by Keith Locke
Image created by Lyndon Hood
It’s good to see the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) come out against lecturers being asked to spy on their students for the SIS.
Supposedly this is necessary to uncover students using our universities to do research related to “weapons of mass destruction”? But how likely is this in New Zealand? It makes one think our SIS might be operating, in this matter, as a branch office of some bigger foreign intelligence agency, maybe from a country where there is quite a bit of research on how to better produce their own weapons of mass destruction.
In New Zealand, as the TEU points out, the most likely result of the SIS edict is extra targeting of students because of their religion, nationality or ethnicity. Tough luck if you have to be a Muslim engineering student, particularly if you come from Iran or an Arab country.
Studying in a foreign country is hard enough at the best of times without worrying about your essays and assignments being scanned and sent to that country’s intelligence services.
Over the years, universities have tried to make their campuses a spy-free zone, to protect academic freedom.
Historically, in New Zealand the role of the SIS has been to spy on student dissenters and radical lecturers, not because they were breaking any laws, but because they were challenging the Government of the day.
I can testify to this from the contents of my own SIS file, which I received last late last year. In it the SIS shows concerns about my antiwar and anti-apartheid activities when I was a University of Canterbury student, and later when I lectured at Victoria University. There was absolutely no SIS concern that I would break any laws.
The TEU is right to preserve the universities as an open forum for ideas and research, without the intrusive presence of a politically motivated spy agency.
If the SIS wants a real target for investigation, why not look at the Auckland-based Rakon industries, which has had military contracts to provide shock-hardened and radiation-hardened crystal oscillators for American guided missiles, some of which may actually carry “Weapons of Mass Destruction”.
Published in Featured | Justice & Democracy by Keith Locke on Wed, November 18th, 2009
Tags: Rakon, Security Intelligence Service, spying, tertiary education
More posts by Keith Locke | more about Keith Locke
on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
yah. Provide your reasons please. One would think...
Very good point Kieth: I would like to know where tha Victoria University stand on this issue because recently two socialist activist (see Workers Party) have been treated very shodily and expelled from the campus just for speaking their minds and OK they burnt a flag to make a valid point about imperialist wars. Victoria University was overre-acting just a wee bit!!Don’t you think?
I thought Victoria had a reputation for being liberal but it seems they now have a corporate staff who don’t mind muzzling free speach and training students to be obsequious servants to companies like Rakon.
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The SIS can ask staff to report on students, but actually forcing them to do so would be pretty hard.
What is more worrying is the personal information the SIS might try to access. For example, in Australia the federal police have paid night time visits to some university students who borrowed the “wrong” books from university libraries (see http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/07/26/1122143825666.html)
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Should be a space before the last bracket
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I don’t see how they can force staff to report on students.
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How can they force staff?
Well, that is the problem with warrantless politically motivated spying.
In the process of doing so they are bound to uncover either embarassing private information or what I call “innocent law breaking”.
There are so many laws on the books these days, nobody knows even a tenth of them, everybody breaks several laws every day. Just nobody is harmed, nobody is looking, nobody complains, nobody cares.
Unless an arm of law enforcement feels like being “unpleasant” for some reason.
Reasons like, umm, shall we say, “Relative Ethnicity” or “Don’t like your face / attitude / politics” or failure to obey friendly requests for information on (potentially) Really Evil Plotters of Mass Destruction.
They were Really Good at that sort of thing in The Bad Old South Africa.
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My first thought was “All the time they (the SIS) spend on this document is time they are not spending being really naughty”.
The SIS are a bunch of bumbling fools. The less power and influence they have the better.
But, much as I support Keith in his work I fundementally disagree with his stand on Rakon industries. They make the best oscillators in the world (or second best, depending on who you ask) so of course the military want them. There are all sorts of good uses that hardened oscillators can be used for but if Rakon industries told the American military to F… Off they would be shooting themselves in the foot and the second best supplier of oscillators would take the contract and Rakon industries would loose a lot of other business too.
