RAR Bellingen and Nambucca Newsletter October 29, 2019

Roadside demonstration: Thursday 31^st October, Bellingen

Fundraising and fun event: Sunday 1^st December from 11.30 am

News from the Refugee Council of Australia

Bomana prison, Port Moresby

Roadside demonstration: Thursday 31^st October, Bellingen

Our next roadside demonstration will take place on Thursday 31^st October from 2.30 to 4.00 pm on Waterfall Way in Bellingen. You will find us in our usual spot, opposite the entrance to the golf club, adjacent to the Yellow Shed. Please come and join us if you can. It is really important for us to keep the message about our government’s punitive and destructive refugee policy in the public eye. We have lots of banners and placards to share, so why not give it a go?

Fundraising and fun event: Sunday 1^st December from 11.30 am

We are planning a final fundraising event for 2019, to take place on Sunday 1^st December, starting at 11.30 am. We are calling it Bush, Beach and Bash! The plan is to gather at 39 Rogers Drive, Valla Beach, take a stroll through the Jagun nature reserve to the beach, have a brief walk on the beach and finally return to Rogers Drive for lunch at about 12.30 pm. You are asked to bring a plate to share and to make a $20 contribution to our fundraising for the Asylum Seekers Centre. Drinks will be provided.

If you don’t feel up to the Bush and Beach bits, then just come along to Rogers Drive at around 12.30, or earlier if you prefer to sit and have a chat. If it rains, we’ll simply get together to have an enjoyable end of year lunch and social. There will be a raffle!

As you will know, the Asylum Seekers Centre does vital work in support of asylum seekers in Sydney, providing advice, meals, English lessons, help with accommodation, interpreter services and much besides. They are totally dependent on groups like ours to maintain their services. So far this year we have donated $9,200 to support their work, and it would be great if we could get to $10,000.

Please put the date in your diary, and let Mike know if you are planning to attend, which we hope you will. Please email Mike at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. 

News from the Refugee Council of Australia

The following excerpt from the RCA’s latest newsletter illustrates perfectly the importance of

organisations like the Asylum Seekers Centre, as they struggle to provide basic care for asylum seekers.

“Rosa* and Joseph* arrived in Australia and sought refugee protection immediately. They have three young children. After having secured employment, Joseph was able to support his family while they waited for a decision on their refugee claim. After injuring himself, he is no longer able to work, but cannot access assistance through the Status Resolution Support Services Program because of the government’s changes to the program.

Even though Rosa and Joseph submitted their protection application over two years ago, they are still waiting for an interview on their refugee claim. While they wait, they have no access to a basic living allowance to cover rent, food and medication for their sick toddler. They rely on community organisations to help pay their rent and get a small food parcel just once a week. Rosa and Joseph routinely skip meals so their children can eat. Not knowing where their children’s next meal will come from, or if they can pay for their child’s medicine, leaves both Rosa and Joseph facing overwhelming stress and anxiety - on top of their fears about whether they will be found to be owed protection.

Rosa and Joseph’s family are just one of thousands forced to navigate an extremely complex and often-changing protection process whilst struggling to survive.”

*not their real names.

Bomana prison, Port Moresby

In a recent interview on Radio New Zealand, the General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG, Fr Giorgio Licini, spoke out strongly about the punitive regime in Bomana prison, where currently 47 men are being held in isolation. There were until recently 53 men in the prison, but six of them have been released, having signed forms to agree to repatriation to their home countries. Fr Licini has spoken to two of the six men, describing them as tired, exhausted, emaciated, and in very bad psychological shape. They are both Iranian, have been previously jailed in Iran because of their political activities, and expect to receive long jail terms on their return. Fr Licini states: “We tend to believe that the government of Australia is making life particularly harsh for them inside Bomana in order to convince them to sign for repatriations.” He goes on to say: “I maintain that this is an Australian initiative, it’s an Australian business, it’s Australian funded. Decisions are taken in Australia, not in PNG. Bomana is 100 percent the work of Australia.”

Our government’s policy of deliberate cruelty seems to be working. It is clear that our government is enforcing a level of brutality that it knows that it would not get away with in Australia. This is truly shameful.

