Minister Hawke replies re Sri Lankan refugee family

 

Newsletter March 23,2021

 

OUR NEXT MARKET: SATURDAY 3rd APRIL AT VALLA BEACH   You will be aware that, due to the incredibly wet weather, Bellingen Market, scheduled for last Saturday, had to be cancelled. Our next market stall will be at the Valla Beach market on Saturday 3rd April from 9.00 am until 1.00 pm. As usual, we’ll be handing out leaflets, asking people to sign our open letter, inviting people to send a postcard to the PM about the Sri Lankan family held on Christmas Island, and selling our Boat People merchandise, together with art works, to raise funds for the Asylum Seekers Centre. If you can help out for an hour or two at our stall, then please let Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. Let us hope that the sun shines.

ROADSIDE DEMONSTRATION: THURSDAY 25TH MARCH   A reminder that our next roadside demonstration is on Thursday 25th March from 2.30 to 4.00 pm by the Pacific Highway in Coffs Harbour, opposite the base hospital. It would be great to have a good turnout to remind people that the voices of the community need to be heard in relation to the cruelty of the government’s treatment of asylum seekers and refugees.   Our demonstrations are always positive and affirming events, and we remain very confident that they do matter, and that public opinion does, in the end, influence our elected members. The worst that can happen at our demonstrations is the occasional rude gesture from a passing motorist. We are certainly not in any danger of being fired upon for exercising our democratic right to demonstrate!

FUNDRAISING LUNCH AND AUCTION: SUNDAY 11TH APRIL   A reminder that our first major fundraiser of 2021 is now less than three weeks away. Since the last newsletter, we have received offers of a number of great items to go under the hammer on 11th April, some of which include: A one-day cheesemaking experience at the Big Banana, valued at $200. A Persian meal for four, served in your own home. Various items of pottery. A large, framed painting from the Janakpur Women’s Development Centre in Nepal. A wooden platter. A pair of binoculars. We do hope that many of you will want to attend the event. You will enjoy the company of fellow RAR supporters, and the auction will be fun.   Please bring a plate to share if you can. Drinks will be provided by the hosts.

TWO IMPORTANT ACTIONS FOR YOU   1. We are urgently seeking further items for the auction. Please consider donating an object of interest that you think will attract bids of at least $25. It would be most helpful if you could let Mike know fairly soon what you plan to offer, so that he can create a sales catalogue in advance of the event. 2. It is important that we know in advance that you are intending to come to the lunch and auction, so that we can plan accordingly. We will have lunch from 12.30 pm, with the auction to commence at about 1.30 pm. If you want to skip the lunch and just come along for the auction, that’s fine, but it is important that you let us know.    Please email Mike in the coming days at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com to let him know your intentions. Directions to 39, Rogers Drive, Valla Beach, and parking options, will be included in the next newsletter.

TWO MEDEVAC REFUGEES RETURN TO NAURU   Two medevac refugees who spent more than a year in Darwin immigration detention were flown back to Nauru, at their request, last week. Kirubakaran  Rasanayagam said that he and his wife requested to go back to Nauru because they could no longer tolerate their indefinite detention in Darwin. They decided that, although they often felt unsafe on Nauru, they were at least able to move around freely and were permitted to work.   In the Darwin facility, on the other hand, they were locked up for 23 hours a day, and their privacy was constantly invaded by guards, who would routinely enter their room and shine torches in their faces in the middle of the night. It is outrageous that medevac refugees, who should be receiving care, support and medical attention, are instead treated like criminals by Border Force operatives. Amnesty International refugee coordinator Dr Graham Thom, had this to say: “The government is now forcing people to choose between detention offshore, where they face medical neglect, or hotel detention in Australia, where they are locked in rooms for up to 23 hours a day.” Our fight for justice for refugees goes on. Check out the index of subjects on our blog http://bellorar.blogspot.com.au It includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers. This newsletter is sent to >630 recipients Our Face book is at https://www.facebook.com/Rural-Australians-for-Refugees-Bellingen-and-Nambucca-Districts-269696303205083/timeline/ (579 likes) Twitter Account @RARBellingenNam Email address bellingen.rar@gmail.com   The National RAR web site is at  www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au  The National RAR facebook site is at  RAR Facebook

A local appeal to help Khan: Team Canada

 

TEAM CANADA: PROJECT FREEDOM

KHAN 8 Years Imprisoned in PNG

Team Canada launched the 7th in a series of fundraisers for Khan to sponsor him to freedom in Canada. We cannot stand by as nearly 500 refugees are STILL detained in limbo offshore and onshore.

Our 7th fundraiser KHAN 8 Years Imprisoned in PNG    https://chuffed.org/project/khan8yearsprisonpng

I have been communicating with Khan for over 4 years and know this kind friendly man deserves freedom, has great English and Real Estate skills and will do amazing in Canada.

 

Khan grew up in a caring family in a village that was on the border with the Taliban who were decapitating men, women and children. Or they would disappear, NEVER to be found again. 

 

Khan was a well-recognized family member of his uncles. He became a target by the Taliban at 19 years old. Khan feared for his life. One day, the Taliban found him and chased after him but luckily had his bike to flee his village.

Khan never returned to his village.

He fled Pakistan to Christmas Island in 2013, forced to Manus & is still in Port Moresby, PNG in 2021.

Khan has spent nearly 8 years suffering in PNG still waiting for medical treatment and NO indication from the Australian Government of what his future holds.

Khan was rejected by the US for resettlement January 2021 with NO REASON WHY after being accepted.

LET’S BRING KHAN TO CANADA.  

