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Australian Democrats Blast
Barring of Tatchell from Birthplace

Robert Mugabe, Violent Homophobe, Granted Australian Entry

Peter Tatchell Seeks Mugabe's Arrest Under Australian Law

Compiled By GayToday

Australian Sen. Andrew Bartlett

Queensland, Australia--The Australian Democrats have strongly condemned the "overnight decision" of the Minister for Immigration to deny London-based human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, a visa to attend a public speaking event Friday in Brisbane.

"This decision is particularly repugnant considering (Zimbabwe's) President Robert Mugabe, a known human rights abuser, is being granted admission to Australia to attend CHOGM, in early October," said the Australian Democrats Immigration spokesperson, Senator Andrew Bartlett.

Peter Tatchell says his planned appeal to Australia to arrest Mugabe is wholly within Australian law.

Senator Bartlett told of his struggle to assure Tatchell's admittance to this land where he was born:

"Based on advice received yesterday, from the organizers of the Brisbane event, my office made repeated representations to the Minister's office with respect to Mr. Tatchell's visa.

"On each of these occasions my staff was informed that Mr. Tatchell's visa was still under consideration."

Senator Bartlett said he'd been mislead. "This was obviously not the case," he complained, "The Minister and his staff were simply delaying the inevitable, which was to disallow Mr. Tatchell's visa, under Section 501, of the Migration Act, which empowers the Minister to refuse entry on the grounds of criminal behavior and bad character.

"Mr. Tatchell is neither a criminal nor a man of bad character, rather he is a defender of human rights and civil liberties, but this appears to be most unpalatable to the Howard Government."

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Peter Tatchell provided a statement for GayToday:

"The refusal to grant me a visa is an illegal abuse of the immigration laws. There is no lawful reason why I should be denied entry. I will appeal against the decision...

"On all my previous visits to Australia, most recently in 1999, I was of good character and did not commit any illegal acts. Nothing about my behavior during my past visits to Australia justifies this exclusion order. My plan to seek the arrest of Mugabe on charges of torture was legal under Australian law.

"President Mugabe is a human rights abuser and I am a human rights defender. But he's allowed into Australia and I am banned. Why the double-standards?"

Senator Bartlett concurred:

"The Australian Government has the followed on from its position on refugees to disallow an international human rights campaigner access to our shores"