Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol. 37, No. 10. May 22, 1974

The Long March Against the U.S

page 8

The Long March Against the U.S.

It may be of interest to Salient readers to know more of the coming "Long March" to North West Cape. Western Australia and the current controversy surrounding the establishment of an allied naval base at Gorden Island, just south of Perth.

North West Cape

The Harold E. Holt US naval communications station is located just outside the town of Exmouth, 850 miles north of Perth. The establishment of this base was originally meant for the benefit of civil navigation. However, when one considers that over half of the world's nuclear missiles are aboard submerged submarines and that such submarines are dependent on very low frequency (VLF) radio facilities, then a sinister light is thrown upon such so-called "civil navigational aids".

It comes as no surprise to hear that the Harold E, Holt base at North West Cape is regarded as a small but important face's of US nuclear strategy. This communications base together with the proposed Omega Base (to be located within the Lake Pedder National Park, Tasmania) places Australia in a position of aiding and abetting US nuclear warfare. With the above in mind a group of dedicated protesters are making a 6,000 mile trek to North West Cape. On their journey across Australia the protesters are planning to do the usual handing out of leaflets, holding public meetings and performing street theatre. On arriving at the communications base, on the eve of the federal elections, plans have been made to "re-purchase" the 28 miles of aboriginal land on which the base stands. Efforts will also be made to chant out the ail-American evil spirits that dwell within.

Map showing some of the foreign military bases in Australia—

Map showing some of the foreign military bases in Australia

However, things may not be too rosy for the protesters. In a letter to the West Australian newspaper a spokesman for 121 residents of the support town of Exmouth has stated, "We wish it to be clearly understood that we shall allow the freedom of speech to anyone who persists in making the march. We intend to be equally free in withholding any form of hospitality, assistance, or charitable feeling." Apparently, the people of Exmouth feel that protesters who have travelled 6,000 odd miles will not be satisfied with just a token demonstration!

In the mean time the defence of the radio station has been the subject of much controversy. The newly elected Liberal State Government is not keen to defend the base. If the state police do not defend the base then it will be left to the 33 man strong WA division of the Commonwealth police. While the state and federal governments bicker over who is to defend North West Cape, journalists are speculating whether the 300 strong WA special police will be called in, or whether the army will be preferred to the police. No matter what is the final outcome of such negotiations it would appear that the protesters will be left holding the trump cards.

Cockburn Sound Naval Base

While the 1,000 odd expected protesters are storming the North West Cape radio station, Mrs Judy Forsyth will be standing for the Federal House of Representatives as the sole candidate representing the Indian Ocean Peace Zone Party. Mrs Forsyth is campaigning for the immediate closure of the 30 odd foreign military bases located on Australian soil and the establishment in the Indian Ocean.

More specifically, the Indian Ocean Peace Zone Party is concerned over the proposed establishment of a joint US-British naval station on Garden Island in the Cockburn Sound, a mere 20 miles from Perth. In a public letter to the Prime Minister, Mrs Forsyth pointed out that previous Liberal Party Defence Ministers had made it clear that the Cockburn Sound development would be more than a naval support facilitiy for allied fleets. Instead it would be a full scale base for the operation of a nuclear submarines.

Already work is well underway at Cockburn Sound. A ten million dollar causeway has been built linking Garden Island with the mainland and a few naval buildings are under construction.

People protesting against the Cockburn Sound development argue that the military nature of the naval facilities could instead be used beneficially for commercial use. Protestors also argue that access to Garden Island should not be restricted to the gifted few with the necessary causeway passes or boat landing passes. Instead, Garden Island should stay the highly popular holiday resort for low and middle income earners that it has been in the past.

As a final word, may I say that the New Zealand anti-war movement may have successfully removed the Omega hot potato from the shores of the "shakey isles". However, things in Western Australia are far from healthy. North West Cape, Cockburn Sound, Diego Garcia and the Ethiopian navigation base make the Indian Ocean far removed from a potential peace zone. There is a large group of Australians determined to abolish all foreign military bases from their country. New Zealanders can help this cause by either joining the "Long March" in May, or supplying any relevant information on the Mt John, Omega, Harewood-Weedons or other such demonstrations.

Map showing all the foreign military bases in the U.S.A.

Map showing all the foreign military bases in the U.S.A.