Reply from Lisa Singh to MIke's letter - another death on Manus Island

<sub>Mike's letter http://bellorar.blogspot.com.au/2017/08/letter-to-senator-singh-labor-on-deaths.html

From: Singh, Lisa (Senator)</sub>

_{Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2017 11:27 AM}

_To: 'Mike'

_{Subject: RE: Another death on Manus Island}

_{Dear Mike,}

_{Thank you very much for writing to me in support of a fairer and more humane approach to our treatment of asylum seekers.}

_{The support and good wishes I have received since my recent speech in the Senate have been heart-warming. I will always stand firm in my commitment to a compassionate and humane asylum seeker policy, and it gives me great encouragement to know that I have your support.} 

_{Australia’s ongoing poor treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in offshore detention is shameful. I strongly believe that people have the right to seek asylum in this country, and that we as Australians have an obligation to welcome refugees to settle in our proudly multicultural society.}

_{Australia is a nation built on, and enriched by the experience of, migration. I believe we should acknowledge the contribution of migration to the rich and diverse fabric of our society, recognising both the ongoing contributions of Australians who came here as refugees or asylum seekers, and the real potential for those who are seeking asylum here today to contribute in the same manner.}

_{Instead, men, women and children seeking asylum in Australia have been held in indefinite offshore detention for years now by the Abbott-Turnbull Governments. This has cost billions, harmed innocent people who sought our protection, and damaged our international reputation. Peter Dutton and the Turnbull Government have continued to play politics with people’s lives, failing utterly to discharge their responsibility to the vulnerable people who have come here seeking our protection.}

_{Last year I attended the United Nations Refugee Summit at which the New York Declaration, an agreement to better address ongoing patterns of mass migration and displacement, was adopted by the international community. Australia signed on to this Declaration’s aims, which include the provision of better protection for refugees, the expansion of resettlement options, and an end to the practice of detaining children. The Government’s focus now should be the delivery of these aims, including the immediate resettlement of those in offshore detention on Manus and Nauru.}

_{I will continue to advocate for asylum seekers to be treated with dignity and humanity. Together, I believe that we can keep working until those who come to Australia seeking asylum are afforded the dignity and compassion they deserve.}

_{Kind regards,}

_{Lisa Singh}

_{Labor Senator for Tasmania}

Letter to Luke Hartsuyker MP - Visa E affront to Australian Values

Dear Mr Hartsuyker,                                              29. 08. 17

We learned last week that new category visa has been introduced for around 400 asylum seekers who have been transferred from offshore detention to Australia for medical treatment. Under this new visa around 300 adults and 100 children will be required at the very short notice of 3 weeks to move out of their supported accommodation. Also, as from this week , and with no prior warning, they will have their meager income support of $100 per week cancelled. They will be expected to fend for themselves.

How can they do this if they have medical conditions or if they have children or other family members to care for ? Some of them are pregnant women or have recently given birth. Most of these people have had, under their present visa restrictions, no access to job training or English language tuition. This obviously will restrict their opportunities for employment . These asylum seekers cannot be returned to Nauru or Manus Islands as these detention centres are due to close in the next few weeks.

The real aim of these new regulations is to force this group of asylum seekers back to their own war-torn countries to face renewed risk of persecution and possible death. As you know, under international law it is not a crime to flee political violence or war or to seek safety by crossing international borders. These asylum seekers are within their rights to expect refuge yet they are being treated like criminals and pawns in a political game.

To introduce these new policies in such a sudden and cruel way is one of the most inhumane and extreme decisions made by The Department of Immigration in some time. Our government seems determined to punish the most vulnerable in our society for political ends.

This newly introduced visa is an affront to Australian values of compassion and humanity and all decent minded Australians will  oppose these measures.

I would like to know whether you support these policies as I would not want to cast my vote in favour of any candidate that agreed with these inhumane decisions.

