Baxter-Sydney Media Release March 9, 2003 NO VISITS RULE AT BAXTER VIOLATES HUMAN RIGHTS
The Refugee Action Coalition has slammed rules at the Baxter Detention Centre which deny inmates the right to visit between compounds. Their comments come in the wake of protest action by detainees overnight. The Baxter centre, on army land near Port Augusta, is constructed as 9 separate compounds, which are isolated from each other and the outside world by 10m steel walls. Detainees cannot see outside the compound they are in. Media outlets reported that detainees inside Baxter had broken windows in a protest about not being able to visit friends. "The rule about visiting is a human rights abuse," said Mark Goudkamp, an activist with RAC. "People locked up in Baxter have been punished and put into isolation just for asking to see their friends. If visits are ever allowed, they have to be approved in writing and people are then subjected to humiliating strip searches. "The ACM/DIMIA regime inside Baxter is a racist and discriminatory one. Right now is the Muslim month of Muharram --one of the most important times of the year for Shia Muslims. Paying visits to each other during this month is a part of their religion. "People inside Baxter are very angry about this - not just because DIMIA is refusing permission for visits or communal religious observances to happen - but also because Christians inside Baxter are allowed visits from ministers, are allowed to hold religious services, and in some cases are even allowed to visit outside the centre. "We support the right of all detainees to practise their religion and ask why Muslims are being denied these rights, " he said. The Refugee Action Coalition is one of a number of groups involved in organising a protest at the Baxter centre this Easter (18-20 April). Activists say the protest will highlight the cruel and arbitrary punishment of refugees at the maximum security centre. Most people imprisoned in Baxter have no idea how long they will be locked up for. Many have requested to go back to their homelands but are being obstructed by the Immigration Department from returning. For further comment, contact Mark Goudkamp on 0422 078 376 or Diane Fieldes on 0413 003 148. ******* BAXTER-SYDNEY PUBLIC LAUNCH The Baxter-Sydney coordinating group, of which the Refugee Action Coalition is a part, is holding a public launch on Wednesday 12 March, 7.30pm at the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre. Speakers at the meeting include: *Tanya McConville is an activist with the Canberra Refugee Action Committee and works at radio 2XX. She is in constant contact with detainees at Baxter; *Shahin Shafaei is now on a Temporary Protection Visa after being incarcerated for 22 months at Curtin detention centre. He was an acclaimed playwright and actor in Iran before his work was banned. His attempts to seek asylum in Australia landed him behind the razor wire; *Kanthi Lewis was involved at the Woomera2002 protest last Easter; *A statement will be read out from the Australian Education Union, who have been fighting hard to get kids out of detention and into schools. Baxter-Sydney mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.cat.org.au/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/baxter-sydney -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
