rioters bloc
10th September 2005, 08:21
so 4 years ago here in australia they passed the "ASIO" bill, which was similar to the Patrtiot Act in the US. it gave the Australian Security Intelligence Office a bunch of new powers. effectively threatening to eliminate many of our civil liberties.
today an American dude who helped to organise the Forbes protest and was particularly active in the organisation of the action against halliburton [dodgy as company, check http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/ for more info], was taken in by the Federal Police at around 2pm under an ASIO warrant. essentially, this means that he can be kept for 2 weeks, in communicado, without the right to a lawyer. he's also been threatened with deportation. when i heard abt it me and the others in the room were, to say the least, extremely shocked. while asio has had these powers for about four years, theyve only exercised them 3-6 times [impossible to know exact nunbers]. so for this to happen, it's pretty fucked up. we don't know what the charges are but i think its safe to assume it's linked to the forbes protest and he's been labelled a 'political terrorist'
a coupla days ago, new terror laws were proposed which would give asio even greater powers. this was forwarded from a sydney civil rights network e-list
1. Control orders
A new regime to allow the AFP to seek, from a court, 12-month control orders on people who pose a terrorist risk to the community. These would be similar to apprehended violence orders but would allow stricter conditions to be imposed on a person such as tracking devices, travel and association restrictions. The Government will be conferring with the States and Territories about the details and administration of the orders.
2. Preventative Detention
A new preventative detention regime that allows detention for up to 48 hours in a terrorism situation. Preventative detention is to be contrasted with ASIO and police detention for the purposes of questioning which is limited by the intelligence available to allow proper questioning. As is the case in the UK, the focus of preventative detention is primarily about stopping further attacks and the destruction of evidence. At the 27 September COAG meeting, States and Territories will be asked to provide for longer detention periods, similar to those available in the UK which allow for up to 14 days detention, because there are constitutional restrictions on the capacity of the Australian Government to provide for this type of detention
3. Notice to produce
A new notice to produce regime to facilitate lawful AFP requests for information that will assist with the investigation of terrorism and other serious offences.
4. Access to passenger information
Provide access to airline passenger information for ASIO and the AFP.
5. Stop, question and search powers
Extend stop, question and search powers for the AFP where there are reasonable grounds that a person might have just committed, might be committing, or might be about to commit a terrorism offence.
6. Exploring with the States and Territories about extending these powers to police at transport hubs and other places of mass gatherings as well as the use of random baggage searches and a National Code of Practice for Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Systems for the Mass Passenger Transport Sector.
7. ASIO warrant regime
ASIOs special powers warrant regime is being refined to:
clarify the definition of 'electronic equipment', and allow for entry onto premises, in the computer access warrant provisions
extend the validity of search warrants from 28 days to 3 months
extend the validity of mail and delivery service warrants from 90 days to 6 months amend the search warrant provisions to provide that material may be removed and retained for such time as is reasonable "for the purposes of security".
8. Strengthening existing offences and creating new offences
Create new offences for: leaving baggage unattended within the airport precinct, and inciting violence against the community to replace the existing sedition offence, to address problems with those who communicate inciting messages directed against other groups within our community, including against Australias forces overseas and in support of Australia's enemies. This is consistent with the Gibbs Committee in its Review of Commonwealth Criminal Law in 1991 which recommended that the sedition offence should be updated and simplified and the maximum penalty increased from 3 to 7 years imprisonment.
9. Strengthen existing offences for financing of terrorism, providing false or misleading information under an ASIO questioning warrant and for threatening aviation security.
10. Terrorism offences in the Criminal Code will be clarified and the criteria for listing terrorist organisations extended to cover organisations that advocate terrorism. This will be another issue that will be discussed with the States and Territories.
