Refugee Rights Action Network WA
Free Ranjini – Free the refugees
More than 50 people – like Ranjini and her children – have been found to be “genuine” refugees yet face a lifetime in prison not because of anything they’ve done, but because ASIO considers them guilty of thought crimes. Typically this involves having sympathies with the Tamil Tigers or other sections of the Tamil liberation movement which is not that dissimilar to people in an earlier period having sympathies with the ANC in South Africa or the liberation movement in East Timor.
It should be noted that ASIO does not have to reveal their reasons for their assessment and the refugees in question have no right of appeal against this decision.
Ranjini has recently given birth to a new baby – who faces an entire lifetime behind bars unless the government can be pressured to release these refugees.
Join this vigil on the anniversary of Ranjini’s incarceration to ensure refugees like Ranjini can be freed!
5pm, Fri 10 May
Gather: Wesley Church corner (i.e. corner of William & Hay Sts). Then proceed to Cultural Centre.
Ph 0417 904 329 for more info.
DOWNLOAD: 4 x A6 flyers
Friday Morning Bus
Departing 10.00am from the southern end of the East Perth Terminal building (next to the foot bridge’s ramp on the western side of the East Perth train station, off Summers Street if you’re coming by car). Drop-off on Mitchell Avenue in front of the detention centre (see map). Police will stop traffic for disembarkation
Passenger Instructions: hand luggage only on the bus. Camping gear goes up in the truck. The bus will deliver you to the detention centre for the first action, camping gear will be waiting for you at the campsite.
Saturday Morning Bus
Departing from and returning to the southern end of the East Perth Terminal building (next to the foot bridge’s ramp on the western side of the East Perth train station, off Summers Street if you’re coming by car). Drop-off on Mitchell Avenue in front of the detention centre (see map). Police will stop traffic for disembarkation
Sunday Afternoon Return Bus
Pick-up location to be advised. Call 0405 674 562 for details on the day.
Private vehicles
There is no suitable parking near the detention centre. Please use the area marked ‘Parking’ on the map. A shuttle bus will run from there to the detention centre. Call 0405 674 562.
STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FROM THE REFUGEE RIGHTS ACTION NETWORK WA
To the 27 refugees currently on hunger strike at Broadmeadows detention centre, Melbourne — we support you unconditionally and are inspired by your courageous stand.
Our thoughts – and solidarity – are with you.
We condemn the utter depravity of the Australian government in continuing to lock up those fleeing from persecution, who have been found to be refugees under the government’s own processes, yet rejected without appeal by ASIO.
We support the calls made by numerous organisations and individuals, in Australia and internationally, for your immediate release.
The Refugee Rights Action Network (RRAN) WA
To help people plan their convergence weekend, we’ve put together the following timetable. Note that buses to Northam will be leaving from the southern end of the East Perth Terminal building (next to the foot bridge’s ramp on the western side of the East Perth train station, off Summers Street if you’re coming by car).
| Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
| 9:00 am | Conference/strategy meeting | ||
| 10:00 am | Bus (10am, Perth to Northam) | ||
| 10:30 am | Bus (10.30am, Perth to Northam) | ||
| 11:00 am | |||
| 12:00 pm | Gather at the Gates | Dance Journalism performance at the gates |
|
| 1:00 pm | Main Protest | ||
| 2:00 pm | |||
| 3:00 pm | Introductions/discussions | Bus (3pm, Northam to Perth) | |
| 4:00 pm | Workshops / Bus (4pm, Northam to Perth) | ||
| 5:00 pm | |||
| 6:00 pm | |||
| 6:30 pm | Candlelight Vigil | Documentaries | |
| 7:00 pm |
Refugee rights groups from around the country will be converging on Yongah Hill Detention Centre (Northam, WA) on the ANZAC day long weekend, 2013, to protest against the mandatory detention of asylum seekers.
We have seen politicians engage in a race to the bottom in refugee policy. With the re-introduction of offshore processing and the situation in Nauru becoming increasingly worse, now is the time to express public outcry at this abhorrent policy.
Ayslum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island have protested consistently about the woeful conditions and the lack of any indication about when asylum processing will begin.
We have seen countless times over, that mandatory detention destroys people and we have seen time and time again that a policy of deterrence does not work.
Help us fight for a humane refugee policy and to show solidarity with asylum seekers protesting in detention.
Watch the national website or the corresponding Facebook event page for updates and further details.
