Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts : Newsletter for 25 March 2015

Hi everyone

In this newsletter, you will notice that we are asking for your help on a number of matters. We have over 300 supporters who receive this newsletter and every one could be a researcher, finding out what is happening with asylum seekers. We can add new information in newsletters, on Facebook, Twitter and in the Blog.

This newsletter is stored here for archive purposes. To read complete newsletter click below

Bellingen Community Markets 21 March/ Valla Beach Market Saturday 4 April.

Fresh presentation at the stall in Bellingen.

Welcome to the 28 new supporters who signed up at the Bellingen Community markets.

• A big thank you to all our supporters who volunteered or simply came along to say hello at our market stall in Bellingen last Saturday. We had lots of interest as always, with many members of the public , including many young people, expressing their dismay at the government’s cruel and inhumane treatment of children and their families living in appalling conditions on Nauru. About a hundred people signed our petition calling for the closure of the Manus and Nauru detention centres, and a number of new people joined our supporters’ list, which is really encouraging. Every day we read more about the unsafe environment on Nauru, especially for women and children. We must continue to keep up the pressure on this dreadful government and it’s supporters on the Opposition benches”

• Our next market will be at Valla Beach on Saturday 4th April, which is just a week and a half away. We need volunteers to help for 8.00 am until 1.00 pm. If you can spare an hour or two to help with spreading the word, that would be much appreciated. Remember that you don’t need to have any expertise, just a warm heart, a willingness to chat to people, give out information sheets and ask people to sign our petition. There will always be some experienced people on hand to help. Our experience to date has been entirely positive, with more and more people understanding the cruelty of the government’s policy towards asylum seekers.

email Mike at mandm.griffin@bigpond.com or phone 6569 5419 if you can help

There was also interest expressed at the Bellingen Market to provide accommodation for refugees released into regional areas under the new temporary protection visas, called Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEV). if you know any thing about when these visa will be issued, please email us.

Australian and Allies Overseas Against Mandatory Detention

Please look at the video mentioned below by clicking on http://bit.ly/1AL2QJ8. Then reply to this email to let us know you have seen it and that you have you have passed this link onto your friends. We will count up the replies and inform Carol Peterson about our reaction to their video.

"Dear refugee activists and supporters,

My name is Carol and I’m a member of the Australians and Allies Overseas Against Mandatory Detention. We’re a group of about 800 Australians living overseas who are taking action to end the mandatory detention of asylum seekers and refugees.

We are writing to let you know that we have just released a 2 minute video ‘#DearAustralia, A Global Call to End Mandatory and Indefinite Detention’ you can watch it here on Youtube: http://bit.ly/1AL2QJ8

It has been shot in 33 cities in 21 countries, including Iceland, Palestine, Costa Rica, Egypt, The United States, Chile, Australia, Cambodia and East Timor, by Australians and allies who are living overseas.

The video begins with images that were sent in from two detainees on Manus Island who have written the words ‘Dear Australia’ across their backs.

The text of the video message reads:

‘On Palm Sunday the 29^th March and for as long as it takes thousands of people will take action around the nation and around the world. We demand an end to mandatory and indefinite detention. End torture of asylum seekers and refugees. Bring back community processing. We will not be silenced. In solidarity, love from...(list of locations)’

We hope this video will be a catalyst for an international movement against mandatory detention on March 29th and beyond. We have created a map to display all of the March 29 actions (that we are aware of) from all over the world, to give strength and courage to those in detention, and turn the heads of our politicians.

A map of March 29th actions around the world:

We are collecting and displaying information about events on this map - for details of actions around the world see: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zFoOY0Cl6GrE.kE1ZHpqTRqqw

After 20 years of mandatory detention, the bystander effect is strong in Australia. However, many people - including yourselves, are taking action. The video alone shows over 90 people! We hope this video will inspire others to raise their voices.

At the start of the year over 800 asylum seekers went on hunger strike on Manus Island. This month the UN Special rapporteur on torture found in his report to the United Nations Human Rights Council that Australia’s policies breached the international Convention Against Torture and other international human rights obligations. It’s time for everyone to take a stand.

Can you share the video with your contact list? We would be very grateful if you could share this video http://bit.ly/1AL2QJ8 with your contact list and encourage your members and supporters to organise actions or otherwise get involved in this global call to end mandatory detention. If you like hashtags we are using #DearAustralia and #March29.

You can add your March 29th event to the global map to show how widespread the anger is at Australia’s refugee policies. Please tell us about your event by emailing australiansoverseas4refugees(at)yahoo(dot)com or julia.s.dehm(at)gmail(dot)com. Details of events around the world in the ‘Global Call to End Mandatory Detention’ can be found here: tinyurl.com/AAOAMDFB

You can find out more about Australians and Allies Overseas Against Mandatory Detention here: http://australiansoverseasforrefugees.tumblr.com/

Regards,

Carol Peterson

For Australians and Allies Overseas Against Mandatory Detention"

Moss Report

comment on the report from Pamela Curr ASRC via Jan Govett National RAR

......." both Government and opposition will hope that the Moss Report, released on Friday at 4pm on the same day that Malcolm Fraser died, is forgotten by media and public alike.

After all a report detailing rape of women and sexual and physical abuse of children in a Camp run by staff contracted and paid for by Australia, is nothing to be proud of.

No doubt they will try to brush away any questions by stating that the Government has accepted the Recommendations of the Moss Report so everything is ok, fixed, lets move on, nothing to see here.

Please look at the recommendations and see if you think that they will do anything to improve the appalling lack of safety and security for women and children in the camps.

Nineteen recommendations calling for everyone to be nice to each other.

Nauruan Police to investigate complaints of abuse against children when there are NO CHILD PROTECTION LAWS in place

Both Australian Immigration and Nauruan officials to take into account the "personal safety and privacy" needs of people in the camp- hardly likely in shared communal tents

Forensic services in Nauruan police station!!

and so it goes on.

There is nothing in these recommendations which is going to change the current abuse endemic in the camps.

The background to the horror on Nauru is complex. Forcing vulnerable people into a closed society with its own identity crisis and struggle was never going to work.

Shoving pocketfuls of money into the pants of corrupt Nauruan officials will not quell the deep seated unrest and animosity of the Nauruans to a forced invasion.

The Australian government has done a deal to provide jobs in the camps to the local people whether they are qualified or trained to do these jobs or not.

The Locals are angry becasue they are paid $4 an hour to do what the flyin/ flyout Australians and New Zealanders are paid $40 per hour to do. The Nauru Government has pegged wages so that it can keep trained workers in Government services. Now that people are being released from the camp and given the right to work, they are competition to the local workers. This sets up anger in the community which has seen released refugees beaten, stoned and bashed. Some of these attackers are still working in the camp. The situation is not sustainable and is likely to result in tragedy for all concerned.

In the meantime vulnerable young women are subject to touching, assault, rape and fear in the camps. Children have been raped, assaulted and beaten. There was much which could not be covered in this report. What was not discussed was what happens to the husbands and fathers when they stand up for their wives and children. Police are brought in and they are taken to the Nauru lockup for weeks, leaving their families even more vulnerable.

These findings come from an investigation by former Minister Morrison's own Man, not a reviled Human Rights advocate.

What will it take for Australia to say no?

Please speak out- Dont let them get away with continuing this abuse. Nauru must be closed as must Manus."

The full comment including the recommendations are detailed in the post http://bellorar.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/tomorrow-bothgovernment-and-opposition.html