So what if seizing Assange breaks international law???

So what if seizing Assange breaks international law??? 

Where is the police force that's going to police the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations?  

There are a lot of stories about what will happen to Julian Assange and some commentators are suggesting that the UK government could find itself hauled before an international court if it moves in on the Ecuadorian embassy where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been granted political asylum.

There have been a number of options/scenarios speculated upon as ways out of Assange.   Assange could just stay put in the hope that the situation he is facing will eventually get resolved, either politically or through Sweden dropping the case.  Provided British authorities choose not to storm the Ecuador embassy, waiting it out could be an option for Assange, says Prof Don Rothwell of the ANU.

The rules governing the rights of foreign embassies were set out in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations international treaty, of which US is a signatory. This particular situation is complicated by a domestic law, the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act of 1987. It was enacted after shots were fired from the Libyan People's Bureau in Central London in the 1980s.  This law could allow Assange to be arrested within the embassy premises, according to CBC News.  

Don Rothwell thinks otherwise. The legislation refers to considerations of national security but the other grounds wouldn't seem to have any relevance. So national security is clearly a fairly high threat, it would clearly be associated with terrorist related type incidents. But, Mr Assange's situation does not seem to have reached that level. 

This situation raises many questions, like - what is the status of the obligations/rules under the Treaty vs the obligations/rules under the domestic law, for one?  This is where the rubber hits the road.  

The way this issue is resolved will have an impact on diplomacy and the rights/protections afforded to diplomats in foreign countries.  It could have wider repercussions in setting a precedent about domestic law status in relation to international law.  Sometimes Australia looks to UK court decisions in actions, so these events are not only of relevance to that country, but could have wider implications.

Should the UK take the action it seems intent on, it could breach the major rule in international law - the inviolability of embassies.  In response Ecuador could take matter to the International Court of Justice.  

Individuals can't bring an action to the International Court of Justice, so those reports about Julian Assange having the option of going to the ICJ, are ill-informed.  The other country that could go to the ICJ is Australia, if it wanted to. This seems unlikely, as the Government has shown no interest.  Sweden, of course could also bring this matter to an end very quickly, if it wanted to.

The sky was so beautiful today, I just had to take a picture of it  

This was around 3pm, allegedly it was 11oC out, but I suspect it was warmer.  Ever since I've given up the dreaded institutional confinement of employment I have been like a prisoner released, looking up at the sky regularly, throwing my arms open to the world and smiling.

Today clocked in 40 minutes of intermittent running.  Ever since starting the regular running experience, I have used more band aids than in my whole life combined before that.  Its the only way to  prevent blisters.  I don't know why, well, I do - my feet are so delicate - but if I don't put them on my toes I end up suffering.

This isn't the blog of one of those triumphantly enthusiastic runners.  I am at the stage of running for 200 paces and then walking then running for 200 paces and so on.  You have to start somewhere, and this is where I'm starting.  Kelly Killoren Bensimon says - take 20 minutes a day and be playful. Actually she suggests a 20 minute jog a day to stay in shape.

At this stage, three times a week is what I'm aiming for.  Three times a week to just enjoy the sky, the air and the neighbourhood - what a joy!

weekend sale

There's only one reason to ever go to Queanbeyan and the Fink seconds sale is it.

http://www.finkdesign.com/products/designerware.html

Zagreb j'taime

There's another name to add to Paris Tokyo New York street fashions - its Zagreb.  First check out the pictures of this stylish old lady on styletone and then check out the street styles!

Did Australia incite unrest in Timor Leste

Why would Australia do that?


I suspected the government were evil, but I didn't realise they were this evil
according to new matilda
citing  a wikileaks source from a cable from the US embassy in Lisbon well and truly sticking the boot in!!!


What's it all about Alfie???

Resources, resources, resources, of course.

Prevent an environmental disaster raise the profile for the need to clean up the seas around Chuuk lagoon

Lush vegetation and simple living punctuate the lives of the lagoon. Fishing, weaving and tending garden supplant the subsistence lives that many sustain on their individual islands. It is not unusual to see women waist deep in the mangroves hunting for a special delicacy or men walking the reefs by torchlight at night looking for baby octopus. Boat makers create vessels high in the hills of the inner islands and take them down to sea when finished. Open hearth fires are still used to cook the daily meals. Life here is close to nature and lived in conjunction with the land and the sea. Local carvers are also famous for using beautiful local woods to carve warrior masks and busts. 


Chuuk, with its vast, shallow, beautiful lagoon is a Mecca for wreck divers. A major shipwreck site from WWII, Truk Lagoon is unquestionably the world's best shipwreck diving destination. Here, more than 50 hulks have been transformed into shipreefs, holding the very best of the undersea world and maritime history at one site. Hard and soft corals in a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes attract divers worldwide for both daytime and night diving. The vast selection of artifacts still found on the wrecks after five decades are testament to the unique history of the Micronesian Islands. The historical aspect of Truk Lagoon is not totally hidden by the jungles. Japanese lighthouses, perched high atop the lagoon's finest overlooks, can be reached by hiking or driving. Old runways, command centers, gun emplacements, cave networks, hospitals and libraries can be found with the help of a knowledgeable guide. from the Chuuk tourist website


Now here comes the thud down to earth "To compare the Exxon Valdez with the wrecks in Chuuk Lagoon is not stretching the bow too far because the Exxon Valdez was basically out in an open ocean environment or estuary area, Chuuk Lagoon is a coral reef system and to have the sudden release of thousands of tonnes of toxic oil sludge on these pristine shores would be utterly devastating and would ruin the whole island’s economy for generations to come.” Ian McLeod, corrosion expert WA Museum. Source: Foreign Correspondent, ABC TV.

Teenage Angst taken to extremes

What was he thinking? Didn't Sid Vicious do this first?
 New York Daily News