In this Newsletter:
Bellingen market report
Roadside demonstration: Thursday 25th July, 2.30 to 4.00 pm, Toormina
Final curtain call: fundraiser on Sunday 28th July at 2.00 pm
Manus island. What is going on?
The New Zealand off remains on the table
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 19th
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 3rd 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 25th 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 28th July at 2.00 pm
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
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.
It includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers.
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Twitter Account @RARBellingenNam
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