Rakon industries are *not* an arms manufacturer.
peace, allways
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The SIS would have to
1 offer assurances about placing a value on the reputation of the tertiary institution and then
2 earn the respect of academics in how they dealt with the issue – discretely and thouroughly before taking any action, if that was warranted.
They have a lot to live down in terms of apparent discrimination against the political left and obvious concerns about academia hospitality to foreign students.
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I hate to go so against the grain but there’s a fair amount of science that is applicable to all sorts of things, but CAN be used to build bombs… or other nasties.. a lot of this is readily found on the net. A very little more is usually required to actually build the nastiness.
Asking people to be alert to the possibility that a questioner is after the rest of what is needed (and people who know this sort of stuff will have a pretty good idea what that is), is NOT the same as spying. I’m sorry. It is more like warning you not to give out your credit card number if you did not initiate the phone call.
You DO know enough not to do that, don’t you?
Is being aware of something like that the same as spying on everyone who calls you? Is being told to be aware of it…?
Lets not cheapen the language. Did someone make a law? No. Did they listen to private conversations? No. Is there a risk? Yes. Is it a big risk? I don’t think so, but I don’t have access to the background.
I don’t think that pursuing this will aid our position at all. Not anywhere. It is not going to change the risk, it is not going to stop SIS from being nosy, it is not going to stop “spying” as there is none to be stopped.
At best we put a damper on any overenthusiastic reporting of suspicions to SIS (which would likely result in surveillance by SIS, not by Professors). At worst we leave professors uninformed about risk and they answer questions in innocence with unintended consequences for someone somewhere.
As other sources of this information exist which are more accessible to people of fell intent it appears that SIS is fishing, but I could be wrong.
What it looks like from the outside however, is another instance of Green hypersensitivity to the notion of actually protecting ourselves. Which, given the circumstances documented so far, I perceive just as well as the average guy on the street.
Is it possible to see this terrible pamphlet?
respectfully
BJ
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Rakon is held in high esteem at NASA. Used in all manner of Satellites. Comms Satellites too. Do you like your Sky TV? I’d bet heavily that there are Rakon parts in those birds.
You can be sure that they are well aware of their own security in any case. They won’t need reminding by SIS.
BJ
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http://www.kiwipolitico.com/2009/11/the-sis-wants-us-to-help-do-it-job/
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Sam;I don’t think that it’s so much the SIS asking the lecturers for information , they probably do, but lets turn the situation around.
Most people often picture professors and academics as being lefty, liberal sort of characters who are focused on the curriculum at hand.
I know of a couple of couple of very right, Blue & Yellow voting professors and lecturers who would have no qualms in giving information to the SIS on students they don’t like and people who are standing in their way.
These people have risen to the very top, and they are actively engaged in serving the interests of big business.
I will give you an example: A couple of years ago this certain professor at Canterbury University was instrumental in giving Islamic Studies the chop. This was at the height of the Bush rampages and our intellegensia really needed to understand the ins and outs of Moslem society.
One would wonder who’s pocket he is in but I think that it’s really fishey. Then they wanted to close down the film unit!!!!
What may I ask could be more important than teaching a generation the skills of filming adverts, dramas, art & science programs and documentaries?
You have to ask What are they afraid of?
Heavan forbid if the system were to produce a generation of John Pilgers!!!
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Drakula – that sounds even more parnoid than the SIS.
Budget cuts were the resaon for the proposed dropping of film, theatre and American studies.
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I am rather appalled at this attitude that it’s OK to spy on students & perhaps ask Tutors or Profs to report on ‘suspicious behaviour or tendencies’ which may run counter to the zietgist of fear being successfully promulgated by those that govern us.
Please realise that this is yet another way ‘they’ have of controlling the way we think, & to persuade us that it’s for our own good that Secret Agencies can pry into our very thoughts, aspirations, even secrets. It’s a cliche but nevertheless true, that 1984 is here big time, & as written, we accept it as the norm. Any discussion of Rakon etc. is a large Red Harring. Here we’re talking about personal freedom to think/believe/speak what we wish, without fearing a blemish on our reputation & future.
