Blackwater Valley Environmental Justice

		    Urgent Action	       14 July 2000

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Attacks on democracy

Two pieces of draconian legislation are being pushed through Parliament by
Jack Straw that will seriously curtail democracy within the UK.


RIP -- Controls on encryption 

Wishing to protect your privacy will soon be a criminal offence.

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers (RIP) Bill will place controls on
the use of encryption.  Failure to provide keys could lead to two years in
gaol, tipping someone off that their e-mail is being monitored five years
(or even who they communicate with).  The proposals as they stand are a
breach of Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). 
Jack Straw is granting himself the kinds of powers Robert Mugabe could only
fantasise about. 

One of the grounds for demanding keys will be if your action is in
opposition to UK economic policy!

Please fax or write to your MP asking that he oppose this draconian
legislation.

	http://www.stand.org.uk		{will generate fax automatically}
	http://www.fipr.org/rip/index.html
	http://www.gn.apc.org/activities/ir
	http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/dir-act.htm
	http://www.hushmail.com
	http://www.heureka.clara.net/sunrise/pgp.htm
	http://www.heureka.clara.net/sunrise/spooks.htm
	http://www.heureka.clara.net/sunrise/ukdtittp.htm

Also see SchNEWS 253, RIP IT UP.

	http://www.schnews.org.uk


Activism redefined as terrorism

If you are an activist, demonstrate against government policy, you will
soon be treated as a terrorist.

The Prevention of Terrorism Bill should be opposed (unless of course you
wish to be classed as a terrorist).  Temporary legislation (annual renewal)
covering Northern Ireland only, will soon be made permanent and cover whole
of UK.  Terrorism will be redefined.  GM crop trashing would be an act of
terrorism.  Under this legislation, if arrested, you have very few rights.

	http://www.blagged.freeserve.co.uk/law.htm
	http://www.new-labour.com
	http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/dir-act.htm

Also see SchNEWS 242.  It's an ongoing topic so probably in other issues
too.

	http://www.schnews.org.uk

SchNEWS 242:

'Are you digging a tunnel to prevent a road from being built through your
neighbourhood? Have you pulled up a few Genetically modified crops from
your local test site? Maybe you spoke at a meeting where a member of the
Animal Liberation Front, for example, also spoke? Well I'm afraid to tell
you that you are soon to be deemed a TERRORIST!'


Democracy under threat

Are you opposing TAG, are you opposing corporate policy, are you opposing
government policy?  If yes, then you too could be branded a terrorist. 
Your e-mail will be monitored, those with whom you are in contact duly
logged and added to the list of those to be monitored.  

All those who attended the BVFoE demos against TAG earlier in the year were
filmed by the police.

We are moving into a police state that was not possible in Communist
Russia.  Protest, a legitimate process of democracy, will soon not be
possible.

Other attacks on democracy that are coming from Jack Straw include the
denial of the right of silence when on trial, denial of the right to trial
by jury, denial of access to government information, denial of the right to 
travel abroad.

A democracy can only function when there is fully informed public
participation, when the citizen is protected from the powers of the state.

Please see the BVEJ July 2000 newsletter (# 0002) for further coverage.


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BVEJ Urgent Action 14 July 2000
Published by Blackwater Valley Environmental Justice
www.bvej.org	bvej@bigfoot.com	bvej@hotmail.com

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