I'm getting a wee bit political
The following was sent to the official email address of the Foreign Minister of Australia; A.Downer.MP@aph.gov.au with the likely vain hope of making my voice heard with regards to policy decisions made by our government.
Mr Downer:
Having recently read of the treaty with Indonesia due to be ratified on Monday, I must confess I am dismayed. While I acknowledge the neccessity of close regional ties in the intrests of security and trade, this treaty would seem to encourage the government of Indonesia (never renowned for their commitment to peace, human rights, or the welfare of their neighbours) in the expansionist and repressive policies that they have followed over the last 40 years.
While the Papuan Independence movement is not something that has received a great deal of my attention and perhaps there are facts of which I am not aware, I am firmly convinced that the brutal response of Jakarta to the movement has been vastly out of proportion to the threat, much like the violence commited upon the population of East Timor to which your governments initial response was admirable. If this is the government with whom we are building security ties and cross training our troops, I am forced to wonder how much time we will have to wait before our troops are being used to burn down dissenting villages or hunt down leaders of peaceful resistance movements. How long before we hand over people who our consciences should dictate we offer the protection of the Australian Commonwealth to be tortured and executed by our new best friends?
I am also very concerned with the news that Australia will be sharing nuclear technologies with Indonesia. I have already stated my concerns with that nation with regards to an ongoing policy of militaristic expansionism, and giving them nuclear technologies, even for avowedly peaceful purposes, seems very akin to giving a firearm or switchblade to an angry, liquored up teenager. The best we can do is vaguely hope that no-one gets hurt. A further related concern that doesn't even touch on the ugly specter of a regional nuclear war is the environmental impact of a nuclear power industry. Again, the environment is a sector where the track record of the Indonesian government has been less than stellar, and given the lack of suitable terrain for radioactive waste disposal in the majority of the Indonesian Archipelago, where would you propose they dump spent fuel, or perhaps you have an Australian site you'd like to volunteer?
I appreciate that you will likely never read this, and even if you do, you are only the spokesman for our current Government on this matter and could do little to change it. Even so, I would feel remiss in my duty as a thinking person were I not to voice some objection to what I see as an exceptionally foolish policy choice. Were I a religious man, I would pray that history proves your decision wise. As it is, I am left with the cold comfort of having made my position on this matter known.
Yours Sincerely,
Kenneth Richard Austin.
To clarify, IANA scholar of Indonesian affairs, and I hate to seem like a paranoid jerk, but everything about this treaty screams "Peace in our time", and I'd feel worse for not saying anything.
Good night, and Good luck.
Mr Downer:
Having recently read of the treaty with Indonesia due to be ratified on Monday, I must confess I am dismayed. While I acknowledge the neccessity of close regional ties in the intrests of security and trade, this treaty would seem to encourage the government of Indonesia (never renowned for their commitment to peace, human rights, or the welfare of their neighbours) in the expansionist and repressive policies that they have followed over the last 40 years.
While the Papuan Independence movement is not something that has received a great deal of my attention and perhaps there are facts of which I am not aware, I am firmly convinced that the brutal response of Jakarta to the movement has been vastly out of proportion to the threat, much like the violence commited upon the population of East Timor to which your governments initial response was admirable. If this is the government with whom we are building security ties and cross training our troops, I am forced to wonder how much time we will have to wait before our troops are being used to burn down dissenting villages or hunt down leaders of peaceful resistance movements. How long before we hand over people who our consciences should dictate we offer the protection of the Australian Commonwealth to be tortured and executed by our new best friends?
I am also very concerned with the news that Australia will be sharing nuclear technologies with Indonesia. I have already stated my concerns with that nation with regards to an ongoing policy of militaristic expansionism, and giving them nuclear technologies, even for avowedly peaceful purposes, seems very akin to giving a firearm or switchblade to an angry, liquored up teenager. The best we can do is vaguely hope that no-one gets hurt. A further related concern that doesn't even touch on the ugly specter of a regional nuclear war is the environmental impact of a nuclear power industry. Again, the environment is a sector where the track record of the Indonesian government has been less than stellar, and given the lack of suitable terrain for radioactive waste disposal in the majority of the Indonesian Archipelago, where would you propose they dump spent fuel, or perhaps you have an Australian site you'd like to volunteer?
I appreciate that you will likely never read this, and even if you do, you are only the spokesman for our current Government on this matter and could do little to change it. Even so, I would feel remiss in my duty as a thinking person were I not to voice some objection to what I see as an exceptionally foolish policy choice. Were I a religious man, I would pray that history proves your decision wise. As it is, I am left with the cold comfort of having made my position on this matter known.
Yours Sincerely,
Kenneth Richard Austin.
To clarify, IANA scholar of Indonesian affairs, and I hate to seem like a paranoid jerk, but everything about this treaty screams "Peace in our time", and I'd feel worse for not saying anything.
Good night, and Good luck.