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All they are asking is that if you happen to see someone investigating how to make bombs or chemical weapons, it might be a good idea to let us know.
It’s nothing more than basic common sense.
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Photonz1,
I have a fair idea on how to make nuclear weapons. I learnt this in university physics. I’ve also got a fair idea on how to make compounds such as chlorine (first used by the Germans in WW1) and mustard gas. I believe I read about this in high school chemistry. Does this mean the SIS should investigate me? If they did it would be laughable. They would have to investigate half the science and engineering students in the country.
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Samiuela – If you were seen to be taking an abnormal and detailed interest in chemical weapons or the like, then yes – you should be looked at.
Every day in all sorts of situations police check out people acting suspiciously, even if they’re not necessarily breaking the law.
It’s just part of any standard prevention programme. But for bombs or chemicals it’s more of a job for the SIS rather than the police.
Better to make discrete inquiries about a few people and have nothing happen than miss an opportunity to stop a Madrid/Bali/London/NY bomber.
The chanceas of a bomber being here are not high, but they’re not zero either.
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Essentially Rakon make parts for clocks.
Trevor.
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Another stack of Public Servants with no Real Mission.
Out with the Lawnmower I say!
Spying on 11 year old kids and Politicians would cause Riots in any civilized country.
Teachers on Pupils?
Why that is pure Mao-Tse Tung!
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I have two related concerns. Firstly the whole nature of having New Zealanders “spying” on other New Zealanders, rather like Stalin or the Gestapo; and secondly, the extension of state surveillance as is planned in the Seahch and Surveillance Bill which will add further to the powers of the SIS and other state agencies involved in law enforcement.
We do not need to be encouraged to spy and inform on our susters. Should real terrioist activities be taking place I guess most of us would show concern simply because we do not want to be closde to the suicide bomber but outside this I am do not believe we are at risk or in ned of such misguided diligence.
As for the Search and Surveillance Bill. The progress has been stalled essentially because both the Privacy and Human Rights Commission raised concrns. Once they are satisifed the Bill will proceed as Labour supports itsintent. That is, extend and widen the ability of the state to search, seize and observe any activity likely to break any law. This could include marching without a permit.
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Replying to photonz1: “If you were seen to be taking an abnormal and detailed interest in chemical weapons or the like, then yes – you should be looked at.”
So you are going to stick your head in the sand and never understand the issues? You are going to rely on “Securocrats” to “explain” them to you? Like the American Ostriches relied on Bushes Securocrats to explain to them how dangerous Saddam’s bio-weapons of Mass Destruction were?
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Furthermore, one Must look at the Abuse of pseudo-legal power in NZ.
Though I have lived in 4 different countries (including a ‘third world’ nation), I have never seen the successfull use of a spurious and malicious allegation causing such damage anywhere.
A common Criminal Tactic here is to maliciously accuse (better done as an emergency) a Target of some kind, of a Deadly Offense/Situation.
Knowing that Law Enforcement here will enthusiastically load up for Bear, go and destroy the persons and property so accused and sort out the truth later.
If their ass needs covering, why, spurious Depositions/Allegations are quite Normal here – false convictions easily obtained – everyday business.
Our ‘News’ Services have abrogated their role – people hold their TV – their Newspaper, the Local gossip above any independent truth.
The UN Human Rights Commission has so many complaints of this in NZ, they are reduced to keeping a count until a Commissioned Inspector can be sent.
However, veracity becomes elusive once the majority of players are divorced from the truth.
All one can ascertain for sure – is that lies are abundant.
Is Big SISter part of the Problem, or part of the answer?
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Photonz1,
I used to have a fridge magnet issued by the Australian government alerting me to what suspicious activity I should report to authorities. The list included things such as seeing people taking photos of important buildings and neighbors in their sheds late at night. People with fertiliser in their sheds are also potential terrorists, supposedly the main use of fertiliser is for making bombs.
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Replying to photonz1: “If you were seen to be taking an abnormal and detailed interest in chemical weapons or the like, then yes – you should be looked at.”
