The Hon Kevin Rudd MP

Leader of the Opposition,

Parliament House,

CANBERRA. ACT. 2600. December 18, 2006.

Dear Kevin,

Please accept our Congratulations on your appointment as Leader of the Opposition.

As you are aware, the ten years of conservative government under the leadership of John Howard have been marked by repeated attacks against the rule of law and human rights in Australia, and the curtailment of our civil liberties.

The Howard government has lied to Australian citizens to justify and engage our country into an illegal war against another country which did not threaten, or even had any intention of threatening, the security and sovereignty of Australia, bringing destruction and chaos to the aggressed country and costing the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. This illegal war has actually endangered rather than protected our national security.

The Howard government has condoned and supported the illegal imprisonment of Australian citizens by another country, which blatantly disregards international laws and conventions and actively engages in torture.

This same government has deceived Australian citizens about the true situation, intention, and behaviour of refugees who were fleeing from wars and regimes of terror and seeking asylum in our country and has demonised these refugees to justify their incarceration, including children, into concentration camps.

Throughout its life, this government has mounted a persistent campaign of fear and xenophobia, culminating in the promulgation of so-called “anti-terrorist” laws that severely restrict our civil liberties.

Finally, the Howard government has refused to apologise to Australian Aboriginals for the genocidal policies and practices of previous Australian governments and has rejected any negotiation about their self-determination; instead this government has abolished Indigenous institutions that could have been used to engage on the path of genuine reconciliation.

It is not surprising that many Australian citizens, concerned with social justice, the perseveration of the rule of law, human rights, peace, and ethical governance, hope for a change of government that would restore and extend these essential values and practices in our country. Your recent election as the leader of the opposition has generated greater optimism that these values and practices might again form the core of Australian society.

However, after years of deceit, lies, empty and broken promises by the Howard administration, understandably, concerned Australian citizens demand greater clarity and accountability from politicians who seek their support to serve as their elected representatives and form a government.

In this open letter we are seeking clear answers from you to five major questions about human rights in Australia.

What would a Rudd government do about:

* the current engagement of our country in the illegal war in Iraq?

Will your government cease our engagement in this war? When and what will the process be?

* the illegal imprisonment of David Hick in the illegal US concentration camp of Guatanamo Bay?

Will your government demand, as the British government has done successfully in the case of its citizens, that David Hick be released from his illegal incarceration at Guantanama Bay and returned to Australia? When and what will the process will be?

* the incarceration of asylum seekers in concentration camps in Australia?

Will your government terminate that practice and close these concentration camps? When and what will the process be?

* the dangerous so called “anti-terrorist” laws promulgated by the Howard administration?

Will your government abolish these laws? When and what will the process be?

* reconciliation with Indigenous Australians?

Will your government offer a formal apology to Australian Aboriginals for the genocidal policies and practices of the past? When and what will the process be?

Will your government reinstate ATSIC or a similar institution designed along the wishes of Australian Aboriginals? When and what will the process be?

Will your government engage in official negotiations with Australian Aboriginals about a formal treaty on self-determination? When and what will the process be?

Whilst we are committed to the defeat of the Howard government, we are only prepared to support the Australian Labor Party if it emphatically and publicly undertakes to address these issues, which are crucial to the future health and wellbeing of our democracy.

We would appreciate receiving your prompt response to the issues we have raised.

Sincerely,

Thierry Bouhours John Richardson