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Letters to the Editor:

Open letter to Kofi Annan

I write on behalf of the Trades Union International of Workers 
in the Building, Wood and Building Materials Industries (UITBB) 
representing several millions of workers around the world, to 
express our deep concern over the flagrant violations of 
international law being committed by the Israeli Authorities 
during their current military campaign in the northern Gaza Strip 
which began on the evening of 28 September 2004.

As of 4 October 2004, 76 Palestinians have been killed, of which 
22 were children, 246 have been injured through gunfire and heavy 
tank shelling in densely populated residential neighbourhoods. In 
addition 38 homes have been totally demolished, 130 homes have 
been partially damaged and UNWRA schools have come under fire. A 
focus of the military operations is the Jabaliya refugee camp, 
home to some 100,000 Palestinians.

The military operation is being carried out with total disregard 
for international human rights and humanitarian law and as such, 
demonstrates a clear unwillingness on behalf of Israel to be 
bound by the rule of law or to uphold its application, at the 
expense of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian civilian 
population.

Israeli actions such as wilful killings and extensive property 
destruction are considered to be grave breaches (war crimes 
entailing individual criminal responsibility) under the Fourth 
Geneva Convention. It is particularly troubling that Israeli 
authorities are denying international non-governmental 
organisations access at this critical time.

In light of this, the ongoing military operation in northern Gaza 
presents a serious challenge to the value attached to the rule of 
law by the international community. On 21 September 2004 you 
reminded the General Assembly of the United Nations that "no-one 
is above the law, and no-one should be denied its protection. 
Every nation proclaims the rule of law at home must respect it 
abroad, and every nation that insists on it abroad must enforce 
it at home."

We therefore urge you to support this vision of an international 
community governed by the rule of the law, and give it substance 
by taking concrete action to ends Israeli's military campaign in 
northern Gaza.

Yours sincerely

John Sutton
UITBB President

We write to express our outrage at the denial of free speech 
and freedom of expression by the University of Sydney to 
Professor Michael Denborough and Ms Yvonne Francis of the Nuclear 
Disarmament Party.

What an awful descent into totalitarian barbarity this 
represents!

What a far cry this is from Newman's idea of a university! Those 
responsible for this should be publicly disciplined.

Gareth Smith & Maxine Caron
Byron Bay, NSW

A unanimous decision by the High Court that detention of 
children was lawful does not mean that it is just or fair.

The decision by the High Court is another nail in the coffin of 
this myth that lawyers or courts will save Australians from a 
charge of inhumanity.

It's been clear for sometime that there are no real protections 
of basic human rights in Australia — and the long term detention 
of innocent children is unarguable proof of this.

If we want ethical and just standards of behaviour from our 
Government, we have to vote for it. It is heartening that over 
300 candidates for election have signed a written guarantee that 
they will work for the release of all children from immigration 
detention and a change of policy for the long term.

Candidates that we believe should be supported on this basis can 
be viewed at our special election website 
(http://www.refugeeguarantee.com.au).

Whatever the result on Saturday, we will be continuing the 
campaign for a just Australia — this time we hope with a large 
number of MPs who have pledged to do what the courts can not — 
repeal these unjust laws.

Howard Glenn
National Director, A Just Australia