When I taught school science, one fun trick that the kids always liked was dropping potassium into a bowl of water and watching it explode. this experiment is illegal but every chemistry teacher did it. So does the SIS need to monitor the students and teachers because they are taking an abnormal interest in chemical weapons or explosives. It is just normal adolescent fixation with bangy things. Similarly most intelligent students wanted to know more about nuclear power and how it could be used to make a bomb. This does not mean that they have a fixation with death, merely normal curiosity about science and machinery.
The SIS directive is a bit of a joke. It is rather like the directive that teachers spy for the immigration department by monitoring whether overseas students are attending class. As far as I am concerned I am not being paid to be a government spy, so why should I do it.
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Photonz 1; Your really getting it tonight
I must reassure you that I am not in the least bit paranoid. I think that the essence of what Kieth locke is getting at is;-
(1) The disregard for the United Nations Charter of Human Rights
(2) That is the infringement of students civil liberties and rights to privacy.
It is not just about about ‘weapons of mass destruction’ or suspects looking too ‘semetic’, the concern here is is about most minority (or collectively the majority) groups who happen to disagree with the government of the day.
I will site that the above abuses of power that is carried on at Victoria University and it is specifically aimed at left wing groups.
The students who were expelled had the ‘audacity’ of promoting dangerous ideas such as free education from kindergarden to Phd.
In the seventies New Zealand very nearly had such a society but it is all to evident that the regime at victoria University believe in the antithesis of privatisation and to achieve their ends they consider it necessary to ruthelessly suppress all opposition.
As for Canterbury University cutting those courses because they need to budget is a load of patant bunkum and is only a pretext and a smoke screen for the real reasons as to why they don’t think that those courses (Islamic studies)should be the core subjects.
As for 1984 that cliche is bandied a lot today it would have been a prophesy had the extreme left got the upper hand. But that is not the case
The opposite is happening our society is going to the other extreme of Heyak’s philosophy of market liberalisation, that will eventually end up being a corporate dictatorship or an oligarchy of monopolies.
If one needs to look for a doomsday prophet ‘A Brave New World’ by Aldous huxley is much more in keeping with today’s zeitgiest.
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kiore1 – talk about paranoia – you really think the SIS will be looking at the potasium experiment all school kids do? What a massive leap you make to think they’d put the potasium experiment in the same category as chemical weapons.
And you claim you used to be a teacher?
samiuela – people with fertilizer in their garden sheds are regarded as potential terrorists????? Who by???
Every garden shed has feritliser in it. Perhaps what should draw suspicion is someone carting a trailer load of fertiliser into their tenth floor apartment.
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Drakula – so you think Canterbury Uni closed down courses like Theatre studies bacuase they were presured by America?
And you claim that you’re NOT paranoid??
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photonz1: Actually it was you who were paranoid enough to believe that interest in explosives – something most kids (and some adults who study chemistry) have an interest in means they need to be investigated. And no, I don’t claim to be a teacher, I am a teacher. What exactly is your point?
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Victoria University also bullied me when I published a letter to the paper critical of AgResearch GM experiments that are extremely inhumane to sheep. Victoria had recently signed up some deal with AgResearch, and the Dean made threats about suing me and another staff member if it damaged AgResearch’s contract with them, etc, etc. Obviously academic freedom is not at all important to them when money is involved. I have found management of tertiary education institutes generally to be frightened and conservative. The managers make fine speeches at graduation about innovation and challenging established practices, but when one of their staff or students does so, they invariably back the establishment.
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photonz1 said
Every garden shed has feritliser in it. Perhaps what should draw suspicion is someone carting a trailer load of fertiliser into their tenth floor apartment.
Organic gardeners don’t have fertilizers in their sheds, so we’re in the clear – that’s a relief, but now I’m mighty suspicious of those who garden conventionally! Could Maggie Barry be masterminding some appalling act (other than her awful Radio Live Drive slot)?
