Comrades,
The Howard government in Australia, with the support of the Labor Party
have just past the most draconian and harshest refugee laws anywhere in
the world in the form of the Border Protection Bill.
In Australia, mandatory detention extends to children (including those
born in detention) and since 1992 Australia has the longest detention
period in the world - 363 days, with the "day count" suspended during
legal proceedings and appeals etc, thus making the time limit in effect
indefinite. The new legislation now prevents all those seeking political
asylm for gaining permanent residence by now only granting temporary visas
of 3 years (Pauline Hanson proposed this same policy two years ago, with a
time limit of 5 years).
Below is a public statement initiated by the DSP. If you would like to
add your name phone 02-9690 1230, fax 02-9690 1381, email
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
comradely,
Kim B
_______________________________
Public statement
Reject Australia's racist laws on refugees
In 1997 Australia became infamous around the world because of the rapid
rise of the overtly racist Pauline Hanson's One Nation party. Following a
wave of anti-racist protests, One Nation went into decline but Hansonism
is far from dead in Australia...
We, the undersigned, strongly oppose the new laws and regulations recently
introduced by the Howard Liberal-National government. They are racist and
an affront to basic human solidarity, and it is utterly despicable of the
Labor opposition to support such measures.
In particular we condemn:
1. Regulations recently made by Minister of Immigration Philip Ruddock
that will only offer approved refugees three year temporary visas, instead
of permanent residence. This racist proposal was first advocated by
Pauline Hanson's One Nation party.
2. The Border Protection Bill which toughens the already inhumane rules
on the treatment of "boat people", removes refugee decisions from rule of
law, criminalises refugees and gives the government the powers to evade
its international responsibilities to refugees under international
conventions by intercepting suspected "boat people" in international
waters.
We also demand the end of mandatory detention of "boat people" introduced
by the former Labor federal government in 1992. This law, which has been
condemned by the Uniting Church as racist, has kept hundreds of families
seeking asylum locked up in remote detention camps, sometimes for several
years while their applications for asylum are being processed. These
detained asylum seekers are overwhelmingly from countries in the Third
World and have fled severe political persecution, war and economic crisis.
There is no mandatory detention of other "illegal migrants", most of whom
come from Britain, the USA and other wealthy countries.
We urge all anti-racists to fight this latest wave of racism.
Lisa Macdonald, Editor, Green Left Weekly
Max Lane, Asia Pacific Institute for Democracy and Development
Wendy Robertson, National Coordinator, Resistance
John Percy, National Secretary, Democratic Socialist Party
Pip Hinman, National Secretary, Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and
East
Timor
Klaas Woldring
Debbie Brennan, for Radical Women
Alison Thorne, for Freedom Socialist Party
Cameron Parker
Lucy de Petro
Jodie Goodman
Marilyn Capper (Melbourne, Australia)
Marilyn CAPPER, Administrator, School of Drama, Victorian College of the
Arts
Tracey Claire, School of Drama, Victorian College of the Arts
Dr. Denise Varney, School of Studies in Creative Arts, Victorian College
of
the Arts
Trish Hayes
Dr Kevin Brophy, Co-Ordinator Creative Writing Program,
School of Studies in Creative Arts
Victorian College of the Arts
Shiffi Blustein and Toby Ovadia
Don Walters, Apollo Bay
Yvonne Francis, Nuclear Disarmament Party
Pamela Curr
Bree K. Taylor, Boronia
Kate Emery, WA student
Paul Hayes, Chester Hill
Mary-Jo O'Rourke
Bimal Man Shrestha
Bellana Shrestha
Claire O'Connor, Barrister and Solicitor, Adelaide
Laurie Forde
Desley Forde
Brendan O'Reilly
Leon Parissi
Joan Silk
Colin Long, Secretary, People's Committee for Melbourne
Felicity Lang, Ringwood
Joan Pollock, Lecturer Victorian College of the Arts
Shelley Marshall
Jacqui Basheer
Kim Bullimore
To add your name phone 02-9690 1230, fax 02-9690 1381, email
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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