A message to Prime Minister Morrison: Subject: Children on Christmas Island

Dear Prime Minister,

 

I have been deeply saddened by the plight of the two little girls, Australian-born Kopica and Tharunicaa, who have now been detained by the government that you lead for more than one thousand days. How can you, in all conscience, treat these innocent children in this way? What if they were your daughters?

 

I do not need to consult my wife to enable me to draw the conclusion that your government's actions are utterly callous, devoid of all compassion, and completely lacking in humanity. This dreadful situation shames us all, and could be ended immediately by the stroke of the Minister for Immigration's pen.

 

Just do it!

 

Mike G. (full details provided)

Valla Beach

Letter: Dear Minister Hawke,

 Dear Minister Hawke,

In the light of the recent court judgement relating to the youngest child of the Sri Lankan family held indefinitely on Christmas Island at huge expense to the taxpayer, surely now would be a good time to show some humanity and to return them to Biloela. You have the power, under the legislation, to release

From The Guardian

the family on compassionate grounds, regardless of the findings about their bid for asylum.  The family pose no threat to our security, and releasing them would have no impact on the government’s (cruel) asylum policy.

I note with interest the Prime Minister’s comments about his conversation with his wife  earlier this week on another matter, and the need to “think about the girls.” Well, here are two little girls, born in Australia, who the government has now detained for more than 1000 days. Do they not deserve some consideration?

I urge you to finally show some compassion towards this family and to release them into the arms of the Biloela community, who anxiously await their return.

History will judge you harshly if you continue to pursue the hardline and uncompromising stance that has to date characterized the government’s position on this case, which could and should have been resolved long ago.

Mike G.

Valla Beach NSW 2448

An appeal to all RAR members for team members

Personal and family illness is sucking the strength from our National RAR Committee.

And as some members of the committee have fallen, others have simply picked up the extra load.

Yet being who they are, wonderful and dedicated, they do not complain.

But the few remaining will inevitably succumb to the untenable burden of too many tasks.

The 2020 elected committee of 11 members has been reduced to four. Louise, Jonathan, Marie, and Paul.

Steve M.  has recently been co-opted as a new member, as Louise needs to reduce her load, and, after four years on the National Committee, Marie needs to slow down.

 

I am writing this letter to appeal to our thousands of supporters to step up.

 

National RAR needs:

·         Someone to manage the Website

·         Someone to lead the Facebook team

·         Someone who understands Twitter

·         Someone who loves Campaigning

·         Someone who loves Networking

·         Someone who ….

 

I believe in the amazing network that is RAR.

In 2008, Margot O’Neill wrote about RAR in her book, Blind Conscience:

… three middle-aged women [were] so enraged by the treatment of the Tampa refugees, they formed the optimistically named ‘Rural Australians for Refugees’ (RAR). Despite the media cliché of country rednecks, RAR will ultimately boast 100 groups around Australia with 15,000 devotees, the largest and most influential of the refugee groups.

 

As many of you know, I am currently writing the amazing history of RAR’s 20-year existence.

I would hate the final chapter to have to detail the second collapse of the RAR network.

As Richie Norton says: You deserve a network of inclusion and influence, but it’s up to you to create it.

Jan G.

15 February 2021

secretary.rar.australia@gmail.com

Pics from Valla Beach Market Stall February 6, 2021

 Yesterday’s Valla Beach market RAR stall. 

 

The scrolls that Marlene has made are beautiful. They will be available again at Coffs Harbour later this month and Bellingen next month.

 

 

 

A PLEA FROM OUR NATIONAL RAR COMMITTEE

 Dear RAR group convenors

WE NEED YOU!

I would like to invite your group to nominate someone to become a valued part of the RAR National Committee. Our current Committee is struggling to match personal commitments with RAR responsibilities and want more volunteers to share the load.

Being a member of our National Committee is an important way to contribute to RAR’s impact and to be part of a nationally coordinated response to the challenges refugees and asylum seekers face in 2021 and beyond.

This year has started on a positive note, with the release of some Medevac refugees from detention.  RAR groups have helped coordinate efforts to support these men, find them jobs and accommodation in our communities and raise money for relocation.

In December, our members posted hundreds of #HomeToBilo Christmas cards and postcards to our politicians. We posted human rights videos on social media and our website. Now we are starting to plan for Palm Sunday rallies across the country. We continue to lobby for the Biloela family to go home and have permanent residence there, as they approach three years in detention on 5 March.

