Address for correspondence: Dr Bryan Gaensler Harvard
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Address for correspondence: Dr Bryan Gaensler Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics 60 Garden Street MS-6 Cambridge MA 02138 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Email: bgaensler@cfa.harvard.edu 11 December, 2001 The Hon John Howard MP Prime Minister of Australia Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 AUSTRALIA cc: The Hon John Anderson MP Senator Bob Brown The Hon Simon Crean MP Senator Natasha Stott Despoja His Excellency The Right Reverend Dr Peter Hollingworth The Editor, The Advertiser The Editor, The Age The Editor, The Australian The Editor, The Canberra Times The Editor, The Courier-Mail The Editor, The Mercury The Editor, The Northern Territory News The Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald The Editor, The West Australian Current Affairs Bureau, Australian Broadcasting Corporation News Desk, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Dear Prime Minister, We write to you as a group of Australian citizens currently living overseas, who share a common concern with regard to recent events in Australia that have attracted significant international criticism. We are proud that Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world. Immigrants have made a profound contribution to Australia’s unique national character. Although our history is not perfect in this regard, we have succeeded in creating a common identity through tolerance and open-mindedness towards those who join our community. In this light, we are disturbed and disappointed by the Federal Government’s actions in relation to the desperate plight of refugees. We are deeply concerned that Australia’s international standing as an open and tolerant nation has been compromised. As ambassadors for our country, we have found it difficult to justify to our overseas colleagues the Australian Government’s recent decisions in this regard. Furthermore, we strongly object to the Government’s use of language that de-humanises and vilifies refugees trying to escape persecution. We feel that, as Prime Minister, you have a responsibility to encourage Australian citizens to overcome their fears and uncertainties about the significant changes that are currently taking place in the international sphere. Instead, we believe that your Government has framed the debate in a way that gives legitimacy to intolerance in the general community. We ask you to move beyond populism and to conduct Australia’s affairs in a way that reflects our status as a forward-thinking nation. We call on the Australian Government to comply with its international treaty obligations with respect to refugees, and to meet its responsibilities as an international citizen in responding to humanitarian disasters. We call on the Australian Government to respond to the current refugee crisis (as it did for East Timor) by increasing the number of available places in the Humanitarian Program for the refugees currently fleeing Central Asia and the Middle East. We call on the Australian Government to put an end to mandatory detention and to inhumane treatment of asylum seekers. We care deeply about Australia’s role and future direction, and strongly entreat you to re-visit these issues. Yours sincerely, Dr Bryan Gaensler Cambridge MA, USA Clay Fellow, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Harvard University 1999 Young Australian of the Year Ms Geraldine Chin Cambridge MA, USA Fulbright Scholar and Knox Fellow, Harvard Law School, Harvard University Mr Andrew Leigh Cambridge MA, USA Knox Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Mr Simon Fitzpatrick Cambridge MA, USA Knox Fellow, Harvard Law School, Harvard University Ms Kerrie Burmeister Cambridge MA, USA Fulbright Scholar, Harvard Law School, Harvard University Ms Avril Alba Cambridge MA, USA Faculty Member, Harvard Hillel, Harvard University Mr Jon Anstey Geneva, Switzerland Legal Officer, United Nations Compensation Commission Mr John Asker Cambridge MA, USA PhD Candidate, Department of Economics, GSAS, Harvard University Research Associate, Harvard Business School, Harvard University Mr Ben Austin Dublin, Ireland Dr Ivan Baldry Baltimore MD, USA Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University Mr James Bales Hamburg, Germany Central Coordinator for Australia/NZ/Asia/Pacific Region, Hamburg-Süd Ms Laurie Berg New York NY, USA Graduate Merit Scholar, School of Law, New York University Ms Saskia Besier Christchurch, New Zealand Lecturer, University of Canterbury Ms Jacqueline Boyle London, United Kingdom Marketing Manager, Microsoft Ltd Dr Roger Brissenden Cambridge MA, USA Manager, Chandra X-ray Center, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Dr Kate J. Brooks Santiago, Chile Astronomy Fellow, European Southern Observatory Mr Chester Brown Cambridge, United Kingdom Sir Robert Menzies Scholar in Law, Cambridge University Ms Marianna Brungs Cambridge, United Kingdom Benefactor’s Scholar, St John’s College, Cambridge University Ms Catherine Buckmaster Boston MA, USA Ms Melissa Bullen Solicitor London, United Kingdom Ms Rachel Buxton Oxford, United Kingdom Rhodes Scholar and Wilkinson Junior Research Fellow, Worcester College, Oxford University Mr Matthew Bye Washington DC, USA Office of General Counsel, Federal Trade Commission Dr Tom Burne Milton Keynes, United Kingdom Research Scientist Ms Amanda Chadwick London, United Kingdom Centenary of Federation Chevening Scholar, London School of Economics Dr Daniel Chan Ann Arbor MI, USA Assistant Professor, University of Michigan Prof Hilary Charlesworth Cambridge MA, USA Visiting Professor, Harvard Law School, Harvard University Mr Andrew Charlton Oxford, United Kingdom 2001 Rhodes Scholar, 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Jonathan Kearns Cambridge MA, USA Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mr Christopher Kearns Singapore Senior Architectural Associate, Airport Division, PWD Consultants Mr Andrew Keller London, United Kingdom MBA Student, London Business School Dr Vikram Khurana Cambridge MA, USA Fulbright Scholar and Harvard Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University Dr Zoe Laidlaw Sheffield, United Kingdom Lecturer in International History, Department of History, University of Sheffield 1997–2000 Commonwealth Scholar Ms Ingrid Lane London, United Kingdom Mr Andrew Lang Cambridge, United Kingdom Gates Cambridge Scholar, Cambridge University Dr Catherine Leamey Cambridge MA, USA Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1998–2001 Peter Doherty Postdoctoral Fellow Mr Craig Leech New York NY, USA Civil Engineer Mr Paul Loftus London, United Kingdom Commonwealth Scholar, School of Law, King’s College, University of London Ms Arlie Loughnan New York NY, USA 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Research Associate, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge Ms Kala Mulqueeny Cambridge MA, USA Graduate Fellow, Harvard Law School, Harvard University Ms Kate Murphy Baltimore MD, USA Research Scientist, Smithsonian Institution Mr John Murray London, United Kingdom Ms Tracy O’Callaghan New York NY, USA Ms Sarah Ogilvie Oxford, United Kingdom Trinity College, Oxford University Mr Nicholas J. 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