Dr Haneef = India's David Hicks

If you were an Indian citizen, why would you not think that Australia was treating Dr Haneef just as the Americans treated David Hicks?

Dr Haneef - in a prison van.
Photo Eddie Safarik - SMH 19 July 2007
















The costume looks familiar - with different colour code, that's all.
Bare feet is a nice touch, don't you think?
He's clearly enjoying his stay in Australia.

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A new "poster boy" for the Tourism Australia, perhaps? It gives a whole new meaning to their major (and expensive) advertising campaign:
"So, where the bloody hell are you?"

Incidentally, Tourism Australia's website reports Indian tourism is the 15th most important market for Australian inbound tourism.

• "India is Australia's fifteenth largest source market in terms of total expenditure. In 2006 travellers from India spent a total of $395 million on trips to Australia, with an average expenditure of $5,032 per trip."

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Back on the parallels with the Hicks case:

• OK - maybe a few less torture threats, but apart from that - there is not much to choose between their cases.
  
• Mysterious charges;
• no appeal;
• legal remedies denied.

So, why would the Indian Government and people not be outraged? Just as Australians eventually became outraged by the American treatment of Hicks.

Read what the Sydney Morning Herald said this morning.

Then read what the Bloggers say, over at the "Road to Surfdom". Why not say what you really think, guys? Nothing like a bit of vibrant discussion - especially when getting stuck into the Attorney(hypocrite)-General - whom they refer to as the "Corpse who walks" - cute.

Read the "comments". Very informative, or at least enlightening to see what people are saying on the Internet, at that site.