These are just some examples of what we can do when we work together. We have a strong reputation

because of the work you, our member groups, do across the country. Yet our greatest impact comes from being able to work and act together. The RAR National Committee pulls our independent groups together to provide a strong united voice and influence the national political agenda.

Opportunities on the RAR National Committee exist for the following roles:

·       Vice-President

·       Treasurer

·       Communications Convenor, to manage social media activities (supported by several people who do regular posts)

·       Committee members,

We’re also calling out for members of the proposed Training Fund sub-committee.

I call on you to please consider joining the National Committee in one of these roles. We meet monthly via Zoom. I recognise the work you do in your own local groups is an important commitment, but so is being part of RAR’s National Committee - all national committee members are also actively involved in our own local groups.

Please consider being part of our national movement and please table this letter at your next meeting to offer others the opportunity to step up and join the National Committee. Anyone who is a member of a RAR group is eligible to be nominated by their group to fill a casual vacancy.  Please call me if you would like to discuss this, or other ways you could contribute.

Stepping up to support RAR in this way is a small commitment of your time that goes a long way to supporting RAR and realising our goals for the just and humane treatment of people seeking refuge and asylum in this country.

I look forward to welcoming your nominee for the National Committee in 2021.

Louise

Rural Australians for Refugees on Twitter and Facebook 

RAR is a member of the Australian Refugee Action Network

Letter to Minister Dutton 'about the remaining approximately 150 refugees in community detention'.

 

To Minister Dutton

Thank you for releasing the medevac refugees recently. This is news we have been long awaiting. Now….what about the remaining approximately 150 refugees in community detention? 

 

 

 

We request that they be released immediately and that they be given all the medical assistance that they so desperately need.

You yourself, Minister Dutton, have said that releasing refugees from detention is “a cost saving measure” (quite heartless words actually) so why not save the billions of dollars the taxpayers provide so that your government can keep in detention the Sri Lankan family on Christmas Is and those on Nauru and in PNG. We haven’t forgotten them.

Minister, could you please let me know why you are not accepting the NZ offer to take 150 refugees ANNUALLY? They will be well cared for there and out of your responsibility.

Thank you for your attention

Margaret H and Georgina S

Mylestom  NSW  2454

Newsletter: January 2021

 

