Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

This blog has been set up to further the cause of compassion for Asylum Seekers. We will post letters that have been sent to politicians, building up the pressure to provide compassionate support to all refugees in Australia and anywhere where people have been sent by the Australian Government. Send your letter and any reply to our email address and we will post it on the site. Any other information of use will also be posted. For Facebook page click on "contact us" tab below.

20.7.15

Emails to Labor members of parliament concerning their National Conference

Dear...

I understand from press reports that the Labor Party will discuss the Party’s policy on asylum seekers when it holds its conference later this month. I welcome that, and I earnestly hope that the ALP will adopt a principled policy stance which properly reflects our international obligations under the UN Refugee Convention and which recognises the immense harm that the current Coalition policy, largely supported by the ALP, is inflicting on innocent people, many of them children. That harm includes the emerging evidence of the sexual abuse of women and children in the Nauru detention centre.

Richard Marles, in an interview on Sky News in early February, stated that: “We need to be doing everything practicable to get these children out of detention as quickly as possible.” So what does that mean in policy terms? To date, we have not been told.

In relation to Nauru, it has to mean the closure of the detention centre and an end to the pretence that releasing families into the Nauruan community constitutes a solution to the problem. It also has to mean putting an end to the veil of secrecy surrounding the treatment of asylum seekers, together with amendments to the Border Force Act to enable support staff working in detention centres to report their concerns about the abuse they observe without the threat of prosecution. How can we countenance a situation where people on mainland Australia face prosecution if they fail to report any suspicion of abuse, and yet accept that the opposite rules apply in relation to detention centres? That simply cannot be justified.

Save the Children, which has considerable experience of the situation, has repeatedly stated that Nauru is not a sustainable long-term option for the resettlement of refugees.

It is surely time for the ALP to recognise that the current policy stance is deeply flawed, is in contravention of our international obligations and is inflicting intolerable harm on a group of already-traumatised people. It’s time to move on from the sloganeering of “stopping the boats” and from the convenient lie that the policy is all about saving lives at sea.

The ALP should work with other nations in the region to develop regional solutions to a complex problem that is not going to go away, and that a civilised nation cannot turn its back on. There are many Australian citizens in our communities who are looking to our political leaders to rediscover their roots by adopting principled, humane and fair policies that can be confidently explained and promoted to the electorate.

I do hope, therefore, that the ALP, with your support, will listen to those voices within its ranks who are advocating a change in policy; a policy which is rooted in sound principles, international law and common humanity.

Yours sincerely,

Mike

Vietnames Asylum Seekers boat reaches Western Australia July 20 2015

Three Vietnamese asylum seekers detained after Australian Navy intervention, Voice Australia group says

By political reporter Peta Donald

Updated Tue at 5:03am

Media player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute, "left" and "right" to seek.

VIDEO: The asylum seeker boat was spotted off Dampier in WA on July 20. (ABC News)

PHOTO: One of the pictures obtained by the ABC showing asylum seekers onboard the boat. (Supplied: Anonymous)

MAP: Dampier 6713

A group of 46 Vietnamese asylum seekers who almost made it to Australia by boat have been flown home, arriving on Sunday afternoon, according to a Vietnamese community group in Australia.

"The locals told me they saw them taken one by one into the police station for questioning," Trung Doan, secretary of Voice Australia said.

"They had lost weight, they looked gaunt and very sad."

Mr Doan said he had been told the group, which included men, women and two babies, was interviewed on an Australian Navy ship and then taken to an on-land airstrip, flown to Ho Chi Minh City and transferred overland to Binh Thuan Province — the starting point for their journey by boat to Australia.

Forty-three of the asylum seekers were released by local police, but two men and one woman were driven in a police vehicle to a provincial detention centre, according to Mr Doan.

The asylum seeker boat was spotted off Dampier in Western Australia at first light on July 20.

Since then, the Prime Minister, the Immigration Minister and the Immigration Department have refused to provide information, saying they do not comment on operational matters.

Mr Doan said he was told when the asylum seekers were interviewed by Australian authorities at sea, they were assured that they should feel at ease, because what they said would not be given to Vietnamese authorities.

But according to relatives, the information was then passed on, he said.

"That is contrary to the promise that the Australian authorities gave to these people when the interview started," Mr Doan said.

The asylum seekers were mainly fishermen who had pooled their money to buy a boat and spent around three weeks at sea before being intercepted, according to Mr Doan.

PHOTO: One of the pictures obtained by the ABC showing asylum seekers onboard the boat. (Supplied: Anonymous)

18.7.15

Luke Hartsuyker's priorities - letter to newspaper

Dear Editor

Recently readers may have received a mail-out from our federal member, Luke Hartsuyker. Among the issues he wishes you to prioritise is "securing Australia's borders". Sounds scary, doesn't it? Are Islamic State battleships arranged on the horizon, about to attack?

