Free Burma rallies

Amnesty called a snap action in Brisbane Square (and others around the country) this afternoon in response to the worsening violence in Burma, to allow people to give voice to their opposition to the military junta’s continuing and escalating efforts to shut down the pro-democracy movement.

As a hastily convened event, it was pretty small, but quite effective, and was the leaping off point to organise another one for tomorrow, that I’ll be speaking at -

5-6pm Friday 28th September

Brisbane Square (cnr George and Queen Sts, Brisbane)

Riots that were initially sparked by an increase in petrol prices, have now become the largest pro-democracy demonstrations in almost 20 years. The pro-democracy rallies of 1988 saw thousands of demonstrators killed as the government cracked down on dissent.

So far, the violence has been less severe, but already there have been deaths, including three Buddhist monks.

Chinese Human Rights Lawyer Gao Zhisheng Arrested

A week and a half ago, I bid for, and won, A China More Just – My fight as a Rights Lawyer in the World’s Largest Communist State by Gao Zhisheng at an auction that was part of a fundraising dinner for Senator Andrew Bartlett, and today I was informed that Gao has been arrested.

Gao Zhisheng’s latest arrest seems to have been sparked by a letter he had just sent to the US congress to draw attention to the worsening abuses of human rights in China ahead of the Beijing Olympics.   Gao was pleading with the US, and the world not to turn a blind eye to the horrific situation in China in the name of sport or a hollow show of solidarity.

In order to secure the Olympics, China made many undertakings to improve the human rights situation in the country, in line with the Olympics’ philosophy of promoting human dignity.  While some steps have been taken to make things better, they have been overshadowed by the regime’s increasingly oppressive moves to prevent even reports of their human rights breaches from escaping the country. 

Meet The Candidate – Me

So now I’m going around to different groups and talking to them about their issues for the election. But as well as the people who are engaged in some part of the political process through whatever policy area or level of lobbying, we can’t ignore the many people who currently have no say in politics at any level, other than their vote.

Whether it’s through a lack of time, or through the many perversions of process that have narrowed the opportunities to get active, or in some cases, just appeared to, people are less involved in politics than at any time before. Well, at least since the feudal system.

In order to reach those people, with few resources and little money, we’re holding small meet the candidate events in the seat of Brisbane – the next one is on

Saturday the 22nd of September from 2-4pm

at the Blu Grotto Bar and Cafe 4/155 Baroona Rd, Rosalie

My Campaign Launch for the Seat of Brisbane

Today was the public launch of my campaign as the Democrats candidate for the seat of Brisbane.

I’ll post more about it later, but below is my speech.

I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today, and pay respect to the millennia of faithful custodianship that they have overseen, and the ongoing role they play in this country today, and into the future.

 

John Howard might refuse to acknowledge the outrages done to our First Peoples in the past, and he might genuinely not know what an apology is, but I am sorry for what has gone before – some of the injustices were done with the best of intentions, and some out of naked self-interest, but I recognise that I would not be standing here and would not have lived the life I have, except for those terrible acts. And I apologise on my own behalf, as one who benefited from that dispossession.

 

Thank you all for coming along. The election hasn’t even been called, and could still be months off, and already much of the country is sick of hearing about it.

 

But what we are hearing through the media isn’t about the real choice facing the country – it’s a litany of false choices: Howard v Rudd, Howard v Costello, security v freedom, environment v. economy – when the real choice is whether we decide to spend another three years sitting back alternately applauding or complaining about the government or if we choose to get up, get involved and demand that our voices are heard.

 

The core tenet of the Australian Democrats is the belief that all people should be able to play as big a role in politics as they choose. That’s never seemed more revolutionary than it does today.