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 >670 recipients

Our Face book is at https://www.facebook.com/Rural-Australians-for-Refugees-Bellingen-and-Nambucca-Districts-269696303205083/timeline/

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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

From Manus Island to Port Moresby : The Saturday Paper

 
From Manus Island to Port Moresby

by Shaminda Kanapathi

"As the government of Papua New Guinea has vowed to remove all refugees from Manus Island, most of us who have been detained there for almost seven years are being transported to Port Moresby."

"More than 50 men have been found – by a flawed PNG assessment process that lacks any oversight – not to be owed any protection. They are confined in Bomana Prison, in the immigration detention facility purpose-built and staffed by Australia.

It is hard to know what is happening to them. They are being held with no freedom of movement and have no access to mobile phones. They cannot even communicate with their families – a deeper denial of their fundamental human rights beyond being indefinitely detained for nearly seven years.

These 50 or so men have effectively been disappeared."

Read the whole article 

 

Newsletter your local RAR (N & B), September 9, 2019

Roadside demonstration report

Open letter to the Prime Minister

Bellingen Market: Saturday 21^st September, 9.00 am to 1.30 pm

A plea for help

Manus detainees transferred to Port Moresby

The Biloela family

Roadside demonstration report

Last Thursday’s demonstration in Bellingen was hugely successful. We had a record turn-out of supporters, which enabled us to create an impressive presence on both sides of Waterfall Way. It was very heartening to receive such overwhelming and enthusiastic support from passing motorists. As at Coffs Harbour market the week before, it seems clear that the recent publicity about the Biloela family has opened a lot of people’s eyes to the reality and the cruelty of our government’s treatment of asylum seekers.

Our next demonstration will take place on Thursday 19^th September from 2.30 to 4.00 pm on Hogbin Drive in Coffs Harbour. You will find us at a new location on Hogbin Drive, aimed at avoiding disturbance to the local children’s centre at our usual location. To find us, drive past our usual location, and past the airport. You will find us about 80 metres before the next roundabout on the left-hand side, near the Bunker gallery and opposite the racecourse. There is plenty of off-road parking nearby. We hope that some of you will join us to help to maintain the recent momentum.

 

Open letter to the Prime Minister

The open letter to the Prime Minister, signed by 1500 RAR supporters, is now on its way to Canberra. Over half the signatures were collected by our RAR group at the markets in Valla Beach, Bellingen and Coffs Harbour, with the remainder collected by a number of RAR groups around the country. The letter, you will recall, urges our government to accept the offer of the New Zealand government to resettle 150 refugees annually from Australia’s offshore detention centres. If the offer had been taken up when it was first made, there would by now be no refugees in offshore detention! The covering letter to the Prime Minister, together with explanatory letters to Kristina Keneally (Labor) and Nick McKim (Greens) can be found on our blog.

We will launch a new open letter at our next market.

Bellingen Market: Saturday 21^st September, 9.00 am to 1.30 pm

A reminder that our next market stall will be at Bellingen Market on Saturday 21^st September. We have been allocated site E27, which you will find not far from the Ford Street entrance. If you can help out on our stall for an hour or two, then please let Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. The markets present a great opportunity for us to interact with the public, in addition to meeting up for a good chat with fellow RAR supporters.

 

A plea for help

Many of you attended the recent fundraiser in Mylestom to support a local asylum seeker family. As a result, the support group is now preparing for the next stage, which is to resettle the family in suitable accommodation in Coffs Harbour. Please see their message below.

RENTAL ACCOMMODATION WANTED

IN COFFS HARBOUR

 

We have almost raised enough money to assist the asylum seeker family of mother and three children from their one-bedroom cabin in Repton to find a place to live in Coffs Harbour.

If you know of anyone who would be willing to rent a flat to this family at a reasonable price, please get in touch with us.

You are invited to make a small regular weekly/monthly donation to our account to support this move.