Download publicity material:
DOWNLOAD: A4 Poster
DOWNLOAD: 4 x A6 flyers
The Refugee Rights Action Network has announced initial details for the World Refugee Day rally:
Sunday 16 June
1pm, Wesley Church corner (cnr William & Hay Sts, Perth city)
Demands of the rally include:
* Free the refugees
* No Pacific “Solution”
* End mandatory detention
We are encouraging all supporters of refugee rights to endorse and participate in this rally. Please contact RRAN if you organisation can offer support.
Please also print the following PDF files to help spread the word.
DOWNLOAD: A4 poster (can be enlarged to A3)
DOWNLOAD: 4xA6 flyers
Attend on Facebook: www.facebook.com/events/514501425258944
Yongah Hill Convergence: 26–28 April 2013
Refugee rights groups from around the country will be converging on the Yongah Hill Detention Centre this ANZAC Day long weekend to protest against the mandatory detention of asylum seekers.
We have seen politicians engage in a race to the bottom in refugee policy. With the re-introduction of offshore processing and the situation in Nauru and Manus Island becoming increasingly worse, now is the time to publicly condemn this abhorrent policy. To do this, the Refugee Rights Action Network (RRAN) will be returning to Northam’s detention centre to expose the cruelty and challenge the lies about our immigration detention system, and to show solidarity with the refugees and asylum seekers protesting in detention. If you are interested in joining the trip, you can register at http://refugee-rights.net/converge.
And even if you can’t make it out to Yongah Hill this ANZAC Day long weekend, you can still fight for the rights of refugees imprisoned in Australia’s immigration detention centres. Read on and support!
NOT IN OUR NAMES Project
If you can’t go to Yongah Hill, but want to contribute and state your opposition to this policy of violence against refugees and asylum seekers you can contribute to the NOT IN OUR NAMES banner. This banner will feature your name along with other contributors and will travel with RRAN activists to Northam and be displayed against the backdrop of the detention centre.
For the price of a ticket on the bus — your choice of $25 unwaged, $40 waged or $100 solidarity — you get your name on the banner and the knowledge that you have funded one more seat on that bus. You will also receive a photograph of the banner and RRAN in action.
And if you are so outraged that you need to support more…
For $200 you can SPONSOR AN ACTIVIST who will write a public account of their experiences and what they witnessed at Yongah Hill along with a private letter to you. These funds will go to the overall costs of RRAN’s operations, not to the activist themselves. But the funds will allow your particular RRANer to go where journalists don’t, to visit in detention and to organise further actions upon their return. And, you will also get your name on the NOT IN OUR NAMES banner and the photograph.
Donations can be made at http://refugee-rights.net/converge/register/ — just fill out the form there and put ‘Sponsor an Activist’ in the comments box. Thanks!
PERTH: Wed 20 February
Venue and time to be confirmed
Click ‘attend’ on Facebook for updates: www.facebook.com/events/413641478719258
***We understand that the location of Wilders’ speech will be kept secret until shortly before the event. His supporters claim that this is for his safety, but in reality it is because he is scared that anti-racists will outnumber his racist supporters. Please add yourself to this event to get updates as we know more details***
Refugee Rights Action Network in Perth is calling all anti-racists to support a protest outside the speech by Dutch fascist, Geert Wilders.
Wilders is the founder and leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV), and campaigns against what he calls the “Islamisation of the Netherlands”.
Wilders will be using this visit to spread his message of hate and intolerance. His views on immigration and Islam, including ending all immigration from Muslim countries and a 1000 euro licence to wear the hijab (which he called a “rag head tax”), contribute to the hysterical anti-Muslim climate generated by the War on Terror.
Politicians and the mainstream media have promoted both Islamophobia and wider xenophobic attitudes. They will inevitably give Geert Wilders saturation coverage when he arrives, helping to legitimise his abhorrent ideas.
We believe there needs to be a large, broadly-based show of opposition to Geert Wilders through a peaceful protest outside every appearance he makes in Australia. This is one of the few ways to ensure that he does not go unchallenged, and will make it harder for the media and right-wing figures to pretend he is raising issues that are in any way legitimate.
We have a responsibility to see that Wilders’ views do not pass unchallenged. Public protests make it clear that anti-racists will have our views heard. We ask all anti-racists to support and attend protests wherever he is organised to appear.
[This protest was initiated by Refugee Rights Action Network. Other groups are welcome to promote and endorse the protest.]
Click here to put your name on an SMS alert list for details as they emerge about the Wilders protest venue and time.