No, the terrifying craft lurching toward our shores, intent on invasion, is a leaky, creaky fishing boat whose passengers are ordinary people fleeing misery. A terrorist would come safely by plane. These refugees are running away from terrorism.

Among those passengers might be a young girl from a county where it is unsafe to go to school because of religious extremists. She may be persecuted because she belongs to a particular ethnic group. She may have seen her friend blown up by a road-side bomb or killed by machete in an attack on a village. A relative may have been tortured and murdered by a bloody regime.

But Mr Hartsuyker wants to protect you from this nasty young girl. If he has his way, her boat will be sent back. He doesn't want her to come here and apply for asylum, which she is legally entitled to do. If she makes it here, he'll incarcerate her behind barbed wire for an indefinite period, so there's no danger you will come into contact with this modern-day Anne Frank.

But wait! There's someone else of whom you should be afraid: doctors and nurses! Hartsuyker's government has passed the Border Force Act, which will protect us from the disturbing communications and nefarious activities of any health professional who would be so rashly ethical as to blow the whistle on any abuse of asylum seeker patients. A person demonstrating such concern and compassion will be gagged could be gaoled.

Meanwhile, more densely-populated European countries are dealing with the current migration crisis by each welcoming ten times our annual humanitarian intake. The Coalition and Labor seem happy to send those who seek our help to the off-shore concentration camps. The Greens oppose the cruelty and secrecy of such treatment.

Why does Mr Hartsuyker want you to be scared? So that he can adopt the posture of being tough on border security and you will vote for him. He doesn't want to bother you with leadership that is based on higher ethical principles; he doesn't want to trouble you with trying to make Australia a better, more compassionate society. He just wants a safe seat.

Yours faithfully

Mary

16.7.15

Inaugural picket iutside Luke Hartsuyker's Office 16 July 2015

Inaugural Thursday Picket of Luke Hartsuker MP's office Thursday 16 July

The picket will kick off between 10 am and noon this coming Thursday the 16th of July. Bring a placard supporting the rights of asylum seekers as we seek to keep the pressure up on the government over this horrendous policy. Luke's office is at 39 Little St Coffs Harbour. We hope to make this a weekly event. Coffs Growers market is on at the same time so give our MP a message and then go an support our local producers.

Background

Our local member of Parliament continues to uncritically support the indefinite detention of asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru. He is a senior member of a government which seeks to shroud its asylum policy activities in secrecy and which now threatens doctors, nurses and other support workers with imprisonment if they speak out about the abuses which they observe in these gulags. It’s time to let Mr Hartsuyker know that we are enraged by his government’s actions and that we will continue to make our feelings known.

To that end, we are planning a new action, namely to hold a peaceful picket outside the office of our Federal Member each Thursday morning, provided that there is support amongst our membership to get the idea off the ground.

One of our supporters, Robin Hesketh, is very keen to organise the picket and is looking for support. If anyone can make a commitment for a couple of hours on a Thursday morning to support this action, then please email Robin at : robinhesketh@hotmail.com. You might want to commit to just one session a month, or whatever you feel that you can manage. If a number of people are prepared to do a little, then it can add up to something significant. On behalf of asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus, please support Robin if you can.

15.7.15

Newsletter 15 July 2015 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

Hi Everyone

This newsletter is stored here for archival purposes. You can read it by clicking on "read more" below

Letter to Richard Marles concerning Labor Party Policy at the Labor National Conference in July 2015

Dear Mr Marles,

In an interview on Sky News in early February, you stated that: “We need to be doing everything practicable to get these children out of detention as quickly as possible.” So what does that mean in ALP policy terms? To date, we have not been told, though your recent comments on Q and A don’t offer much hope for a change in policy.

Save the Children, which has considerable experience of the situation, has repeatedly stated that Nauru is not a sustainable long-term option for the resettlement of refugees.

I do hope, therefore, that the ALP will listen to those voices within its ranks who are advocating a change in policy; a policy which is rooted in sound principles, international law and common humanity.

Yours sincerely,

Mike

10.7.15

Silent Vigil against Border Force Act - Saturday 11 July Coffs Harbour

Doctors and Child Welfare Professionals Against the Border Force Act: A 30-minute silent vigil

Saturday July 11^th 09.30am at The Big Banana

The Border Force Act 2015 carries penalties of up to two years in prison for unauthorised disclosure of information related to immigration detention. It prejudices the ability of healthcare professionals to do their jobs.

The AMA, RACP, RACGP, ACEM, AMSA, ACN, RANZCP and others have called for urgent amendments to the Act to allow health care professionals and child welfare workers to advocate effectively for their asylum seeker and refugee patients.

Silent vigils have been held all round Australia to protest at this repressive, anti-democratic legislation.