The Repton/Mylestom Friends of Refugees

Margaret

Annika

 

Manus detainees transferred to Port Moresby

It appears that all the remaining asylum seekers and refugees have now been moved from Manus island to Port Moresby. Our government will no doubt want to claim that the several hundred men involved are no longer detained. That, of course, is patently not the case. Many of them are imprisoned at the Bomana facility, and the remainder are accommodated in a number of motels around the city. They are not free to leave PNG, and the situation in Port Moresby is dangerous for them. Refugee advocate Ian Rintoul had this to say about the transfers: “PNG is not a resettling country, it’s not safe. The people who have been actually living in Port Moresby, many of the people I have spoken to have been assaulted, not just once but some four or five times, have been robbed, have been threatened with guns and knives. I also expect there will be much worse medical conditions. There are no mental health services to speak of in Port Moresby at all.” One of the refugees, Shaminda Kanapathi, stated: “Our greatest fear about this relocation to Port Moresby is that people will no longer be aware of our situation and we will be forgotten. We want the people to know that moving to Port Moresby is not a durable solution. As long as we are in PNG, we are not settled and we are not safe.”

The reality for the men who are now in Port Moresby is that it is only their location that has changed. They are not free, they are detained indefinitely on PNG, and they have not been offered any hope for their future. Their suffering continues. No government spin can alter that.

 

The Biloela family

This family’s treatment over the past year and a half has opened the eyes of many people to the intransigence, the inhumanity and the utter lack of compassion of our government. On the back foot, both the Prime Minister and the Minister for Home Affairs have sought, with the help of their friends in the Murdoch press, to paint the family as undeserving of our compassion, and as a potential threat to national security, should they be allowed to stay. Much has been made of the fact that the family has been found not to be genuine refugees. This overlooks two important matters. Firstly, when the Coalition came to power, it quickly abolished the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT), which had been established to give failed asylum seekers a comprehensive opportunity to have their cases reviewed, including the ability to present new evidence and to be properly represented. The RRT overturned departmental rejections of claims in about 30% of cases. By contrast, the RRT’s replacement, the Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA), which is an inferior decision-making body, has overturned just 13% of cases. Serious questions about fairness in the process of assessing the Biloela family’s case have been raised, but not considered. The second issue is that the Australian government considers that it is safe for Tamils to be returned to Sri Lanka, a view that is not widely supported, particularly if the asylum seeker has had any past contact with the Tamil Tigers.

In addition to the above, there remains the Minister’s discretion to intervene and to allow the family to remain in Australia on compassionate grounds. The two young children were born here, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child requires the best interests of the child to be a primary consideration in any decision affecting them. The two children have evidently developed strong ties within their community in rural Queensland, and have never been to Sri Lanka. It is not, therefore, difficult to mount a strong and principled argument that it is in their best interests to remain in Australia.

The Minister, David Coleman, should grant the family visas to remain in Australia on the principled legal basis that it is in the best interests of the children to do so.

Why should it be so hard, we must ask?

This newsletter is sent to >670 recipients
 

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.

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

Updates on Medevac and Manus and Nauru

 

Manus refugees held in Bomana prison with no access to phones or lawyers
The 52 so called "negative" asylum seekers are being kept isolated in a return to the most barbaric detention conditions, read Guardian report here or our press release.
Move of Manus refugees to Port Moresby no solution
 
Refugees on Manus have been offered a move to Port Moresby in PNG. Some have reported that this may be part of a plan to “end Manus detention arrangements” by transferring all remaining refugees and asylum seekers there. But previous transfers to Port Moresby have left refugees jobless, homeless and destitute with even less access to medical care than they have on Manus Island. Read more here.


Three quarters of refugees on Manus and Nauru seriously ill
Doctors involved in the Medevac process reveal in their submission to parliamentary inquiry the scale of the medical crisis offshore, read report in Sydney Morning Herald here
 
Pakistani refugee on Nauru hospitalised after burning himself
The man was moved to Brisbane for intensive care, in a sign of the ongoing desperation on Nauru, read report here

Remaining Manus Island refugees offered voluntary relocation to Port Moresby : The Guardian

"Amnesty International cautiously welcome Papua New Guinea’s offer but say it is not a ‘fix-all’ for six years of ‘terrible treatment’.

"All remaining refugees on Manus Island can relocate to Port Moresby, the Papua New Guinean government has said, offering to continue providing accommodation and health services in the capital city.

According to refugees on Manus Island, notices were issued on Monday informing the 120 or so men left on the island of the offer, which has been cautiously welcomed by Amnesty International.

“Refugees who transfer to Port Moresby will continue to receive services like those currently available to them,” it said.

“Relocation to Port Moresby is not permanent settlement in PNG. [The Immigration and Citizenship Authority] continues to encourage refugees to consider settling in PNG.”

....................


