Dear friends,

The attack on our civil liberties is urgent. Below is an open letter to the Labor premiers and chief ministers.

If you support it:

1) Email your name and any position held to dglanz@optusnet.com.au.

2) Forward around your networks.

I shall forward the letter with as many names as possible no later than Tuesday morning (Nov 1) and shall copy it to the media.

David Glanz
Melbourne

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Open letter to the Premiers and Chief Ministers

Dear Premiers and Chief Ministers,

Much of the debate so far around the Federal Government's proposed restrictions to civil liberties has focused on the "shoot to kill" provisions. But we, the undersigned, believe that there are other very
worrying aspects to the legislation.

In particular, the draft legislation seeks to criminalise those who publicly argue that the Iraqi people have the right to resist under arms the occupation of their country by Australian and other troops.

Some of us hold this opinion -- that the Iraqis are doing no more than what the Vietnamese did against the Japanese, the French, the Americans and Australians, the Algerians did against the French, and the East Timorese did against the Indonesians.

Some of us do not agree, having no sympathy for an armed resistance.

All of us believe that the best way to protect Australian troops, and to reduce Australia's prominence as a potential target for a terror attack, is to bring Australia's troops home.

We are also united in believing that the Federal Government is going down the very dangerous path of criminalising opinions, rather than actions.

We do not believe that it is possible to improve or build safeguards into this legislation -- we see the project as fundamentally flawed and unnecessary.

Accordingly, we call on you to use your constitutional powers to block the Federal Government's legislation.

Tony Kevin, former Australian diplomat
Donna Mulhearn, former Iraq human shield
David Spratt, Victorian Peace Network activist
Jarvis Ryan, editor, Socialist Worker
Dr David Glanz, journalist and Stop the War Coalition (Melbourne)
activist Wade McDonald, lawyer and Perth Peace Group activist