Refugee Rights Action Network - Western Australia

MEDIA RELEASE

REFUGEE GROUPS SUPPORT DARWIN PROTESTS – FREE THE REFUGEES, DROP THE PEOPLE SMUGGLING CHARGES

1 September, 2010

For more information contact Refugee Action Coalition, Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713

Refugee groups today expressed their support for the weekend protests of the Indonesian fishermen and this morning’s break-out protest by Afghan asylum seekers in the Darwin detention centre.

It is with great regret that ChilOut finds it necessary to reactivate. At the end of July 639 children were being detained in inappropriate conditions on Christmas Island and at Leonora, a mining compound near Kalgoorlie.

We are again holding hundreds of children in remote desert and island camps.

We are again warehousing families indefinitely in remote camps for unedifying political purposes.

Photos from RRAN Snap Action Friday 27 Aug outside Dept of Immigration & Citizenship in Perth.

On Monday 23 August 2010 a 30-year-old man died after being found unconscious at the Curtin Immigration Detention Centre in Western Australia.

thanks to kimba @ Wildecrafting the suburbs

To Whom This May Conern,

I am writing to express concern over the lack of availability of English language dictionaries for asylum seekers being detained in immigration detention facilities managed by your company.

courtesy of castlemaine independent

Burma? China? El Salvador? The Congo?

Think again.

Last month Amnesty International called for more detail about the Prime Minister’s discussions with East Timor to establish a so-called “regional processing centre”.

“If what the Government has in mind is simply a re-badged Pacific solution then this is of course unacceptable,” said Amnesty International Australia’s National Director Claire Mallinson.

“It was shown clearly under the Howard government that simply pushing boat arrivals to another country does not work and that this is a violation of Australia’s international obligations on how to process asylum claims.”

We set out from Perth in a bus full of books and toys. 22 people from diverse backgrounds – a social worker, some university lecturers, an ex-detainee (now a business owner), students, teachers, tradies and children; a 3 year old and a chubby cheeked baby. We were on a "Santa Claus mission" to bring smiles and fun to the nearly 200 mothers, fathers and children in the Leonora detention centre.

News stories relating to the Leonora Compassion Caravan

Looks like the current Rudd Government is taking another leaf out of the previous Howard Government's book; or perhaps Phillip Ruddock is advising on how to deal with this 'problem'.