Australia’s role
We can make a difference
Who to write too
The land conflict in Zimbabwe is NOT a race issue, but a cynical manipulation by Mugabe to terrorize the democratic opposition to his disastrous government. Why else are the ZANU-PF thugs killing, bashing and raping black farm workers and black political activists in the Movement for Democratic Change? What is happening in Zimbabwe is state terror. Mugabe’s 5th Brigade - his presidential
guard - carried out the murder of farmer Martin Olds near Bulawayo two weeks ago. The police allowed the killers of David Stevens, Talent Mabika and Tichaona Chiminya to do their evil work. Getting the white minority out of Zimbabwe is not the main question Australia or any other country must answer. The question is how to stop the terror and to support democracy and equal rights in Zimbabwe.
Australia’s role
So far the Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has kept a low profile on the disaster now developing in Zimbabwe. He says that the Australian High Commissioner in Harare has made repeated representations about the violence, intimidation and murders. The Prime
Minister has responded to media questions about offering safe haven to white farmers. In brief, the Australian government has at best a ‘watching brief’ on the crisis. It may not understand the full picture and it is waiting for someone else to do something. Malcolm Fraser’s 1979 Liberal Coalition government played a key role in the ending of the Zimbabwe war of liberation and bringing Mugabe to power. The Howard government has inherited the legacy of that positive intervention two decades ago and now must be seen
and heard to condemn Mugabe's actions for what they are -- a desperate, unlawful and undemocratic bid to retain political power. Mugabe is using state terror against his own citizens.
We can make a difference
Zimbabwe is in crisis and we in Australia must act immediately. Yes, we CAN do something. International pressure is our only weapon. Please write to your
local Federal and State Members of Parliament, and elected representatives listed below, urging them to take appropriate action to: pressure Mugabe to end farm occupations and the accompanying murders and assaults, to restore the rule
of law, to set a date for free and fair elections, and to facilitate a major United Nations election monitoring program pressure the UN Security Council to immediately implement an election monitoring
program with 15,000 monitors for the 5,000 voting places commit Australia to provide at least 1,000 monitors for the UN effort suspend all aid to the Mugabe government until the above objectives have been
achieved.
Contact Details
Hon John Howard MHR
Prime Minister: fax 02 6273 4100.
Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600
Alexander Downer MHR
Minister for Foreign Affairs: fax (02) 6273 4112.
Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600
Fax: 02 6273 4112
eMail
Mr Kofi Annan
Secretary-General,
United Nations Security Council S-378,
New York NY 10017,USA
fax: +1 212 963 7055
eMail
Mr Jonathon Brown
Australian High Commissioner to Zimbabwe,
Harare
Zimbabwe
Fax: +263 4 253 679
eMail
Laurie Brereton, MHR
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Fax: 02 6277 8502
Senator Natasha Stott Despoja
Leader of the Australian Democrats
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Fax: 08 8232 7601
Senator Vicki Bourne
Australian Democrats
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Fax: 02 9247 9681
eMail
Senator Bob Brown
Australian Greens
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Fax: 03 6234 1577
eMail
Kevin Rudd, MHR
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Fax: 07 3899 5755
eMail
Hon Donald McKinnon
Commonwealth Secretary-General
Marlborough House, Pall Mall
London SW1Y 5HX
United Kingdom
Fax: +44 20 7930 1647
eMail
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