Refugee Rights Action Network WA
4.00 pm, Friday 22 May, 2015
Department of Immigration and Border Protection
Wellington Central
836 Wellington Street
West Perth (Next to Harbour Town)
– Rescue the Rohingyan refugees
– End Boat Turn Backs
– Australia must resettle refugees from Indonesia
Having spent up to 3 months on boats, being turned away from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, up to 8000 Rohingyan asylum seekers are now stranded in the Malacca Straits and Andaman sea. 200 are already dead and more are at risk from dehydration and starvation.
It has become glaringly obvious that turn backs don’t save lives – they cause deaths.
Instead of calling for and joining a collaborative rescue effort, Tony Abbott has shamelessly stated his support for Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in turning back Rohingyan asylum seekers. What’s more Tony Abbott has advocated for more resources to be invested in securing the Burmese border to prevent Rohingya refugees from being able to escape their abuse and persecution.
The stateless Rohingyans are victims of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. Indonesia has offered support to around 600 Rohingyan asylum seekers who have landed in Aceh. Australia must immediately lift its ban on accepting UNHCR refugees from Indonesia and offer Rohingyan refugees safe passage to Australia.
The lives of the Rohingyan asylum seekers rest in the hands of regional governments of Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Every hour that passes without assistance puts more lives in danger.
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