BY LUKE WILLIAMS
Peter Tatchell, renowned for his fight for gay liberation and human rights, has been denied a visa to Australia. The debacle has prevented him from attending his stepfather's funeral. He was refused entry despite repeated requests for the visa to be granted on compassionate grounds.
"Our family tragedy has been compounded by [immigration minister] Philip Ruddock's cruel and heartless decision to prevent me from visiting my dying stepfather and attending his funeral", Tatchell said. He appealed the refusal to Ruddock, but had received no reply after 11 weeks. Appeals usually take less than two weeks. His stepfather's death came on January 7.
"My 26-page appeal dossier contains all the information that is needed to make a ruling in a couple of hours. There is no legitimate lawful justification for this excessive delay", he argued.
The visa denial comes after Tatchell's bid to arrest Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe under the Australian Crimes (torture) Act 1988, at the Brisbane Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting scheduled, but then cancelled, for October.
Mugabe has been accused of sponsoring terror attacks on opposition political groups involving severe and humiliating beatings, dispossessing traditional farm-owners of their land and claiming that gay men and lesbians are "worse than dogs and pigs".
"It is monstrous that President Mugabe — a leader accused of gross human rights abuses — is allowed into Australia to attend the Commonwealth summit, while someone like myself — a human rights defender — is being denied the right to return to the country of my birth to visit my family" Tatchell said.
From Green Left Weekly, February 13, 2002.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.