I hope David Hicks is patient

I hope David Hicks is patient. It appears the highest court in the UK is grappling to decide whether he is being held legally in Cuba or otherwise.

I’m reminded of the Hilton Hotel bombing in 1978 but more on that later.

Bob Ellis’ commentary on David Hicks is worth reflecting on and his book First Abolish the Customer: 202 Arguments Against Economic Rationalism is impossible to put down.

Ellis said: “David Hicks has committed, it seems, thought crime against the United States and is being detained and tormented by people unaware of his rights. It's unlikely they know this, and they should be told.”

Alexander Downer’s response to David Hicks’ predicament has been and continues to be - pathetic. Howard, Downer, Ruddock et al have simply passed the buck.

In a recent speech, Minister Downer said he was, “deeply conscious of the honour” of re-election. “I am also deeply conscious of (my) very great responsibility - I shall be a tireless advocate for my electorate,” Minister Downer said.
If that is the case - then what is he doing for David Hicks?

Minister Downer said it was with some regret that the underlying current of many of the Federal Government's policies carried with it flotsam and jetsam.

Yes, Minister - David Hicks is indeed in limbo but he is not just “flotsam and jetsam”.

Minister Downer spoke of the negative consequences of embracing sectional interest groups (like those who want to help David Hicks). He said the challenge now was quite different … to provide a climate for sustained and sustainable wealth creation.

In layman’s terms, Minister Downer is more concerned about economic rationalism than the individual and David Hicks is a victim because of this pig-headed approach.

And then of course he talked about national security.

“The national interest, Australia being buffeted by the waters of pacificism which have flowed across much of Western Europe and the United States” and so on and so on.

And of course he spoke about the importance of ANZUS.

But what really beggars belief was his remark that there is an intellectual vacuum in Australia which has been filled by special interest groups.

Yes, Minister - each of us has special interests - and I am deeply concerned about David Hicks. Minister Downer should do more for David Hicks and he should do it post haste.

At times, the legal system fails people and in the late 1970s in Sydney that is exactly what occurred. To an outsider it appeared the political machine and federal agencies had joined forces to respond to what many regarded as Australia’s first act of “terrorism”.

Terrorism is an abstract noun and therefore hard to quantify, but for one reason or another, the federal government of the day had to act and act it did.

In 1979, three members of Ananda Marga were convicted of conspiracy to murder. Two were also convicted of attempted murder. All three have since been exonerated. Tim Anderson was the last to have his conviction quashed. He was released after seven years of incarceration.

Before a decision was made whether he was to be released or otherwise, he said he was not confident about the legal system. The Ananda Marga is a socio-spiritual movement of Indian origin.

The three main components of the Hilton Hotel bombing were:

     an unusual degree of critical attention directed towards the Australian security and intelligence services;

     an extraordinary climate of prejudice surrounding Ananda Marga; and

     the bombing outside the Hilton Hotel in February 1978.

About 12.40am on Monday, February 13, 1978, a garbage truck pulled up near the entrance to the Hilton Hotel in George Street, Sydney. As one of the workmen emptied a large street bin into the back of the truck, there was a violent explosion. Two of the men were ripped apart and killed instantly. Several policemen and bystanders were seriously injured - one of the policemen died a week later.

Asleep inside the hotel were the leaders of 12 Asian and Pacific nations, gathered for the first Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting due to begin that day.

The explosion was widely interpreted as a political gesture aimed at one of them, most likely the Indian Prime Minister, Morarji Desai, who speculated openly that it had been a bomb directed against him by the Ananda Marga sect.

Terrorism in Australia!

I interviewed Tim Anderson about 20 years ago and he declared his innocence, and I believed him. Naturally enough, he was nervous and also indifferent about what he had endured, but I am a good judge of character and I believe he had nothing to do with the Hilton Hotel bombing. Like Hicks, he was innocent but made a scapegoat for political purposes.

The Federal Government and its servants have a responsibility to look after all Australian citizens - including David Hicks. The country’s statesmen and women must stop passing the buck and act now to free David Hicks, a foolish young man, who got caught up in a flight of fancy.

I’m sure he will return to his native land, but in the interim he needs to be patient and conscious of the fact there are sectional interest groups prepared to lobby on his behalf.

Perhaps Minister Downer could discuss the Hicks case in detail with his English counterparts and (God forbid it) raise the matter with his US buddies so that justice is done, but more important, it is seen to be done.

I am an eternal optimist and believe David Hicks will soon be home.