Hazara Nation

TheAUSEIGHT years after arriving in Australia as a stateless refugee on a leaky fishing boat, the man whose detention prompted a High Court judge to call for a bill of rights has urged the nation to back stronger human rights protection to prevent a repeat of his ordeal.

Ahmed Ali al-Kateb, who suffers persistent panic attacks and nightmares about life in Western Australia's Curtin and South Australia's Baxter detention centres, was pleased his case had helped to trigger discussion about a bill of rights.

Federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland this week announced a national consultation headed by Jesuit priest Frank Brennan to canvass community attitudes to human rights protections.

Former SBS newsreader Mary Kostakidis, former Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Palmer and Aboriginal barrister Tammy Williams will help Father Brennan with the consultations next year.

Mr al-Kateb, 32, said he hoped basic rights would be enshrined in legislation to prevent the possibility of refugees being locked up indefinitely.

Recalling his time in detention, the still-shattered civil engineering student said: "They said we will not let you out.

"That goes on and on. I just believe that I'm waiting for my death. With the days, months and years, it really killed most things inside, it killed the hopes, the dreams, the innocent child inside me. My hope is that a bill of rights would stop that happening to anyone else."

A boat carrying Mr al-Kateb was intercepted by the navy on Ashmore Reef after leaving Indonesia in December 2000.

The son of Palestinian refugees, his journey began 10 years ago, when he left his birth country of Kuwait for Jordan after violence escalated against Palestinians.

After being denied an Australian protection visa, he asked to be sent back to Kuwait or to Gaza, where his family now lives. When no country wanted him, he asked to be released from detention.

But the High Court ruled the Government could detain him indefinitely.

In the lead-up to last year's election, then immigration minister Kevin Andrews finally granted him a permanent visa.

Mr al-Kateb's case is seen as a watershed, leading to agitation for greater human rights protections, although there are many leaders from both sides of politics who have argued just as passionately against a rights charter.

One of the majority High Court judges in the case, Michael McHugh, argued for a bill of rights to prevent legal rulings with "tragic" consequences.

For Mr al-Kateb, the High Court decision was the lowest point in his life.