"Graham Thom, refugee coordinator at Amnesty International Australia, said the PNG government was “ultimately doing the right thing”, but expressed concern and called for greater clarity.

“It is vital that there is a long-term plan for these refugees and that their rights are protected. We still have concerns about the men’s safety in the community. Refugees have been targeted in the past and Port Moresby continues to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world,” said Thom."


Read complete The Guardian story

Newsletter for 20th August 2019 RAR Bello and Nambucca

Roadside demonstration: Thursday 22^nd August, 2.30 to 4.00 pm

Our next market stall: Sunday 1^st September, Coffs Harbourside market

Fundraiser at Mylestom Hall: SOLD OUT!

A new detention centre opens in PNG

Roadside demonstration: Thursday 22^nd August, 2.30 to 4.00 pm

Our next roadside demonstration will take place on Thursday in Coffs Harbour, by the Pacific Highway, opposite the base hospital, from 2.30 to 4.00 pm. Please come and support us if you can. We are always delighted to welcome new supporters to join our regular band of banner wavers and placard holders! These events are a great way to remind people about the injustice and the inhumanity of our government’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, so the more of us there are, the better we can be at getting our message across.

Our next market stall: Sunday 1^st September, Coffs Harbourside market

 

A reminder that our next market stall will be at the Coffs Harbourside market on Sunday 1^st September from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm. As usual, we’ll be handing out leaflets, engaging with market-goers and collecting final signatures on our open letter to the Prime Minister, urging him to accept the offer of the New Zealand government to accept 150 refugees a year from Manus and Nauru. If you are able to help out at our stall for an hour or two, then please let Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. 

Fundraiser at Mylestom Hall: SOLD OUT!

As you will be aware from previous newsletters, a group of RAR supporters are planning a fundraising lunch and auction on Saturday 24th August in support of a local asylum seeker family. We are delighted to report that the event is now sold out, and should therefore raise a significant amount of money to help this family secure rental accommodation in Coffs Harbour in the months ahead. If you were not able to secure a place at the lunch, but would like to make a donation, then you can do so by contacting Margie at: gsmh@fastmail.fm, or by phoning her on: 0414 592 519.

A new detention centre opens in PNG

In spite of the fact that the PNG Prime Minister James Marape has been calling for some time for the Australian government to set an end date for the closure of all detention centres in PNG, a new detention centre has been opened in Port Moresby. This prison - let’s call it what it is - has been funded by the Australian government to detain about 50 asylum seekers from Manus island who have had their claims for protection rejected. They were initially told that their transfer to Port Moresby was a temporary shift to hotel accommodation whilst repairs were conducted at their centre on Manus. The reality is that they are now held in secure detention, and on arrival were officially informed: “You will not leave your room. Your meals and drinks will be provided to you in your room. If you are on medication, we will administer it to you.” 

The reality, then, is that these men are to be detained indefinitely, in solitary confinement, until such time as they either agree to be deported back to their home countries or are forcibly returned. It appears that there is no proper process in place for them to have their claims for asylum to be independently reviewed, as is their right. Predictably, our government’s response to this development is that it is a matter for the PNG government, notwithstanding the fact that it is our government that has spent $20 million on constructing this new prison, and that it is our government which will pay all the costs of running the place. A spokesperson for the Australian government states: “As the PNG government seeks to resolve the regional processing caseload it has determined that these failed asylum seekers should be detained pending removal.” So, nothing to do with us!

Ian Rintoul, on behalf of the Refugee Action Coalition, quite properly takes a different view. He states: “Many of those being detained are deemed not to be refugees, although they have never had a refugee determination in PNG.” He adds that the new facility is as bad as the now closed Lombrum detention centre on Manus. His view is that the people who have had their applications for protection rejected should be released and have their cases properly reviewed. That is surely the proper thing to do.

See also:

Remaining Manus Island refugees offered voluntary relocation to Port Moresby : The Guardian

This newsletter is composed by Mike Griffin. This newsletter is sent to >670 recipients.

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.

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

Newsletter for 23rd July 2019 RAR, Bellingen and Nambucca

In this Newsletter:

Bellingen market report

 Roadside demonstration: Thursday 25^th July, 2.30 to 4.00 pm, Toormina

Final curtain call: fundraiser on Sunday 28^th July at 2.00 pm

Manus island. What is going on?

