Fed: Indonesian Muslims continue to be shunned: lawyer
CANBERRA, April 22 AAP - Indonesian Muslims living in Australia remained shrouded insuspicion six months after they were raided by ASIO and despite no charges being laid,their lawyer said today.
Stephen Hopper, representing six of those raided by the Australian Security IntelligenceOrganisation (ASIO), said his clients had fallen victim to a government strategy of intimidationafter the September 11, 2001, attacks in the US.
His clients were raided late last year and documents, computer disks and other itemsseized from their homes.
Mr Hopper said that six months on, no charges had been laid and 99 per cent of theirpossessions had been returned, but they had no opportunity to clear their names.
"It appears there's still some handwritten documents that they are keeping, we suspect,for purposes of handwriting analysis," Mr Hopper told ABC Radio.
"The problem when you're raided with ASIO, (is) you don't have the opportunity to clearyour name in an official forum such as a court or a tribunal.
"If the police come and raid your home, it usually means criminal charges are goingto follow and you have your day in court to prove your innocence."
But Mr Hopper said his clients remained under suspicion even by their local communitiesbecause they had not had an opportunity to clear their names.
"The Indonesian families I represent don't have that opportunity and thus the taintof having some involvement with ASIO sticks and suspicion always remains," he said.
"They've been victims of a wider strategy that was adopted by the government post-September11 and that was a fairly intrusive and overt policy of intimidation."
ASIO now appeared to be taking a much more low-key approach, Mr Hopper said.
Attorney-General Daryl Williams declined to comment.
AAP sal/tnf/jlw
KEYWORD: TERROR AUST
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