Protests flare across Australia against the arbitrary internment of asylum seekers and undocumented migrants AUSTRALIA - Monday, August 28, 2000. Water-cannons and tear gas have been used against prisoners in the refugee internment camp at Woomera in Western Australia in an attempt to put down protests that began early in the morning. Reports indicate that a number of buildings in the internment camp were set alight and the Federal Immigration Minister, Philip Ruddock, has claimed that stones were thrown at security staff. According to the Minister, "The fences have been breached, they have taken pickets from the fences and using them as weapons. They have been stoning the administration building." Local service station operator David Kirby says the protest has been building for a couple of days. "They've been building a secondary fence to keep them all in, and they've been pulling that down everytime the workers have been putting it up," he said. On Saturday, August 26th, protests were held outside the Perth, Villawood (in Sydney) and Maribyrnong (in Melbourne) internment camps calling for the camps to be shut down and the internees to be released. This follows a series of mass escapes from three remote internment camps (Woomera, Port Hedland and Curtin) in mid-June this year when over 700 internees escaped to make their way to town centres to stage protests in order to break out of their political and geographic isolation. Prisoners in Woomera -- as in the other refugee internment camps -- have been incarcerated without charge, without trial, without any ability to access the courts to review the length or merit of their incarceration. Most of those held at Woomera have been there for over seven months, most of whom face the prospect of being forcibly returned to Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq. This is Australia's system of 'mandatory and non-reviewable detention', where anyone who arrives by boat without papers seeking asylum is automatically imprisoned. Since January, and after increasing restrictions on who may eventually qualify for a visa, the small proportion of those who are granted visas can only, at best, look forward to a 3-year "temporary protection visa", with limited access to welfare and health care. Australia's is the only western government that practices a system of automatic and non-reviewable incarceration. It also receives and grants fewer applications for asylum, both on and offshore, than any other western country. On the eve of the Sydney Olympics and the World Economic Forum's Asia-Pacific Session in Melbourne, as the Federal Parliament debates a bill that will give the army shoot to kill powers against dissent, it has become clear that the only movement that is not subject to repression is that of money -- tourism, trade and meetings of corporate executives. Whilst the Minister for Immigration argued that those who were engaged in the protests would no longer be able to apply for asylum under the provisions that require applicants for visas be "of good character", no one has attempted to stop Bill Gates' entry into Australia as he prepares to speak at the World Economic Forum, despite the fact that he, as head of Microsoft, has been found guilty of breaking anti-trust laws in the US. xborder [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.antimedia.net/xborder/ Further reports: Refugees raze buildings after weekend riots AAP -- Rioting asylum seekers today burned down buildings at the Woomera detention centre following a weekend of trouble during which inmates were sprayed with tear gas after stoning staff. South Australian police were sent to Woomera after 70 to 80 asylum seekers early today set fire to two recreational buildings, a dining room and ablutions block. Woomera residents today expressed fears the detainees could stage a repeat of June's mass breakout, but said they doubted it would end peacefully this time. Protesting detainees began chanting and causing damage to the centre on Friday night, with the noise able to be heard at least five kilometres away. Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock said the protesters had breached fences at the centre, using pickets from the fences as weapons. Mr Ruddock said tear gas was then used to try to quell the rioting on Saturday night. "One canister of tear gas was used to quell a group of people who were intent on stoning buildings, throwing rocks and implements at the staff of the centre," Mr Ruddock told reporters. A Woomera resident today said guards had been using a water cannon to try to calm the detainees, who seemed intent on wreaking as much havoc as possible. "The guards have had the water cannon out there at night to try to keep them under control," she said. "They've burned the school and the mess down, they're smashing things, picking up rocks. "The idea seems to be the more they can break the less its going to cost to set them free rather than keeping them there." Another resident said while locals found the June breakout annoying, there were fears for safety this time. "The concern is now if they get out again they are not just going to sit peacefully in the carpark," she said. But heavy security has been called in to prevent an escape, including armed government guards, STAR Force officers and police. Mr Ruddock said protesters involved were probably people whose refugee applications had