Please Share/Donate https://chuffed.org/project/khan8yearsprisonpng

Please send KHAN a message of support

 

Letter to Senator Keneally re Biloela family

 Dear Senator Keneally,

I was greatly heartened to hear you state recently that the  Sri Lankan family, who have now been detained for more than a thousand days, should be released from detention on Christmas Island and be allowed to return home to Biloela.

I do hope that your views represent a new Labor Party position on the plight of this family. They were well settled in Biloela, were  liked and respected by all who knew them, and they made a positive contribution to their local community. Notwithstanding the negative outcome of their asylum claims, it is within the Minister’s power to use his discretion and to grant them a visa on humanitarian grounds.

I trust that you, and your Party, will now pursue this issue energetically on humanitarian grounds, and join the campaign to allow the family to return home to Biloela. Their present treatment is both utterly shameful and unconscionable. Now is surely a good time for the Labor Party to take a principled stance. Your positive action in this matter would be well received by the majority Australian people. 

Yours sincerely,

Mike G

Valla Beach, NSW 2448

Letter to Senator Keneally re the alleged attempted murder of a refugee on Nauru.

 Dear Senator Keneally,

I was deeply saddened and appalled to read, in recent days, about the attempted murder of a Tamil refugee on Nauru. As you are probably aware, the 36-year-old refugee was knocked off his motorbike by a car driven by a local man on 9^th February 2021. The car then deliberately ran over him, followed by the occupants getting out of the car, assaulting him, and stealing his motorbike. He is now in the intensive care unit at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. It appears that at least some of the occupants of the car are employed by Canstruct, the company we are paying $10,000 a day per refugee to protect them.

I have seen nothing in the Australian media about this incident, which in itself is shocking. It remains unclear whether the assailants have been arrested and charged, of if they are now in custody.

The Australian government, which is ultimately responsible for the fate of the refugees on Nauru, has serious questions to answer about the wellbeing of this refugee.  I would ask you, in your capacity as Shadow Minister, to raise this terrible incident with Minister Dutton. He needs to be asked:

• Is he aware of the incident which took place on 9^th February 2021?
• Have all the occupants of the car which drove over the Tamil refugee been arrested and charged?
• Are all these men now in police custody?
• Will his department press the Nauruan government to ensure that justice is served?
• What action will his Department take against the company which is being paid hundreds of millions of Australian taxpayers’ money to keep refugees safe on Nauru? 
• Will he finally acknowledge that Nauru is not a safe place for refugees?
• Will he now enter into negotiations with the NZ government for the resettlement of 150 refugees per annum?

 

I would be very grateful if you could raise these issues in Parliament at the earliest opportunity.

 

Yours sincerely,

Mike G.

 Valla Beach, NSW 2448

Organiser, Bellingen and Nambucca District RAR

 

A reply from Greens Senator Nick McKim

Hi Mike

Thank you for writing to Senator Nick McKim about this latest assault of a detainee in Nauru. I am responding on Nick’s behalf, as his adviser.

This is indeed a very troubling matter, and one which is sadly far from being an isolated event. Nick will most certainly be raising this matter with the Department directly, at senate estimates in two weeks time.

The broader questions you raise are ones we have put to the Minister and Department repeatedly, and ones we will continue to push.

Thank you again for raising this matter with Senator McKim.

Warm regards

Andrew 

Andrew Perry  |  Policy & Parliamentary Adviser
Office of Nick McKim  |  Australian Greens Senator for Tasmania
149B Macquarie Street, Hobart TAS 7000  |  T: 03 6224 8899
SG-55 Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600  |  T: 02 6277 3601

(he/him/his)
Senator McKim’s Hobart office is on muwinina land that was never ceded

 

________________________________________
From: Michael Griffin 
Sent: 26 February 2021 14:11
To: McKim, Nick (Senator)
Subject: Nauru assault

Dear Senator McKim,
I was deeply saddened and appalled to read, in recent days, about the attempted murder of a Tamil refugee on Nauru. As you are probably aware, the 36-year-old refugee was knocked off his motorbike by a car driven by a local man on 9th February 2021. The car then deliberately ran over him, followed by the occupants getting out of the car, assaulting him, and stealing his motorbike. He is now in the intensive care unit at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
It appears that at least some of the occupants of the car are employed by Canstruct, the company we are paying $10,000 a day per refugee to protect them.
I have seen nothing in the Australian media about this incident, which in itself is shocking. It remains unclear whether the assailants have been arrested and charged, of if they are now in custody.
The Australian government, which is ultimately responsible for the fate of the refugees on Nauru, has serious questions to answer about the wellbeing of this refugee. I would ask you, as the most passionate and effective advocate in Parliament for the human rights of asylum seekers and refugees, to raise this terrible incident with Minister Dutton. He needs to be asked:

Is he aware of the incident which took place on 9th February 2021?
Have all the occupants of the car which drove over the Tamil refugee been arrested and charged?
Are all these men now in police custody?
Will his department press the Nauruan government to ensure that justice is served?
What action will his Department take against the company which is being paid hundreds of millions of Australian taxpayers' money to keep refugees safe on Nauru?
Will he finally acknowledge that Nauru is not a safe place for refugees?
Will he now enter into negotiations with the NZ government for the resettlement of 150 refugees per annum, as you have been advocating for so long?


I would be very grateful if you could raise these issues in Parliament at the earliest opportunity.

Yours sincerely,
Mike G
 Valla Beach, NSW 2448
Organiser, Bellingen and Nambucca District RAR

 

 

 

 

 

 

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