Yours sincerely,

Marlene Griffin 

Newsletter for 29 August 2017 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca

_{Next Roadside Demo - Big Banana Coffs Thursday September 7th 2:30pm}

_{Next Market Stall - Bellingen Sat 16th September}

_{RAR blog}

_{Travelling Film Festival Sawtell}

_{Manus Island update}

_{The government sinks to a new low}

_{Roadside demonstration report}

_{Although we were just a group of four for the roadside demonstration in Toormina last week, we all agreed that it was very well worthwhile. We had lots of positive reaction from passing motorists, which clearly demonstrates that there are many Australians who are not happy with the current punitive policies of the government and the opposition, and who want to see a more humane response to the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees.}

_{The dates and locations for our demos in September and October are:}

_{Thursday 7th September : The Big Banana, Coffs Harbour}

_{Thursday 21st September:  Nambucca Heads, near the Plaza shopping centre}

_{Thursday 12th October : Coffs Harbour, opposite the Base hospital}

_{Thursday 26th October: Bellingen, adjacent to the playing fields, and opposite the golf course.}

_{All the demos run from 2.30 to 4.00 pm. Please try to join us if you can.}

_{Please note the three-week gap between the Nambucca Heads and Coffs Harbour demos, owing to another RAR commitment involving a number of supporters.}

_{Coffs Harbourside market report}

_{A great market under sunny skies on Sunday, with a terrific group of supporters turning up to help on our stall. We collected almost 100 signatures on our petition, distributed lots of leaflets, sold a good number of bumper stickers, bags, T shirts and tea towels, and had many positive interactions with market-goers. All profits from sales are donated to the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown, who do amazing work  supporting refugees in Sydney.} 

_{Our markets for September and October are as follows:}

_{Saturday 16th September : Bellingen}

_{Saturday 7th October: Valla Beach}

_{Sunday 22nd October : Coffs Harbour}

_{Why not put the dates in your diary and come along to lend a hand for a while between 9.00 am and 1.30 pm? If you are able to help, then please let Mike know by emailing him at : mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.}

_{Our RAR blog}

_{A reminder that we have a very active blog, which you can access by clicking on the link at the bottom of this newsletter. It is a very popular source of information, with 400 visits over a ten-day period recently.  When you send an email or a letter to a politician, or have a letter about asylum seekers published in the press, it would be greatly appreciated if you could forward your piece to: bellingen.rar@gmail.com.  for inclusion on the blog. We know that many of you do write to politicians, but don’t then forward your message for inclusion on the blog, which can make it look as though we have only one or two writers!}

_{The Travelling Film Festival: Nambucca Heads and Sawtell}

_{The TFF will be in Nambucca Heads on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th September, and in Sawtell  from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th September. Several of the films have refugee/immigrant themes, which might be of interest to RAR members. They include Ali’s Wedding (Sawtell, Friday 8th at 7.00 pm), Hope Road (Sawtell, Saturday 9th at 12.00 pm) and The Other Side of Hope ((Sawtell, Sunday 10th at 3.15 pm).  If anyone would like a lift from Valla Beach, then please email Georgette Allen at: georgetteallen@bigpond.com.}

_{Manus Island. What is going on?}

_{Things continue to get worse by the day for refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island. In a new twist, the PNG government’s attorney general, Davis Steven, has told Australia’s high commissioner that his government has not agreed to a 31st October closure. The PNG government understandably fears that the Australian government will close the centre and simply walk away from its responsibility for the 900 men who it sent there. These 900 men are no more than pawns in a political game. They have no idea how many, if any of them, will be resettled at some point in the US, and they have no idea what will happen to them when the centre closes. If our government has a Plan B, we have no idea what it consists of.}

_{Our government sinks to a new low}

_{In recent days, the government has decided to target those refugees and asylum seekers who were brought to Australia  for medical treatment from Nauru or Manus island. There are almost 400 people involved, including many children.  The first batch of this cohort, comprising approximately 100 people, have been told that their welfare support, currently just $200 a fortnight, will cease as of 28th August, and that they must now find their own place to live within the next three weeks. They will be issued with a new visa, ominously entitled “final departure Bridging E Visa”. Up to now, they have now been allowed to work. Now they are being told that they must find work to support themselves or be returned forcibly to Nauru, Manus island, or return to the danger from which they originally fled. We have to ask: Who is going to offer employment to someone who is in possession of a “Final Departure” visa?}

_{In a chilling threat to the children involved, the government states : “Please remind your children that they will also be required to abide by Australian values and laws. Breaking Australian laws may result in their removal from the community.”}

_{A Labor spokesperson, Richard Marles, stated: “It is very important that these people are not resettled in Australia.” Alan Tudge, the human services minister, stated:  “They will be settled elsewhere. That’s what this is about.”}

_{Please consider writing to Alan Tudge  to protest about this latest act of cruelty. Alan.Tudge.MP@aph.gov.au}

_{Check out the index of subjects on our blog  http://bellorar.blogspot.com.au} 

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