Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present the committee’s report entitled Review of the re-listing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.

by leave—The Kurdistan Workers Party is also known as the People’s Congress of Kurdistan, Kongra-Gel, KADEK, Kongra Gele Kurdistan, the New PKK, the Kurdistan Labour Party, the Kurdish Freedom Falcons, the TAK, the Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress, the Kurdish Liberation Hawks and the KHK. The PKK was originally listed in Australia as a terrorist organisation in 2006. On 18 September 2007, the Attorney-General advised the committee that he had decided to relist the Kurdistan Workers Party as a terrorist organisation for the purposes of section 102 of the Criminal Code Act 1995. Following the election, the regulation was tabled in the House of Representatives and the Senate on 12 February 2008. The original disallowance period of 15 sitting days for the committee’s review of the listing began from the date of the tabling. Therefore, the committee was expected to report to the parliament by 20 March 2008. However, in this the 42nd Parliament the committee first met on 13 March—it was not constituted until that time—and all members of the parliament will therefore understand that it was not possible to meet that deadline. Members of the committee nonetheless felt it important to consider the matter and to provide a report to the parliament, as is the responsibility of the committee. Notice of the inquiry was placed on the committee’s website. Three submissions were received from the public. The committee also wrote to all premiers and chief ministers inviting submissions. No submissions were received from any state or territory objecting to the relisting. Representatives of the Attorney-General’s Department, ASIO and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade attended a private hearing on these listings.

The committee heard from ASIO that the PKK maintains its capacity to undertake significant terrorist attacks. The PKK continues to commit attacks against civilians and tourists in Turkey despite periodic ceasefires. These attacks are committed with the intention of advancing what might be seen by some as Kurdish interests, particularly for those living in Turkey, and in order to coerce the government of Turkey and terrorise sections of the public. There is no reason to believe that the PKK has relinquished either its intent in this matter or its capability to undertake these activities. In view of this, the committee does not recommend to the parliament that the regulation be disallowed. I commend the report to the House.