[asia-apec 1197] Re: NZ/APEC: Activist not backing down

[Robert Reid]

is this Maude's friend calling you my friend :)

----------
> From: Tony Clarke <tclarke at web.net>
> To: asia-apec at jca.apc.org
> Subject: [asia-apec 1195] Re: NZ/APEC: Activist not backing down
> Date: Wednesday, 14 July 1999 14:17
> 
> 
> Hi Aziz,
> 
> Well done my friend! The struggle continues!
> 
> I received your message from a few days ago about  looking at ways to
> internationalize your fight-back campaign against SIS. I will be away on
> vacation until the first week of August. Let's try to connect by email
then.
> O.K?
> 
> Cheers,
> Tony
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gatt Watchdog <gattwd at corso.ch.planet.gen.nz>
> To: asia-apec at jca.ax.apc.org <asia-apec at jca.ax.apc.org>
> Cc: jaggi at tao.ca <jaggi at tao.ca>; rf.dsouza at auckland.ac.nz
> <rf.dsouza at auckland.ac.nz>; saskia at gn.apc.org <saskia at gn.apc.org>;
> sheac at ucla.edu <sheac at ucla.edu>
> Date: Friday, July 09, 1999 3:29 AM
> Subject: [asia-apec 1190] NZ/APEC: Activist not backing down
> 
> 
> >
> >Christchurch Star, Friday July 9 1999
> >
> >Activist not backing down
> >By Marianne Betts
> >
> >A ground-breaking case against the Security Intelligence Service
> >will continue, despite a ruling from the Court of Appeal to keep
> >documents relating to the bungled break-in of a Christchurch
> >activist's home secret.
> >
> >Aziz Choudry, who is suing the SIS for $300,000 after a break-in
> >at his Sockburn home three years ago, during the Apec Trade
> >Ministers meeting, said he would continue with his civil case
> >regardless of the ruling.
> >
> >"I won't back down on this and will have to see where we will go
> >from here," Mr Choudry said.
> >
> >He said he had asked the court to review 60 secret documents
> >relating to the botched break-in which the SIS had refused to
> >disclose.
> >
> >Four of the five judges ruled the SIS did not have to disclose
> >these documents and that a certificate by Prime Minister Jenny
> >Shipley saying their release would prejudice national security was
> >sufficient to prevent the High Court judge in the case from
> >reviewing the documents.
> >
> >Mr Choudry said he was disappointed by the judgement, which would
> >fuel anxieties about the service.
> >
> >The Apec Monitoring Group, of which Mr Choudry is part, feared the
> >judgement gave the SIS and the Prime Minister protection from any
> >real scrutiny of their activities and allowed them to keep secret
> >information they deemed to be prejudicial to their activities.
> >
> >Spokesperson for the group Leigh Cookson said the judgement was
> >disturbing, coming in the year New Zealand is to host the Apec
> >forum.
> >
> >"Any assurance given that the opponents of Apec in 1999 will have
> >their right to dissent respected can only be treated with
> >suspicion and contempt," Ms Cookson said.
> >
> >The majority decision from four of the five judges said the
> >judicial inspection of the documents would be unlikely to advance
> >matters responsibly.  Justice Thomas disagreed, saying national
> >security would suffer.
> >
> >
> >