Newsletter for 23rd July 2019 RAR, Bellingen and Nambucca

In this Newsletter:

Bellingen market report

 Roadside demonstration: Thursday 25^th July, 2.30 to 4.00 pm, Toormina

Final curtain call: fundraiser on Sunday 28^th July at 2.00 pm

Manus island. What is going on?

The New Zealand off remains on the table

 

Bellingen market report

 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 19^th 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 3^rd 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 25^th 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 28^th July at 2.00 pm  

A final reminder that our important fundraising concert will take place on Sunday in the Nambucca Community and Arts Centre, located on Ridge Street. Everything is in place for you to enjoy an afternoon of joyful music. 

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 

Australian government. It has been revealed in recent days, however, that the majority of them have been transferred to the PNG capital, Port Moresby. 

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.com.au 

It includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers.

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

Protest Rally Coffs Harbour Saturday 21 July 2018

Newsletter for 17 July 2018 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

_{Roadside demonstration report
The courts intervene again
Anthony Albanese changes his mind
Protest rally: Saturday 21st July}

_{Roadside demonstration report}

_{Another successful roadside demonstration in Coffs Harbour last week, with overwhelming support from passing motorists. Our next demonstration will be on Thursday 26 July on Hogbin Drive, Toormina, from 2.30 until 4.00 pm. You will find us about 150 from the fire station, in the direction of the airport. Please come and join us if you can.}

_{The courts intervene again}

_{During the past fortnight, four children held on Nauru have been transferred to Australia for urgent medical treatment following the intervention of the courts or the threat of legal action. Every case to date has been won by the legal teams representing very sick minors, and the numbers can only grow. There have now been at least nine such actions, which further reinforces the reality that our government’s harsh and punitive treatment of detainees is untenable. Slowly, one by one, through the intervention of the courts, children are being moved to safety to receive the treatment that their doctors have insisted is necessary.}

_{It is outrageous that our government fights the doctors all the way to court, putting young lives in danger. The current policy requires children to become so physically ill, or so acutely psychologically unwell, that their lives are at risk.}

_{It is surely time for the government to end the cruelty, and for the Labor opposition to demand that the offshore detention centres close.}

_{Anthony Albanese changes his mind}

_{At the Labor party conference in 2015, Anthony Albanese, a senior member of the Labor Shadow Ministry, voted to oppose boat turnbacks, stating: “If people were in a boat including families and children, I myself couldn’t turn that around.” In recent interviews and speeches, however, Albanese asserts that he now does support boat turnbacks, that it is not necessary to place a time limit for people held in offshore detention, and that a Labor government would not allow asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru to ever settle in Australia.}

_{There must be an election coming soon!}

_{If you would like to contact Anthony Albanese to let him know what you think about his change of heart, you can phone his office on 02 9564 3588; email him at: A.Albanese.MP@aph.gov.au, or write to him at : 334A, Marrickville Road, Marrickville, NSW2204. You can find a sample letter on our blog by clicking on the link below.}

_{Protest rally: Saturday 21 July}

_{Preparations are now well advanced for our protest rally which will take place on Saturday 21  July from 10.30 am until 12.30 pm on Harbour Drive, opposite Coffs Central, in Coffs Harbour. Given the bipartisan parliamentary support for the cruel policy of indefinite offshore detention, it is more important than ever that we make our voices heard. To do that, we need a big turnout on Saturday. Please therefore make a commitment to joining us, and please encourage your colleagues, friends and family members to come along. You might like to make your own sign to add to our current stock of banners and placards.}

_{Would you like to have your say at the rally, or to encourage your children/ grandchildren to have their say? You might like simply to come out to the front, where we’ll have a microphone, and tell the crowd: “I’m here today because……”}

_{It would be very powerful if lots of individuals could make a contribution. It matters not that there will inevitably be a fair amount of repetition.}

_{We’ll be handing out leaflets to the public and asking people to sign our open letter to the Labor Party conference delegates.}

_{With your support, we’ll make a big impact on Saturday!}

_{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 >580 recipients}

_{Our Face book is at https://www.facebook.com/Rural-Australians-for-Refugees-Bellingen-and-Nambucca-Districts-269696303205083/timeline/}

_{(482 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}

Newsletter for 10 July 2018 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

_{Roadside demonstration: Coffs Harbour, Thursday 12 July
Sale of Wendy Sharpe painting
Another child brought to Australia for treatment
Five Years Too Many: National Protest: Saturday 21 July}

_{Roadside demonstration: Coffs Harbour, Thursday 12 July}

_{Our next roadside demonstration will take place this Thursday, 12 July on the Pacific Highway in Coffs Harbour, opposite the Base hospital, from 2.30 to 4.00 pm. Please come and join us if you can, and help us to send a message to the public that there are many Australians who are deeply opposed to the government’s cruel offshore detention regime. We have lots of banners and placards to share.}

_{Sale of Wendy Sharpe painting}

_{We are delighted to report that we have sold the painting “Lili Koi in Pink Light” by Wendy Sharpe for $750. Having also received several generous donations in recent times for our fundraiser for the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown, we have been able to send them a further $1,000 this week, making a total of $2,500 from our recent fundraising efforts. A big thank you to all who contributed in any way.}

