The Failed Foreign Incursions Laws and Criminalizing Valor

The article written by David Wroe of the Sydney Morning Herald is a rare piece where logic and accuracy has been used to question the current Government political stance towards Australian volunteers in the YPG. There is really not much to add as we have been banging this can for well over 18 months now since before Ashley Johnston died in Rojava fighting terrorism and defending human rights. I hope Australians can read this article and look in their hearts and pressure their local state and federal members to push for amnesty and exemption for the YPG under the Foreign Fighters (Foreign Incursions) legislation. We should treat our allies and friends better, we honour our fallen heroes and respect valor. The Australian (7 June 2016) reports that Brandis is using the state of autonomous sanctions against Syria as a legitimate reason for criminalizing Australians who join the Kurdish forces in Syria. This is of course ridiculous as the Kurdish autonomous region of Rojava is completely independent of Syria and has no military ties with the Syrian Government. The Federal system declared in Rojava effectively cuts the last ties to Damascus and establishes it as an effective Government in its own right. The political wing of the YPG, the PYD has established diplomatic offices in Moscow and Paris and is therefore seen as a legitimate entity. To use the autonomous sanctions as a barrier to Australians joining the YPG is just another lame excuse by Julie Bishop and George Brandis to appease the Erdogan regime of Turkey. Time to Get Real.