g'day hugh:

I know that we've only sent a couple messages back and forth in the past. I've been remiss in thanking your for your efforts in 'the Rindos Affair'. I think that you're beginning to see how desparate and biased the University of Western Australia has been.

David Rindos is, as you know, a world class scholar. To deny him tenure on academic grounds is almost unbelievable. However, I think that we've begun an investigation of the decision making processes in *ALL* Australian university administrations. The basic problem is one that (IMO) goes way back into Australian history. These administrators believe, really and truly believe that they are the guards and everybody else is the prisoner group that is required to obey! Academic freedom, free thought, and intensive inquiry are (for the most part) alien to the Australian bureaucrat. It's really of a do as I say because I'm in charge and I have the power (legitimate or otherwise) to *MAKE* you do what I tell you to do.

In David Rindos, they've found someone who does NOT knuckle under to the arbitrary power.

Australian tertiary institutions are basically a law unto themselves. And that's precisely the way that they've reacted to David. What? You *DARE* to question our arbitrary / change the rules / deal with it as we make up what we want to have / protect the old boy network? Yep! We do! And we will continue to do so until the administration is forced to recognise that there are some rules that apply to everybody. The rules are based on integrity, social justice, and equal rights for everyone.

UWA is searching for a scapegoat. Brian Martin from Science and Technology Studies at the University of Wollongong has also worked to help David in his fight against the mindless bureaucracy. Brian's area of expertise is the 'whistle blowers' actions and outcomes.

In 'the Rindos Affair' we see all the symptoms, the denial of due process, the false accusations used to divert the questions, the destruction of paperwork, the loss of 'data', the procedural motions to deny anything that might approach justice or examination of the evidence.

The final straw (to me) appears to be the organised campaign on the part of The West Australian and their reproduction of the 'news' articles eminateing from UWA. It's been fairly clear to me that the press in Australia is NOT independent. There is a lot of 'creation' and 'opinion' reported in many of the so called 'newspapers' in the several states. We have much the same here in Wollongong in a local source called The Illawarra Mercury.

So much for the attempt of the West Australian to silence debate and to silence the web site that you have created. Remember that these people at UWA will do *ANYTHING* and *EVERYTHING* to protect their power base and their privileges. We have seen them accuse David Rindos of everything from paedophilia to sexual harassment to plagiarism. There is apparently nothing that is beyond the administrators in their attempt to obfuscate and defer the attention from their outrageous actions to other matters.

This is a major cover up on the part of UWA. I am pleased that SUNY can see through the smoke screen put up by UWA. There is a time for everything, and the time for justice is coming . . . We believe that the Parliament of Western Australia is finally going to hold the administration of UWA accountable for their actions.

The site at your campus is a great 'focus point' for all of us. We're likely to publicise this even more, and the attempts at censorship and interference with the flow of information has already been drawn to the attention of the Parliament in Western Australia.

Again, thank you for all you've done.

Henry