Last year the Monash Student Association at Monash University’s Clayton campus voted to donate a microscopic few thousand dollars to the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, a left group which, whatever else you can say about it, is vigorously, publicly and actively opposed to both the current occupation of Iraq and to all Islamist and Baathist groups.

Though the proposed donation was tiny - the student union in question had been operating budget surpluses in the many hundreds of thousands for year after year, under Left or Right student councils - the MSA was the only student union in this country to have seriously suggested any such solidarity with specific groups or movements in Iraq opposing the occupation.

The media wasted no time in labelling the group as ‘terrorists’, and one major broadsheet daily described the MSA, not in quotes and not as a citation of anyone else, as FUNDING TERRORISTS.

Though unwilling to have the political argument within the Left on campus, or more broadly, the ‘Left’ treasurer at the time stalled on signing the cheque until the end of term of the student council ad office-bearers who had made this decision, leaving it to the new ALP administration to reverse the decision to donate this money. He was not alone in the student Left in opposing any such act of solidarity, however minor. Courageous these people are not. (The individual in question then went on the become the effective treasurer of the Australian Student Environment Network (ASEN), for what it is worth. And the Activate group, the electoral group of the Monash student Left which has occasionally represented itself as more than an electoral grouping, felt no need to have any serious discussion of the matter. Whatever.)

At the same time Monash University is deeply involved in military and intelligence related research, and also has an ongoing deal with the Victorian Police’ Counter-Terrorism Coordination Unit to help them, amongst other things, more effectively ‘work with’ community group and ethic leaders against terrorism and extremism.

At the same time the Australian Federal Police were harassing Monash students with funny names at their homes about the books they were reading i.e. books that talked about terrorism. The university administration claimed not to have handed over the relevant library records, but also stated that they would almost certainly hand over any records to police or ASIO if asked. And the AFP also tried to set up meetings with people in the Islamic Students Society on campus.

The list of such incidents, at Monash and on other campuses, could be significantly extended, and that is just the ones that came to light to people actually not spending much time attempting to find out about such state interventions.

And now this from the Sydney Morning Herald:

http://www.smh. com.au/articles/ 2006/12/07/ 1165081092060. html?from= top5

Activist reported to Hotline

Harriet Alexander Higher Education Reporter
December 8, 2006

A STUDENT activist who pounded a placard depicting the Prime Minister with water bombs has been accused of breaching terrorism laws.

Police investigated Jessica Moore, the president of the Wollongong University students’ association, after a caller to the national security hotline reported she had organised the protest in support of Hamas, the Palestinian party whose military wing is on a list of
terrorist organisations.

But Ms Moore, an anti-war activist and member of the Socialist Alliance, said the protest was against homophobia and had nothing to do with Hamas. About 20 students had gathered on a university lawn where posters reading “Target homophobia. Take out the
Libs”, were on display.

“It was an action to get attention,” Ms Moore said.

Police said the complaint had been dismissed after an officer visited the campus. “It was clear that this was in relation to homophobia,” Detective Chief Inspector Joe Mura said.

Ms Moore said the complaint had been intended to intimidate her. “That’s the incredibly scary thing about the [security] hotline,” Ms Moore said. “Anyone who doesn’t like you can accuse you of being a terrorist or a member of a terrorist organisation. ”

The students’ association has organised about 25 demonstrations this year on issues as diverse as the wars in Lebanon and Iraq and the industrial relations legislation. Liberal Club members have accused it of sympathising with terrorist organisations.

The club’s general secretary, Warren Hudson, said: “I’m sure the justification for someone to report it to the security hotline [would be] that a student organisation was financially supporting terrorism … by using student funds to support groups such as Hamas.”

Ms Moore said: “I’m a fairly outspoken anti-war activist … That doesn’t make me a supporter of terrorism.”

……

And this was the media statement of the person subject to right-wing dibber-dobbing:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6 DECEMBER 2006

‘Anti-terror’ Laws used to Intimidate Student Union President

Wollongong police yesterday informed Jess Moore, President of the Wollongong Undergraduate Students’ Association (WUSA), anti-war activist and member of the Socialist Alliance, that under the new ‘anti-terror’ laws, she is facing a police investigation. A Senior Constable told Ms Moore that someone had made a complaint that she had organised an action in support of Hamas on October 18 of this year.

The action in question was in fact organised on campus to combat homophobia, it had nothing to do with the conflict in the Middle East, let alone the Palestinian group Hamas. At the action, students threw balloons filled with water at placards of John Howard, to
highlight their disgust with the Prime Minister’s homophobic policies. Ms Moore attended the action that was supported by WUSA, but wasn’t an organiser.

“This is a shocking case of intimidation. That anyone can ‘dob in’ anyone else merely for attending a political demonstration that opposes the Howard Government, and have the police investigate them is an outrageous attack on civil liberties,” Moore said.

“It’s really scary to be called by the police to be told you are under investigation for allegedly supporting a terrorist group. These laws are obviously designed to dissuade activists and trade unionists from speaking out against the war, injustice and against this government. It’s well known that many Muslims and people of Arabic background fear attending public demonstrations in this country - It’s obvious why!

“Free speech is under attack. In a democratic society people should have the right to speak their mind without fear of reprisal or intimidation. This incident undermines the freedom we supposedly have.

“For me this exposes the so-called ‘War on Terror’ for what it really is: inhumane and unjust foreign policy and an excuse for this government to intimidate and silence those who oppose them,” she concluded.

Ms Moore has vowed to continue demonstrating against injustice despite the harassment she is facing. She is calling on all supporters of civil liberties to do the same.

Media enquiries:
Jess Moore
President
Wollongong Undergraduate Students’ Association
0416 232 349