been rejected, but rioting would not help their cause. He said there were no reports of injuries so far, but it was likely there would be. "I have no information at this stage to indicate that either detainees or staff are injured but I wouldn't be surprised in the circumstances and the nature of the violent acts that have been occasioned if injuries do not occur," Mr Ruddock said. Mr Ruddock said the people detained in centres in New South Wales, Victoria and Perth conducted protests while those refugees at the Curtin detention centre in Western Australia elected not to join in. audio and video reports currently at http://www.abc.net.au/news/ http://www.abc.net.au/news/newslink/nat/newsnat-28aug2000-72.htm Fires break out at Woomera riot Fires have broken out again at the Woomera Detention Centre, in South Australia's north, where 80 refugees are rioting. Around 300 security personnel are at the centre where smoke is billowing from two separate fires. Reports are filtering out that 80 rioters have so far destroyed four buildings including the recreation building, dining room, school and ablution block They are using slingshots and spears made from fence pickets in an attempts to repel guards. Detention centre guards have used a water cannon in an attempt to break up the group, but they are continuing to storm the perimeter fence, which has a number of holes. The elite police staff force are on stand-by in case of escape but no-one has breach the razor wire fence as yet. Calls for policy review The director of the Australian Refugee Association, Kevin Liston, says the trouble at Woomera shows a review of Federal Government policy on the handling of illegal immigrants is warranted. "We as a nation need to look again at whether we do need to detain in remote areas in spartan conditions all those people who come to us, albeit without our permission, but nevertheless as refugees," he said. South Australia's Opposition Leader, Mike Rann, agrees, saying while he makes no excuses for the violence at Woomera, the unrest raises questions about the way the detainees' applications for refugee status are being processed. "There needs to be much more speedy processing," he said. "We've also seen the Federal Government letting people out and dumping them on in communities without adequate back-up or support. Really that's a way of just shifting the costs of handling these people to the states and onto charities, so essentially the Federal Government's policies aren't working." Government The Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock says he expects charges to be laid against those involved in rioting at the Woomera Detention Centre. Mr Ruddock says those involved in the current disturbance may mistakenly believe their behaviour will force the Government to speed up their refugee status applications. "There is no way I, the Government nor I think the Australian people will be coerced by behaviour of this sort," he said. "The Government will be looking at any further action it can take to ensure that in relation to those people who have been involved in rioting, civil disorder and destruction of property dealt with in accordance with the law and if the law is inadequate that the law is addressed." http://www.abc.net.au/news/2000/08/item20000828120933_1.htm Authorities battle to control SA detention centre riot Authorities are trying to control a violent protest underway at the Woomera Detention Centre in South Australia. The protest has been contained to the main part of the centre. After a weekend protest at Woomera was quelled using a cannister of tear gas, another more violent demonstration broke out before dawn this morning. About 80 of the 800 people detained as illegal immigrants at the centre have set fire to at least four buildings, they have stoned another and have broken an internal fence, part of which they are using as weapons. Some have tried to escape through a hole made in a perimeter fence. Extra security staff, including police, have been called in. Local service station operator David Kirby says the protest has been building for a couple of days. "They've been building a secondary fence to keep them all in, and they've been pulling that down everytime the workers have been putting it up," he said. The Immigration Minister, Philip Ruddock, is blaming a group of detainees who have had applications to stay rejected. "We will not succumb to any pressure in relation to people who have no entitlement to be released into the Australian community," he said. He says every effort will be made to bring charges against those responsible for the violence. Democrats The Australian Democrats say the riot at the centre is not surprising given the Federal Government's hardline attitude. Senator Andrew Bartlett says the Government has tried to make the stay of illegal immigrants as uncomfortable as possible to discourage others from coming to Australia illegally. "If you treat people like that then sometimes, as one can see with a history of prisons in Australia and around the world, if you overdo that sort of thing then you're almost guaranteeing unrest," he said. "Particularly when you've got people who have have experienced some of the suffering that these people have, that...[were] separated from families, that don't know whether family and friends are dead or alive." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