The New Zealand off remains on the table

 

Bellingen market report

 Saturday’s market in Bellingen was a special affair, in that, in addition to our usual activities, we were also marking the sixth anniversary of the Rudd Labor government’s decision to condemn any further asylum seekers arriving by boat to indefinite offshore detention on Nauru or Manus island. None of the asylum seekers arriving by boat after 19^th July 2013 would be allowed to resettle in Australia, in contravention of our international obligations. To mark the occasion on Saturday, we had special posters and placards on display, we invited visitors to our stall to write a postcard either to the Prime Minister or to our local Member of parliament, and we asked people to write a message of hope to the refugees and asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus. Yesterday, we posted sixty postcards to the Prime Minister or to our local MP, and we sent more than forty messages of hope to the Australian Refugee Advocacy Network, who will ensure that they are sent to detainees on Nauru and Manus. In addition, we collected more than 200 signatures on our open letter to the PM, which calls on the government to accept the offer of the New Zealand government to resettle 150 refugees annually from our offshore detention centres.

So, a very busy day, and a huge thank you to the many supporters who worked so hard to make our event such a success. You will find photos of our market activities on our blog and our Facebook page.

Our next stall will be at the Valla Beach market on Saturday 3^rd August from 9.00 am until 1.00 pm. If you can help out for an hour or two, then please let Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. 

Roadside demonstration: Thursday 25^th July, 2.30 to 4.00 pm, Toormina

Our next roadside demonstration is scheduled for this Thursday afternoon in Toormina. You will find us in our usual spot on Hogbin Drive, about 200 metres down from the fire station, in the direction of the airport. We have lots of banners and placards to share, so why not consider coming to join us? It would be really encouraging to welcome some new people to our demos, which are a great way of reminding people about the reality of what continues to be done in our name.

Final curtain call: fundraiser on Sunday 28^th July at 2.00 pm  

A final reminder that our important fundraising concert will take place on Sunday in the Nambucca Community and Arts Centre, located on Ridge Street. Everything is in place for you to enjoy an afternoon of joyful music. 

Tickets are available at Helloworld Travel on Bowra Street, Nambucca Heads, or on the door on the day of the concert. If you wish to secure your tickets in advance, for collection on arrival, then please phone Mike on 6569 5419, or email him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. 

Proceeds from the sales of tickets, the raffle and works of art will be donated to the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown, who do vitally important work supporting asylum seekers in Sydney. 

Please make a big effort to support this major fundraising event if you can.

Refreshments will be served in the small hall during the interval. If you care to bring along a plate to share, that would be greatly appreciated.

Manus island. What is going on?

There are currently some 450 men detained in Papua New Guinea at the behest of the 

Australian government. It has been revealed in recent days, however, that the majority of them have been transferred to the PNG capital, Port Moresby. 

The Greens senator, Nick McKim, was briefly on Manus island last week, before being abruptly deported, and he reported that approximately 300 detainees have been moved off Manus and are being held in Port Moresby. There are scant details of why there has been this mass transfer, or the conditions in which the men are held, though it is known that a small number of the men are awaiting resettlement in the US, and others are in Port Moresby for medical treatment.

In the meantime, the new prime minister of PNG, James Marape, has been voicing his concerns on a regular basis about the continued presence of asylum seekers and refugees on PNG. Last week, he made it clear that he wants the arrangement with the Australian government to come to an end, and is seeking a timeline to put an end to this shameful chapter in our history. He stated: “These are human beings we are dealing with. We can’t leave them all hanging in space with no consideration into their future.” He is in Australia this week on a formal visit, and he is expected to press the Australian government to set a deadline for the removal of all the detainees from PNG.

PM Morrison and PM Ardern

The New Zealand offer remains on the table

The NZ prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, was in Australia last week, and reiterated her government’s offer to resettle 150 refugees annually from Manus and Nauru. The offer has been on the table since February 2013. If our government had accepted the proposal, there would by now be no refugees on Manus or Nauru. Our government, however, shows no sign of shifting from its hardline stance, and clearly will only do so if and when there is strong public pressure, and a vocal parliamentary opposition, to the present cruelty and inhumanity. But let’s not forget: it did happen with the children on Nauru, all of whom were removed before the federal election. It can happen again!

.........................................................

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.

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