Please join us on Saturday to show that people in Coffs Harbour and the Mid North Coast care too.

Find more info at the Facebook page for this event at the following URL and QR Code, or just turn up: http://tinyurl.com/pdachkx

Extract from comment by George Newhouse on Border Force Act Guardian

Extract from comment by George Newhouse on Border Force Act

The Australian government moved on Tuesday to address what they believe are “factually incorrect and highly misleading” statements about the draconian secrecy provisions of the new Border Force Act.

Both the department and border force claim the new laws will not prevent concerned professionals from reporting cases of child abuse, or speaking about other matters of public interest relating to immigration detention centres.

It is surprising that government officials do not understand the practical implications of the new secrecy laws. They make it difficult, if not impossible, for doctors and other care workers to publicly raise their concerns without fear of two years imprisonment.

The minister has said that doctors, teachers or other care workers are protected from prosecution under the secrecy provisions of the Border Force Act by the operation of the Public Interest Disclosure Act, often called the “whistleblower law”. But outside of Australia the effectiveness of that safeguard is limited, because of a mismatch in the coverage of the two laws.

The Border Force Act contains strict secrecy provisions that cover all government contractors, including doctors, even outside of Australia. By contrast, the protection of the Australian whistleblower law does not extend to disclosures made about the conduct of a PNG or Nauran Government official or worker, or of any person who is not an Australian government contractor or officer. That includes detainees, or even a local priest in an offshore immigration detention centre.

In addition, the whistleblower law offers no protection to those who make a public disclosure about the actions of an Australian government minister or policy, even if it harms people.

For example, if the minister implemented a policy of refusing any refugee on Nauru or PNG medical treatment in Australia – even if it were recommended by a doctor – any disclosure of that action or government policy would not be protected by the whistleblower law.

If the problems outlined above aren’t enough to deter doctors and care workers from making public disclosures, the long list of hurdles within whistleblower law are likely to put them off.

These extensive bureaucratic requirements include the need to exhaust all internal complaints processes before any public disclosure of information occurs, which is likely to substantially delay disclosure and have a chilling effect.

Under the law, whistleblowers have to make complex legal assessments about whether their disclosure has been “adequately dealt with” under internal review procedures before they can speak out.

Once they go public, disclosure must be limited to the issue which was the subject of the original internal complaint. Too much disclosure is not protected, and there is little guidance about where the boundaries lie.

Finally, the whistleblower law is directed at disclosure of suspected or probable illegal or other wrongdoing. It would not normally protect the clinical and ethical consultations about patients that take place between medical practitioners within immigration detention centres, and their colleagues or specialists outside the immigration system.

It is true that there is an exemption to the secrecy provisions in the Border Force Act which would allow a medical or allied practitioner or a teacher to report suspected child abuse or neglect inside an Australian immigration detention centre. However this exemption only applies to workers in Australia because they are covered by State and Territory mandatory reporting laws.

Unfortunately and relevantly, this exemption is of no use to a doctor, teacher or care worker where Australian mandatory reporting laws do not apply, such as in Nauru or Papua New Guinea.

9.7.15

Letter to Nambucca Guardian "Do we live in a society that values justice or not?"

Dear Editor,

Prof. Gillian Triggs states in her report “How we treat asylum seekers goes to the core of our identity as a nation”. Anthony Hardge (Letters 25 June 2015) takes exception to this statement but provides no reason why.

This statement is a variation of many that have preceded it. I provide three as examples:

The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization.
~Samuel Johnson, Boswell: Life of Johnson

"A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." ~ Mahatma Ghandi

You may, quite rightly, call these slogans but that does not make the truth of these statements any less important. The message that these statements represent resonate deeply in the human psyche. It goes to the core of our understanding of fairness and justice.

Now, life is unfair. Some people are born into wealth and privilege and others into poverty and hardship. How we respond to that unfairness is a choice that each of us makes and is a reflection of our personal character. How we respond as a nation to tests of moral leadership is a refection of our national character. The actions we take as a nation reflect whether we are seeking to implement justice in the face of unfairness or whether we are seeking to protect and entrench privilege.

Quite rightly, in my opinion, many people are appalled at the actions of our government in the indefinite detention of people, especially children, in detention camps – people who have committed no crime. I remind you that seeking asylum, whether you arrive in this country by boat or plane, is not a crime.

The continued detention, especially of children, is known to cause severe mental health issues. We know this to be the case so its continued practice can rightly be called torture.

Compounding an already atrocious state of affairs this government has introduced laws and enacted procedures to hide this abuse behind a veil of secrecy.

There are many alternative means of dealing with the influx of asylum seekers. Means that are not only fair and just but cheaper as well. Julian Burnside QC has made just such proposals. I encourage you to seek them out.

In the end we have to ask ourselves – do we want to live in a society that values justice or not?

Peter Sobey

Valla

8 July 2015