RE: Signs of the times.

[Bev Fabb]

Yes I have met the Salvation Army officer. He is based in Port Augusta and it is Baxter Detention Centre that he was visiting. He had become very concerned about how people were being treated there and became quite outspoken about it. I think he has as a result been banned from visiting Baxter.   He was one of the team of clergy from a variety of churches- Catholic, Anglican, Salvo, Uniting- who were leading an ecumenical service in Baxter which is attended by a large group of Christians in Baxter, many of them new converts. I think the other clergy in the team are still allowed to visit and conduct the service, but the message is clear from DIMIA- if you speak out about conditions in the centres then you will be banned and not allowed to continue visiting.   I was very aware of this when I was in Port Hedland. I knew that I could never speak out publicly about what was happening there, not go to the press. I have only been able to do this since I left PH. The way the UCA gets around this is to make sure that the ministers who are providing direct hands on ministry in Centres do not speak to the press. This is handled by social justice units, Moderators and Presidents. At times this can be very hard when you hear and see things which are most distressing.   Just another example of how our government shuts down debate on refugee issues and restricts the information flow.   Bev -----Original Message----- From: aleggett [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2003 11:54 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Signs of the times. I heard part of a news story on the ABC radio that told of a Salvation Army officer who has resigned after he was refused entry to (I think) Port Hedland detention Centre. He said he resigned from the Army because it refused to support him in bringing pressure on the Government, suggesting that they were getting pressure from the Gov to stay out of it or they would could loose some of their government funding.   Perhaps some of our people know more about this than me, but it seems to me that this is just the thin edge of the wedge. We in the UCA, like many other churches, are in receipt of Gov money for various programs. Does this mean that we too might come under the same pressure not to criticize Gov injustices?   If, as the SA officer has claimed, the Army has caved in to Gov pressure, then we are not only faced with the moral dilemma this presents, but we are dealing with a government that is un-scrupulous in its conduct of human rights, but I suppose that is no surprise to any of us.   Does anyone know any more about this issue? Allan --------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: The information in this message and any attachments is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this message by anyone else is unauthorised. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, or distribution of the message, or any action or omission taken by you in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. Please immediately contact the sender if you have received this message in error.. To the extent that this email contains information provided to Synod of WA/Wesley Mission Perth by other sources, Synod of WA/Wesley Mission Perth does not warrant that it is accurate or complete. Any opinions expressed in this email are those of the individual sender and do not necessarily reflect the views of Synod of WA/Wesley Mission Perth.