I’d be very suspicious of someone ‘carting a trailer load of fertilizer into their tenth floor apartment’ – I’d want to know,
‘What are they growing up there???
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quoting Samuela: “The list included things such as seeing people taking photos of important buildings “.
Wow,in that case there must be heaps of terrorists outside the Sydney Opera House. And many of them suspicious looking Asian types. Come to think of it many of my students take photos on field trips. Just shows, you can’t trust anyone nowadays.
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Well, that was fairly interesting, if drifting a little off-topic.
Wading in:
Yes, Rakon make missile guidance *timers* which are used in weapons, and they regularly appear at the Defense Industry Association Conferences (Weapons Dealers) in NZ. (answers about 3 of you)
Kiore1;
lol.
and was that you writing in Massey’s Magneto? Kudos, if so.
(total spam for Magneto, go & read the story authored by a ‘Kiore’, sorry it’s not online)
photonz –
the fact that Canterbury still has Film & Theatre courses was used to try to justify closing VUW Film & Theatre school; and yes, Virginia, film students have been known to embarrass the Police by showing up in Court with footage showing Police assaulting protestors, so they have got a beef against film schools in general, and film students in particular.
The lack of an adequate budgeting skills is no excuse….
Also they have tried to cut back School of English, Film & Theatre papers in Medievil English, Shakespeare, sacked about a third of the staff at the School of Education, and aim to cut the whole of the undergrad program at Gender & Women’s Studies, on spurious grounds of budget cuts, when in reality there have been Faculty attacks on some of these schools over a period of years, in favour of prioritising funding for International Student accommodation and improving facilities for the Faculties of Commerce & Administration, and Law, down at the Pipitea campus. (Long-term arguments, going back 5 or so years)
Oh, and those who were arrested in October 2007 were searched with warrants that listed garden fertilisers as precursors to “molotov cocktails” – I won’t endanger you any further by explaining what other ingredients were needed, but I assure you any garage or garden shed in NZ with a lawnmower, a glass recycling bin, and some general veggie-growing N-P-K fertiliser is a suspect under those warrant conditions. Search it yourself on teh internet….
Samuiela –
must try not to do anything but organic gardening!
To Keith:
totally agree with you, although it’s a known cliche that both our spies, and the MI5/6, FBI/CIA routinely use Universities to recruit their next generation of ‘talent’.
GCSB openly hands out application forms, I have at least 3 versions of them in my personal collection.
So keeping spies off-campus is a losing game, but protesting their presence is always worthwhile, and is part of the routine behaviour of students engaged in any form of political activism.
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kiora1 – my point is, that no teacher I know is concerned that the SIS are going to become interested in every secondary school potasium experiment. That IS paranoia.
We have background security checks and personal familiy interviews for EVERY person who wants to own a gun, but if people are found trying to make chemical bombs you would just leave them alone?
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Katie – so who is forcing the university to close all these courses at Canterbury? – is it the police or the Americans???
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Translation of Katie on November 22, 2009 at 2:39 PM:
“Cuts to useless course, even more useless course, and totally useless course to increase funds to useful facilities and useful course, slightly less useful course, and unfortunately rather useful course.”
Sapients comment:
Seems a good idea for me. Our student union, MUSA, had a womens office whom was elected through overwhelming vote, on a primarily female campus, because she promised to eliminate the position. lol.
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Photon; Well it seems that Katies comments are in harmony with mine and regardless of my percieved paranoia certain professors have a certain influence on the administrations of NZ universities to selectively close certain courses.
Isn’t it a strange coincedent that the courses chosen are Film Studies and Islamic studies? I mean why not Painting and Drawing at art school? (which I would hate to see those go)or the study of plantagenate history?
I can’t say that I know the relationship universities have with the America’s desk but when it comes to ‘political cleansing’ some of these proffessors don’t need any encouragement from the SIS, America’s desk, CIA, or Mossad.
Universities have always been a recruiting ground for political covert activities not just for ‘our regimes’remember the case of Philby , Burgess, and McLean from Cambridge. Were these people national traitors or ideological patriots?
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