11. Citizenship
We will continue to work on visa and citizenship security and character checking processes but will move immediately to strengthen our citizenship provisions including: extending the waiting period in order to obtain citizenship by 12 months to three years, security checking of citizenship applications, so that citizenship applications can be refused on security grounds; and strengthening the deprivation of citizenship provisions relating to serious criminal offences to include offences committed in the period between approval of an application and acquisition of citizenship. 12. Terrorist financing Improve our terrorism financing regime to better implement criminalising financing of terrorism, alternative remittance dealers, wire transfers and cash couriers The Government will investigate with the States and Territories better ways to ensure charities are not misused to channel funds to terrorists.
i really, really hate our government.
today an American dude who helped to organise the Forbes protest and was particularly active in the organisation of the action against halliburton [dodgy as company, check http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/ for more info], was taken in by the Federal Police at around 2pm under an ASIO warrant. essentially, this means that he can be kept for 2 weeks, in communicado, without the right to a lawyer. he's also been threatened with deportation. when i heard abt it me and the others in the room were, to say the least, extremely shocked. while asio has had these powers for about four years, theyve only exercised them 3-6 times [impossible to know exact nunbers]. so for this to happen, it's pretty fucked up. we don't know what the charges are but i think its safe to assume it's linked to the forbes protest and he's been labelled a 'political terrorist'
a coupla days ago, new terror laws were proposed which would give asio even greater powers. this was forwarded from a sydney civil rights network e-list
1. Control orders
A new regime to allow the AFP to seek, from a court, 12-month control orders on people who pose a terrorist risk to the community. These would be similar to apprehended violence orders but would allow stricter conditions to be imposed on a person such as tracking devices, travel and association restrictions. The Government will be conferring with the States and Territories about the details and administration of the orders.
2. Preventative Detention
A new preventative detention regime that allows detention for up to 48 hours in a terrorism situation. Preventative detention is to be contrasted with ASIO and police detention for the purposes of questioning which is limited by the intelligence available to allow proper questioning. As is the case in the UK, the focus of preventative detention is primarily about stopping further attacks and the destruction of evidence. At the 27 September COAG meeting, States and Territories will be asked to provide for longer detention periods, similar to those available in the UK which allow for up to 14 days detention, because there are constitutional restrictions on the capacity of the Australian Government to provide for this type of detention
3. Notice to produce
A new notice to produce regime to facilitate lawful AFP requests for information that will assist with the investigation of terrorism and other serious offences.
4. Access to passenger information
Provide access to airline passenger information for ASIO and the AFP.
5. Stop, question and search powers
Extend stop, question and search powers for the AFP where there are reasonable grounds that a person might have just committed, might be committing, or might be about to commit a terrorism offence.
6. Exploring with the States and Territories about extending these powers to police at transport hubs and other places of mass gatherings as well as the use of random baggage searches and a National Code of Practice for Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Systems for the Mass Passenger Transport Sector.
7. ASIO warrant regime
ASIOs special powers warrant regime is being refined to:
clarify the definition of 'electronic equipment', and allow for entry onto premises, in the computer access warrant provisions
extend the validity of search warrants from 28 days to 3 months
extend the validity of mail and delivery service warrants from 90 days to 6 months amend the search warrant provisions to provide that material may be removed and retained for such time as is reasonable "for the purposes of security".
8. Strengthening existing offences and creating new offences
Create new offences for: leaving baggage unattended within the airport precinct, and inciting violence against the community to replace the existing sedition offence, to address problems with those who communicate inciting messages directed against other groups within our community, including against Australias forces overseas and in support of Australia's enemies. This is consistent with the Gibbs Committee in its Review of Commonwealth Criminal Law in 1991 which recommended that the sedition offence should be updated and simplified and the maximum penalty increased from 3 to 7 years imprisonment.
9. Strengthen existing offences for financing of terrorism, providing false or misleading information under an ASIO questioning warrant and for threatening aviation security.
10. Terrorism offences in the Criminal Code will be clarified and the criteria for listing terrorist organisations extended to cover organisations that advocate terrorism. This will be another issue that will be discussed with the States and Territories.
11. Citizenship
We will continue to work on visa and citizenship security and character checking processes but will move immediately to strengthen our citizenship provisions including: extending the waiting period in order to obtain citizenship by 12 months to three years, security checking of citizenship applications, so that citizenship applications can be refused on security grounds; and strengthening the deprivation of citizenship provisions relating to serious criminal offences to include offences committed in the period between approval of an application and acquisition of citizenship. 12. Terrorist financing Improve our terrorism financing regime to better implement criminalising financing of terrorism, alternative remittance dealers, wire transfers and cash couriers The Government will investigate with the States and Territories better ways to ensure charities are not misused to channel funds to terrorists.
i really, really hate our government.