Donations boost campaign to free Lesley McCulloch

BY IGGY KIM

The campaign to free Australian resident academic Lesley McCulloch
from detention in Indonesia has been boosted by the National Tertiary Education
Industry Union (NTEU).

The union's Tasmanian division donated $1000 to help cover McCulloch's
legal costs. The NTEU's national council on October 5-6 voted to match
the Tasmanian division's donation. The national council also decided to
write to foreign minister Alexander Downer urging Canberra's intervention.

Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific (ASAP) has also donated
$100 and the New Zealand-based Indonesia Human Rights Committee has donated
NZ$100.

ASAP received a letter from the foreign affairs department in reply
to a petition, submitted on September 26, that called for the Australian
government's intervention. The letter merely stated that the government
is taking “an active interest” and “liaising with the British embassy”
which has taken responsibility for British-born McCulloch's case. It ends
with the ominous statement: “Ms McCulloch is subject to the laws of Indonesia.”

Donations to Lesley McCulloch's legal fund can be deposited at any branch
of the Commonwealth Bank. The account name: Aceh Humanitarian Assistance
Fund Account, account number 10096013, BSB 067104, University of Tasmania
branch, Churchill Ave, Hobart.

The full text of both the department of foreign affairs letter and the
NTEU motion are available on the ASAP web site at <http://www.asia-pacific-action.org>.

From Green Left Weekly, October 23, 2002.

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From GLW issue 513