Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2002 16:48:42 +1100 From: saeed urrehman <think-AT-riseup.net> Subject: Fwd: Palm Sunday: help needed >From: "Refugee Action Committee" <refugees_act-AT-hotmail.com> >To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:-AT-anu.edu.au;> >Subject: Palm Sunday: help needed >Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2002 15:12:58 +1100 >X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2014.211 > > >* Leafleting for Palm Sunday >* STOP PRESS: Extraordinary new migration laws being rushed through parliament >* Hunger strike at Maribyrnong >* We need your help at the Folk Festival > >Hi everyone > >The refugee issue is moving towards another crisis point, and we need to >use our Palm Sunday rally to show the government that we will fight their >brutality and racism every inch of the way. > >Palm Sunday is this Sunday, 24 March. The following day, the Senate is to >begin its inquiry into "a certain maritime incident"; ie the Children >Overboard scandal. We want to send the Senate, and the Prime Minister, a >message that we want the truth, and we want refugees treated with respect >and humanity. That's why we're protesting at THE LODGE (1.30pm). > >This Friday, 22nd, we will be blitzing Civic workplaces with a mass >leafleting. If you can help, come to Garema Place around 7.45am and get >leaflets and a building to leaflet. We had lots of volunteers doing this >before our great Parliament House rally; we need to do the same again. If >you can help, please either ring 0415 752 012 or email back. Please let me >know if you have leaflets you haven't used so we don't print more than we >need to for Friday. > >The situation is urgent. Ruddock is talking about deporting 700 people >over the next few weeks. The hunger strike has resumed at Woomera, and >there is now a major hunger strike at the Maribyrnong Detention Centre in >Melbourne. > >--------------------- > >We have just received news that the Government is pushing a new Migration >(Transitional movement) bill through parliament with the support of the >Labor party. > >The bill will strip away existing rights from asylum seekers caught up in >the chaos of the "pacific solution". > >Asylum seekers currently on Manus Island (PNG) and Nauru, who have not >been found to be refugees, are going to be brought to Australia and locked >up. The "problem" is that once on Australian soil, they can apply for >refugee status according to Australian law. This new bill will deny them >that right, by declaring that wherever they are, they are outside the >"migration zone". > >Even worse, they will be denied ALL civil rights in Australia, and all >recourse to Australian courts. They will be absolutely at the pleasure of >the government. > >According to the Democrats' Senator Andrew Bartlett, who alerted us to the >new bill, "This legislation is unprecedented under international law." He >also sees it as "a ploy to pre-empt the upcoming Senate Committee >examination into the Pacific Solution". > >This adds an extra level of urgency to our protests on Palm Sunday. Please >do everything you can to get your friends and networks out on Sunday. > >And please: let's swamp Labor MPs with email protests. We need to put them >on the spot. > >-------------------- > >By the way: we are still trying to find out what the legal status of >asylum seekers in the new Christmas Island detention centre will be. We >understand they will be processed according to different regulations, but >as the island has been excised from the migration zone, we wonder what law >the government will be using to lock them up. > >---------------------- > >We understand there is a major hunger strike at Maribyrnong detention >centre, in Melbourne, in protest at both their general treatment, and at >ACM stopping visits to asylum seekers by various activists. > >This is a message signed by 41 detainees. > > We all detainees of Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre request > your urgent intervention to lift ban from some of our visitors, unjustly > and baselessly imposed by the ACM management of the centre. > >Most of us don't have any relatives in Australia. These visitors mean to >us everything. Especially under situation of fear and hope. In fact >their visits gives us hope and strength to keep up the morale. They are >lifeline for us. > >In their presence we feel secure and safe. They are bridging the gap of >love and care wheat we miss badly in detention. > >Their visit does not offend any of us and we strongly believe that they >are not security risk to us or to any of the Commonwealth Australia's >installations. > >Please consider with sympathy and love to lift the ban immediately. > >We all look forward your urgent and kind action in this matter > >-- > >The following is the text of a fax received yesterday from inside Maribyrnong >Detention Centre, by hunger strikers protesting their conditions > >We in Australian detention centres are facing all kinds of oppression, >discrimination, some are as under: > >1) >a) At arrival we face a system which is based at negative intentions. >b) Deputed Compliance Officers or Case officers will not tell us about our >rights: even at request their attitude is maximum heartbreaking and >negative. >c) Once as applied applicant, most of the time decision is being made >without given any opportunity of applicant's comments, which is most of the >time rejection of application and claims. >d) Applicant if lucky given a chance to go for an appeal in RRT, Refugee >Review Tribunal, but no legal assistance being provided, short time is given >and no consideration is given at whatever the claims or the evidences are >submitted. The result is refusal, not to give Protection Visa. >e) There was only one form of relief in Australia for Refugees Courts of >Australia, and this Govt had also narrowed our appeal rights from Courts >through new legislation in September last year. > >2) Can somebody ask occupational health and safety enforcement agencies to >certify these torture centres to whom they had named as detention centres >from all the aspects. > >3) they had not only snubbed our freedom of movement, we can't say >anything - there is not any place where we could complain and someone will >listen. > >4) our detention is baseless, lawless and inhuman. > >5) Detention centres are run under illiterate or irrelevant qualified >personnel, or they are not qualified at all to have such jobs. > >6) Duty of Care is no more than a joke here. We are the victims of gross >negligence - unhygienic atmosphere and tasteless bad-smelling food. > >7) for nearly one hundred detainees, only 4 hours a week doctor, and nurse >is only available daytime - at weekends she leaves the centres at 12 noon, >and detainees are left over to the experiments of ACM officers. The nurse >does all other things other than nursing. > >8) We do have a counselor but no counselling. > >9) Counselling and activity officers always entertain only people of their >choice. > >10) Whenever any high officials visit the centre, extra cleanliness and >arrangement of BBQ or other good looking good taste foods are arranged. > >11) Compaints and rectifications system is unknown by ACM or DIMA. > >12) Laughing at refugees and at their circumstances by most of the ACM >staff. > >13) Discouraging visitors of detainees and imposing baseless irrevocable >bans at visits. > >14) Every day now rules and restrictions by oppression manager of >Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre, regarding food, fruits, drinks. >Already shortage of tea, coffee, milk, sugar, toilet rolls. > >Once again we appreciate your interest and help - and condemn this human ill >treatment of Australian Government. > >thanks > >Detainees of Maribyrnong Detention Centre >------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >The National Folk Festival draws thousands of people every Easter, and >this year, the Refugee Action Committee has a free stall to inform people >on refugee issues. > >We need more volunteers to help with the stall, whether for half a day or >all Easter. We have been given three passes for the whole event for people >prepared to help over several days. Naturally we do not expect people to >staff the stall the whole time; so volunteers can mix music and campaigning. > >------------------------------------- > >All the best > >Phil Griffiths >Refugee Action Committee (Canberra) >tel 0415 752 012 >LPO Box A287 ANU ACT 2601 ><http://www.refugeeaction.org>www.refugeeaction.org > >--- >Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >Version: 6.0.338 / Virus Database: 189 - Release Date: 3/14/2002 --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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