Hungarian Observer, 1986-1987 (1. évfolyam, 4. szám)

1987-04-01 / 4. szám

VoL 1, No. 4 HUNGARIAN OBSERVER Journal of the Hungarian Institute in Melbourne Registered by Australia Post Publication No. VBQ7518 April 1967 Price $L50 A WORD ABOUT WAR CRIMINALS' Whilst the Australian public are preoccupied with Sir Joh 's push to Can­berra and Paul Keating's exorbitant inter­est rates, the Hawke Labor Government is about to perpetrate the greatest Justiz­mord of our time. We are referring to the intended prosecution of socalled 'Nazi war crimi­nals'. Nine hundred years ago, the Hungarian king Coloman the Bookman decreed in his law­book: “As to witches who do not exist, no proceed­ings shall be brought.” The Hawke Labor Govern­ment has shown no such enlightenment. No 'war criminals' here From our wide knowledge of the ethnic communities from behind the Iron Curtain, ex­tending over nearly four decades, we can assert with confidence that there are no 'war criminals' in the accepted sense in Australia. At most, there are some elderly gentlemen with former extreme right wing affiliations who were only minute parts of the Nazi war machine and were in no position to commit any 'war crimes' even if they had been so disposed. These men came to Australia under their own names and made no attempt to conceal their identity. The fact that no allegations were made against them for nearly forty years, should make every fairminded Australian suspicious of the ac­cusations now brought against them. They are now at the close of their lives. Any indiscretions they may have committed in a war-torn, turbulent Europe, have been expiated by their hard work and honourable lives in Australia. Is it a fair thing to rake up their past after so many years? Foreign 'crimes' The acts and conduct which it is sought to impugn, were committed, respectively manifested, in foreign lands, by persons who were then citizens of foreign countries and the victims - if there were any - were also foreigners. The only connection the alleged 'crimes' have with Australia is that the al­leged culprits are now Australian citizens. Is this enough to turn Australian courts and juries into their judges? Indeed, there are very serious legal objec­tions that the courts of this country have no extra­territorial jurisdiction whatever and the assumption of jurisdiction over foreign 'war crimes’ is arbi­trary and unlawful. Star Chamber methods If allegations of this nature had been made against members of the 'Old Australian’ communi­ty, such as the Returned Soldiers' League, - and we consider this comparison valid - then the Hawke Labor Government would not have dared to proceed without a public open inquiry or a Royal Commis­sion. Indeed, a Royal Commission is even at present in progress about such a weighty matter as the stor­age of wheat. Yet in this case, where Australian citi­zens are to be pilloried and exposed to extreme distress, the Government has proceeded in a clan­destine manner and there has been no public in­quiry whatever. In particular, the inquiry of Mr Andrew Menzies , a retired senior public servant with no ju­dicial record, proceeded in complete secrecy and even when his report was tabled before Parliament and thus became a public document, it was not print­ed and was not made available to the general public. We had to undertake a major intelligence exercise to be able to peruse a roneoed copy. Other side not heard It is a fundamental principle of the com­mon law of Australia which has been meticulously observed not only by our courts of law but also by non-judi cial inquiries, that the other side must al­ Continued on page 2

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