BELLINGEN MARKET REPORT   Our first market of 2021 went really well. We had a great spot, the sun shone, the crowds turned up, and we had a very busy time interacting with lots of market-goers of all ages and backgrounds. Our open letter to the Prime Minister attracted more than 150 signatures, we sold in excess of $200- worth of merchandise, collected $40 in donations and signed up a number of new supporters. Our open letter, which runs until 25th April, calls on the government to release all refugees and asylum seekers and to commit to their resettlement in a safe, permanent home by World Refugee Day on 20th July 2021. If you feel that you could collect signatures on the letter from friends, family, work colleagues or your social groups, then please get in touch with Mike at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com, and he will send you the signature sheet. (It is also on this blog) Our next market stall will be at the popular Valla Beach market on Saturday 6th February. If you can help out for an hour or two, then please email Mike to let him know, so that he can draw up a roster. ROADSIDE DEMONSTRATION REPORT   Last week’s roadside demonstration in Coffs Harbour went very well, with nine supporters holding up banners and placards to remind the public about the ongoing cruel and inhumane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers by our government. As always, the reaction of passing motorists was overwhelmingly positive. Our next demonstration will take place on Thursday 4th February from 2.30 to 4.00 pm by the Pacific Highway in Coffs Harbour, opposite the base hospital. It would be great to welcome some new supporters. These demonstrations are an excellent way to keep the plight of refugees in the public eye.   WE NEED MORE ACTIVE MEMBERS   We are a group of some 650 local citizens who are united in our commitment to achieving a realistic, fair, humane and compassionate national asylum seeker policy. We campaign in various ways, which are mentioned in our fortnightly Bulletins. We really do need more active members to support us.   Would you consider joining us at our local market stalls and roadside demonstrations? Being at the market stall is an encouraging and enlivening experience. We meet people who are willing to support our cause by signing petitions, buying our Boat People merchandise or making a donation. It is also a social time when we enjoy the company of one another and encourage ourselves in our work for refugees.    Have you ever taken part in a roadside demonstration? It is not as scary as you may think. We have one placard saying “Honk for Refugees” and we receive many encouraging “honks” and/or waves. Any dissenting expressions we meet with a friendly wave. We do not confront. Over the years we have found fewer dissenters and many more expressions of support.   On several occasions a year we organize a fundraiser. We have had concerts and meals followed by an auction of pre-loved goods. If you have an idea for a fundraiser that you would like to suggest please contact us and we will support you in running it.   While our RAR group is very clear in its purpose we are also a very warm and friendly group and we would love you to make 2021 a year when you step outside your comfort level (maybe) and join us. We are stronger together. I'd love to hear from you Margaret gsmh@fastmail.fm REFUGEES RELEASED FROM MEDEVAC HOTELS   Many of you will be aware that, in recent days, some sixty five refugees have been released from immigration detention in Melbourne, where they have spent a year or more detained in inner-city hotels or the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation centre. (MITA). They had been transferred to Australia from Nauru and PNG to receive medical attention under the now-repealed medevac legislation. Most of the men released had cases pending in court to protest the illegality of their detention – cases which the government knew that it was likely to lose, hence the belated decision to release the detainees into community detention. Minister Dutton’s explanation for the release of the refugees is that it is cheaper for them to live in the community than in detention - more of that anon. The release of these refugees is clearly a most welcome development. However, it is important to note that there are still some 150 refugees stuck in hotels and other places of detention in Brisbane and Melbourne as a result of the government’s stubborn refusal to act with some compassion and humanity in its treatment of these medevac refugees. In addition, we need to note that the men released have been issued with temporary “Final Departure” visas, which are valid for just six months. During this time period, the refugees, according to the government, are expected to make arrangements to be resettled in the US, to return to Nauru or PNG, or to return to their home countries. This is hardly conducive to allowing them to recover from their trauma or to feel that they finally have some kind of safe and settled future to look forward to. Greens Immigration Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim had this to say about the release of the refugees: “There are still 150 people who suffered through years of offshore detention detained in Australia. They should also be immediately released. Those released today, and those still in detention, deserved freedom and safety a long time ago. Now they need permanent protection, support in our community, and a pathway to Australian citizenship. There was never a legitimate reason for their detention, and it’s time to write the end of this dark chapter in our country’s story.” What can you do? Please write to Minister Dutton at: Peter.Dutton.MP@aph.gov.au Tell him that you are pleased to learn about the release of the medevac refugees from detention in Melbourne. Ask him to release the remaining 150 refugees into community detention immediately. Ask him to ensure that they are given all the medical support that they require to treat their conditions, and the support required to assist them to settle in the community. Ask him to grant the refugees permanent visas, which would allow them to finally feel that their futures are secure. They are our responsibility, and it is not possible for them to return to their home countries.  Point out that, given that he has rightly acknowledged that it is much cheaper for refugees to live in the community, the same criterion should be applied to the Sri Lankan family of four being held on Christmas Island at a cost of millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money.  Likewise, remind him that his government plans to spend more than a billion dollars this year keeping some 270 refugees and asylum seekers out of sight and out of mind on Nauru and in PNG. How can this be justified? Finally, ask him to urgently take up the offer of the New Zealand government to accept 150 of our refugees annually. Please consider sending a copy of your correspondence to us at: bellingen.rar@gmail.com.

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

Leaflet: SEVEN YEARS TOO LONG

SEVEN YEARS TOO LONG

It is now more than seven years since the Rudd Labor government declared that, from 19th July 2013, any asylum seeker arriving in Australia by boat would be detained offshore indefinitely, and would never be permitted to settle in Australia. Since that date, many hundreds of asylum seekers have been detained on the island of Nauru, and many hundreds more in PNG.

Despite government claims to the contrary, it is lawful for people who are fleeing conflict and persecution to seek refuge in a safe country. That right is enshrined in international laws and treaties, to which Australia is a signatory. Under Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.”

 

Where are these asylum seekers now?

Some 870 refugees have been resettled in the US. Others, in desperation, have been persuaded to return to danger in their home countries. A small number have been privately sponsored to move to Canada, and a very small number are attempting to resettle on Nauru or in PNG. Others have been brought to Australia for medical treatment, with many of them held in detention centres or in hotels in Brisbane and Melbourne. They are not free, and they are expected by our government to return to Nauru or PNG once they have been treated for their medical conditions. Some 290 people remain in limbo on Nauru and in PNG. They have committed no crime, yet, unlike convicted criminals, there is no end in sight for them. Their punishment is indefinite, and the conditions under which they are held are not safe.