_{These funds are now more important than ever as more and more asylum seekers lose their meagre benefits and their access to housing, placing huge pressure on the voluntary sector. This is just the latest action by our government to demonise and punish the asylum seekers in our communities. It is not the fault of the asylum seekers that the government has failed for years to process their claims for protection, whilst at the same time, until recently, denying them the right to work. The resulting savings to taxpayers are negligible, but the cost to individuals is enormous. Families are wondering how to feed their children, how to keep them warm and safe. A simple act of compassion on the part of the Minister could fix this. Sadly, Minister Dutton is on record as stating that compassion is the last thing we need in our treatment of asylum seekers and refugees.}

_{Another child brought to Australia for treatment}

_{Once again, our government has been forced by court action to allow a seriously sick child into Australia for urgent medical treatment. She is at least the seventh child to be moved from offshore detention after legal action on their behalf. This young girl, who has been held on Nauru for several years, is suffering from acute mental health issues, which are a direct result of the detention regime. The conditions on Nauru are deliberately designed to break people’s spirit. How can we allow our government to continue with this brutal treatment which is destroying so many lives? What will it take for the Labor opposition to finally take a principled stance and call for the closure and evacuation of the offshore detention centres on Manus and Nauru?}

_{Five Years Too Many: National Protest: Saturday 21 July}

_{Thursday 19 July marks the fifth anniversary of the Rudd government’s decision to reopen the offshore detention centres on Manus island and Nauru, and to declare that, from that date, no asylum seekers arriving by boat would ever be resettled in Australia. The consequences for the 2,000 asylum seekers and refugees trapped on Manus and Nauru have been truly tragic. On Nauru, those held in the detention centre – including 42 children – live in mouldy tents in the tropical heat. The remaining 750 refugees on Nauru, including more than one hundred children, live outside the detention centre in poor conditions and with no hope for the future. Many of them have close family members living in Australia who would like to be reunited with them and care for them. The children receive little support, education or medical services. It is reported that most of them have serious mental health problems as a direct result of their indefinite detention.}

_{To date, twelve detainees have died as a result of medical neglect, assault by guards, or suicide.}

_{Our government’s cruel policy has been widely condemned by international human rights organisations, by our own human rights commission and by the United Nations.}

_{On Saturday 21 July, demonstrations will be held across Australia to protest about the government’s ongoing and indefinite offshore detention policy.}

_{We will hold a demonstration on Harbour Drive in the centre of Coffs Harbour from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm on Saturday 21 July.}

_{We plan to gather in the area usually occupied by the farmers’ market. This is a really important event and we earnestly hope that many of our supporters will want to take part. Please make a resolution to join us and encourage your colleagues, friends and family to come along. You will find a leaflet attached to this newsletter (below) which sets out the reasons for our protest. Please have a look at it, and consider writing to your local paper to call for an end to offshore detention. You can also find a sample letter, which you might like to adapt, by clicking on our blog link below}

_{We will have twelve empty chairs to commemorate the detainees who have died whilst in the care of our government. We also have lots of banners and placards to share, but by all means create your own messages if you have the time. The more the better!}

_{Let’s make this a really big one! We hope to see you there on 21 July.}

_{FIVE YEARS TOO MANY}

 _{The shameful tragedy of Manus and Nauru}

_{After five years of the indefinite detention of asylum seekers and refugees on Manus and Nauru, what do we know?}

_{We know that more than 2,000 asylum seekers who arrived by boat to seek our protection have been abandoned on offshore islands.}

_{We know that conditions for the detainees are terrible: mouldy tents, violence at the hands of guards and locals, physical and sexual abuse, and inadequate medical facilities.}

_{We know that more than forty children are detained on Nauru, with another one hundred living precariously outside the detention centre. They are not receiving any education. Many of them have significant mental health problems.}

_{We know that the majority of the detainees are suffering from serious mental health issues.}

_{We know that the medical support for the detainees is woefully inadequate. Requests made by medical staff and officials for patients to be transferred to Australia for urgent treatment are routinely denied.}

_{We know that the system is deliberately designed to break people’s spirit and to coerce them into returning to their homeland.}

_{We know that to date twelve detainees have died as a result of medical neglect, suicide or fatal assaults by the guards who are paid by the Australian government to take care of them.}

 _{We know that our government spends more than $500,000 per year to detain just one person offshore. That’s $2BILLION a year.}

_{We know that, for the major political parties, all this suffering and all these deaths are a price they are willing to pay for purely political purposes. Winning votes takes precedence over principle and compassion.}

_{We know that change will only happen when the Australian people demand an end to this cruel policy which shames us all.}

_{We are here today because of what we know.}

_{We are here today  to send a message to politicians that we intend to keep up the fight for an end to the cruelty of offshore detention.}

_{We are here today because we refuse to look the other way whilst detainees on Manus and Nauru continue to suffer and die.}

_{We are here today to say loudly: “not in our name!” As Australians, we are better than this.}

_{How long  will it take our politicians to accept that this cruelty must end?}

_{How many more deaths will it take for the Australian people declare that enough is enough?}

_{How much more taxpayers’ money must be wasted before our government wakes up to the fact that there are better, more humane ways of resolving these issues?}

_{Please consider joining us in our campaign for a more compassionate country. Telephone Malcolm Turnbull (02 6277 7700) and Bill Shorten (02 6277 4022)  to demand an end to offshore detention.}

_{Published by Bellingen and Nambucca District Rural Australians for Refugees. Email: 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 >580 recipients}

_{Our Face book is at https://www.facebook.com/Rural-Australians-for-Refugees-Bellingen-and-Nambucca-Districts-269696303205083/timeline/}

_{(482 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}