- including six military police dressed in camouflage fatigues - - they moved in and began assaulting people. Together they formed a line and swept the park, batonning people and knocking them down using police on horseback. This was despite the festival organisers liaising with the local police. At the time the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties called for a State and Federal Government inquiry into the use of the military at the festival. ALP backs Bill The ALP basically has no disagreement with the proposed legislation. Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown noted that Labor Party amendments to the Legislation fail to ensure that troops are not used against strikes or political protests. "Labor's amendments, which simply require a commander who is sending in the troops to believe a `protest, dissent, assembly or industrial action' posed a threat of serious injury or death to someone, fail the public interest", said Senator Brown. "Labor is saying that, like the politicians who sent the armed troops in, the commander only has to conjure up a vision of violence occurring before acting." Senator Brown, who opposed the Bill outright, called on Labor to at least support the Greens' amendments which include: * A Sunset Clause which would see the Bill cease to be operational after the Sydney Olympics and Paralympics; * Ban the use of troops against people who are engaging in peaceful protest or civil disobedience; * Ban the use of troops against workers taking industrial action; * Define the term "Domestic Violence" in the Bill. The Greens' amendments define domestic violence as "significant armed violence"; * State and Territory Governments to be consulted before any troop call-out; * The military to be subject to judicial approval for certain specified activities. The ALP has rejected the Greens' amendments which would have substantially weakened the legislation. Commenting to "The Guardian" Peter Symon, CPA General Secretary, said that "the amendments supported by the ALP, do not effectively eliminate the danger to civil rights that the Howard Government legislation poses. It is clear that the legislation has long-range objectives beyond the Olympic Games. "The Government anticipates that the economic and political effects of their `economic rationalist' policies are going to create an ever stronger opposition and resistance and that there will be more S11 actions in the future which challenge the government and the big corporations. "The amended legislation still leaves it open for the military to be involved when someone decides that there is a possibility of violence -- before any violence has taken place. Furthermore, there is always the possibility of provocations being organised to provide a justification for military involvement. "As one commentator asked: `Will the heroes of East Timor become those to shoot their own people on the streets of Sydney or Melbourne'? "The passage of the legislation in any form is a giant step towards the militarisation of Australia's political life and is an extremely dangerous attack on rights to demonstrate, take strike action and generally protest against unacceptable government policies", concluded Peter Symon. -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
LL:ART: Military's New Powers. Troops Danger
Communist Party of Australia Thu, 31 Aug 2000 18:30:05 -0700
