Subject: Support!!!!
Date:Mon, 10 Jul 2000 08:56:56 +1000
From:IDENTITY OF SENDER SUPPRESSED BY REQUEST
To:adder@smuggled.com

Dear Mr Hoser,

I read an article in a Sydney Sunday paper yesterday stating that Victorian authorities were attempting to ban your books on police corruption, this outraged me. Freedom of speech is one of our most valuable commodities and one for which must fight long and hard. Like you, I am an author and in 1998 the XXXXX tried to ban one of my books, XXXXX. They claimed many things why it should be banned, but it was all pretty weak but they did have some success due to deep pockets until I started writing not only to my local federal member but also the Attorney General Darryl Williams. I suggest you do the same. But I think the thing that clinched it for me and gave me unassailable freedom in my writings was my very public approach to the United Nations on Human Rights breaches and in your case the Victorian Government's breach of International Treaties. Here is an excerpt of a letter (final paragraph) I wrote to the XXXXX that may help.
"I will defend my right to earn a living by writing and defend my United Nations (and Australia) endorsed right to freedom of speech. Without satisfactory resolution, this matter will be referred to the UN. In addition, I will commence a campaign legally and through the media to defend my right. This I know may be counter productive and extreme but Mr xxxxxx of the XXXXX has me in a corner and I am gravely concerned. Concerned that my livelihood and that of my family will be taken away unjustly and unlawfully and that my country has withdrawn my right to freedom of speech and right to personal privacy."
My next step was to carry out my threat and I contacted the UN.... and within a week the matter was dropped. The more public you make this the more untouchable you will become. I have reproduced some of the information from my book, For we are Young and Free....Or are We?,
That I thought may help.
Best Wishes and Good Luck,
XXXXX
WEBSITE OF SENDER SUPPRESSED BY REQUEST

In 1994, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights established a Human Rights Hot Line, a 24-hour facsimile line that will allow the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva to monitor and react rapidly to human rights emergencies. The Hot Line is available to victims of human rights violations, their relatives and non-governmental organizations. The Hot Line fax number in Geneva, Switzerland is 0015 41 22 917 0092.
In addition, a Human Rights Database has been created in Geneva to gather information for use by special reporters who are responsible for investigating questions such as religious intolerance, torture, racism and freedom of expression. The new database contains information that will eventually be available by modem or other electronic means to human rights reporters and experts worldwide.

Article 2.
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3.
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 7.
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
Article 8.
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
Article 12.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
Article 19.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Article 20.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
Article 27.
(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.
Article 28.
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

As we don’t have legislated rights in Australia, the United Nations Agreements, Covenants and Treaties are what we depend on, and furthermore can use. If you feel persecuted and you believe your rights are being compromised by government officials you can fax the number below and the UN will look into the matter.
Do these United Nations agreements really have teeth as far as the law is concerned? The answer is yes they do. Here is an example of an international treaty or agreement taking precedence over what the bureaucrats would like to happen. In 1994, the Department of Immigration wanted to deport an Asian boat person, Ah Hin Teoh. Teoh argued that he should be allowed to stay because his children had been born here and as they had a right to stay then so should he. The High Court after hearing the case decided that because Australia had ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a citizen could reasonably expect that the rights and interests of the child would be paramount, in particular the right of the child to be brought up by their natural parents. The High Court Judge went on to say:
"Ordinary people have the right to expect government officials to consider Australia’s international obligations even if those obligations are not reflected in specific Acts of Parliament, the rights recognized in international treaties are an implied limit on executive processes"
The case was important as a few aspects have come out that will change the way the judiciary, government and bureaucrats view future court cases. Firstly, the judiciary and bureaucrats now have to consider human rights and international agreements when deciding a case and that those agreements are not just "feel good" exercises, they do have teeth. On the other hand however, the conspiracy theorists will say that the international community has hijacked our right to impose law as we see fit.
It does appear that although we have no legislated rights in this country, we can, in any dispute regarding our rights, introduce into a court, International Agreements to embarrass the bureaucrats that would otherwise try to stifle our civil and human rights.

Books banned - media release...

UN Complaint lodged re books banned.

E-mail your protest to the Australian government now simply by clicking here...

View the relevant letters:-
ALLOW A FULL FOUR MINUTES TO DOWNLOAD EACH PAGE AS JPEGS
Rob Hull's reply to Adam Anthony Zoccoli dated 8 March 2000.(one page)
Dymocks Recall Notice dated 27 April 2000.(one page)
VGS Letter to Dymocks Booksellers dated 2 June 2000.(one page)
Collins booksellers recall notice of 13 June 2000(one page)
Letter from Hoser to Rob Hulls dated 23 June 2000.(one page)
VGS letter to Kirby Book Distributors dated 19 June 2000.(two pages)
Supreme Court Judgement of 18 April 2000.(normal webpage)
More on Adam Anthony Zoccoli.(normal webpage)
Download or view a picture of Rob Hulls, the man responsible for and who approved of the illegal banning of the books (normal webpage)