Hicks, Habib, and the Danes

With the arrival of Mamdouh Habib back in Australia, the campaign to clear his name and to secure the release of David Hicks are continuing.

In Habib frame-up collapses; free David Hicks! by Aaron Benedek,

In fact, the Australian government dismissed on numerous occasions mounting evidence that Habib was being tortured by a foreign power, and publicly defended Habib’s illegal detention.

and

Despite the Pentagon's decision not bring any charges against Habib and to release him, Prime Minister John Howard has ruled out compensation or even an apology to Habib. Ruddock has said that his government still regards Habib as a “terrorist” and a “security threat” and that he will be subjected to continued surveillance (harassment) when he returns to Australia. Ruddock's comments were publicly endorsed by NSW Labor Premier Bob Carr.

Back in 2000, there was the saga of Kerry and Kay Danes when they were held by the Communists in Laos for being invloved in commercial fraud. (See Sapphire of Laos: Max Green, Ted Doyle, Kerry Danes & the Stolen Millions for a version of the story.) After considerable diplomatic pressure was exerted by the Australian government, the Danes were released and allowed and returned to Australia (See Relief for Danes).

The Green Left Weekly had the following conclusion in the story Differential treatment by Alison Dellit (January 30, 2002):

The different treatment can be explained by the capitalist media and Australian government's keenness to condemn a left-wing government such as Laos, while slavishly applauding the attempts of the US to run roughshod over an Australian citizens rights.