 

Seven years too long

It has been more than seven years of deliberate abuse, of appalling conditions and of our government abrogating its responsibility to fulfil our obligations under the UN Refugee Convention. As Sarah Dale, of the Refugee Advice and Casework Service points out: “This harsh and abhorrent system is designed to punish those who dare to ask for our protection. Lives have been lost, spirits completely broken. The government must act now to provide a permanent settlement solution for people who have already suffered seven years too long. This cannot continue.”

The only reason that these people continue to be held in these completely unacceptable conditions is the lack of political will.

 

What should the government do?

·      process all outstanding asylum claims without further delays

·      accept the offer of the NZ government to resettle 150 refugees annually

·      evacuate all the remaining asylum seekers and refugees from Nauru and PNG to Australia, with a view to resettlement in the US, in NZ, in other safe third countries, or in Australia

·      release all medevac evacuees into the community, and ensure that they get the medical and other support that they need.

 

What can you do?

·      Write to Federal MP: Pat.Conaghan.MP@aph.gov.au  or Immigration Minister Alex Hawke: Alex.Hawke.MP@aph.gov.au.  and demand that they take action to bring this shameful chapter in our history to an end.

·      Sign up to receive our fortnightly news bulletin.

 

Published by Bellingen and Nambucca District RAR. Bellingen.rar@gmail.com.

Updated 14.1.21

 

Mission Statement - Rural Australians for Refugees: Bellingen and Nambucca District

 

Rural Australians for Refugees: Bellingen and Nambucca District

Who are we?

We are a group of some 650 local citizens who are united in our commitment to achieving a realistic, fair, humane and compassionate national asylum seeker policy. A policy which reflects Australia's international obligations and which recognises that we have a world-wide refugee crisis from which we should not seek to isolate ourselves. We are not affiliated to any political party. We do have links with the National RAR group.

What are we trying to do?

We are seeking to shift the public perception of asylum seekers and refugees by providing factual, objective information about refugee issues, about government policy and pronouncements, and about our obligations under international law. We want to end the demonisation of asylum seekers by politicians and the media and we support an evidence-based, humane and lawful set of responses to refugee issues. We seek an urgent end to offshore detention and the resettlement in the US, New Zealand or Australia of the detainees currently held in Australia, in PNG and on Nauru.

How do we campaign?

 Since 2014 we have worked to inform the public and to influence politicians through a range of activities, which have included:

·      sending out fortnightly updates to our 650+ supporters.

·      providing information to the public at our local market stalls.

·      organising regular roadside demonstrations.

·      writing letters to the press and to politicians of all parties.

·      collecting signatures on petitions and open letters to politicians.

·       organising fundraising events to support national refugee charities.

·      regular postings on our Facebook page and on our blog.

·      meeting together at intervals to discuss and plan our activities.

·      selling refugee-related merchandise on our market stalls.

How can you help us to promote the plight of asylum seekers in 2021?

·      sign up to receive our fortnightly updates.

·      join us at our market stalls in Bellingen, Valla Beach and Coffs Harbour.

·      take part in our fortnightly roadside demonstrations.

·      put a RAR bumper sticker on your car.

·      contribute to our letter-writing campaigns.

·      attend our occasional discussion, planning and social meetings.

·      support our fundraising activities. We raised an amazing $13,600 in 2020, which we donated to the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown.

Our contact details:

Email: bellingen.rar@gmail.com.   Blog: http://bellorar.blogspot.com.au. Updated 14.1.21

An open letter to the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison (Petition)

 

An open letter to the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison

Dear Prime Minister,

We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned about the plight of the many hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers who, years after seeking asylum in Australia, still remain in limbo on Nauru and in PNG, and in detention centres or Alternative Places of Detention in Australia. Most of them have severe mental health and other problems as a direct result of their ongoing and indefinite detention. Medical experts report that many of these people are getting increasingly sick as time goes on. The cost in human suffering is enormous and unconscionable. It’s time to show humanity and to end their torment.

We call on the government to immediately release refugees and people seeking asylum and commit to their resettlement in a safe, permanent home by World Refugee Day on 20^th July 2021.

 

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  Published by Bellingen and Nambucca District RAR. Email: bellingen.rar@gmail.com.

Please return completed sheet to: Mike Griffin, 39, Rogers Drive, Valla Beach, NSW 2448 by 25^th April 2021