Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific, Thang Ngo, Socialist Alliance (Parramatta), Newcastle Action for Refugee Rights, Refugee Action Collective (Melbourne central), Australia West Papua Association, Progressive Young Hazaras, PIP HINMAN">
Refugee campaign builds up pressure on Howard
BY PIP HINMAN
It took the actions of a few hundred courageous hunger strikers in detention centres across Australia to trigger the latest wave of mass protests against the Howard government's racist refugee policies. As the government's credibility crisis deepens over the "children overboard" scandal, the way is open for the refugees' rights campaign to grow very rapidly.
Paul Benedek from the newly launched central Sydney branch of the Free the Refugees Campaign is optimistic about the campaign having some quick successes. Benedek, an organiser of the Newtown rally on February 22, says the numbers of people wanting to get involved and "do something for the refugees" is unprecedented.
"The diversity is great; it's been a key aspect in pressuring the government", Benedek said, adding that he thought the 3000-strong rally in Canberra on February 12 marked a turning point in the campaign. "That protest brought country and city activists - some from very different political backgrounds — together for the first time united in opposition against mandatory detention, again something unprecedented."
On March 2, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will meet at Coolum outside of Brisbane. Maria Voukelatos, one of the coordinators of a protest outside CHOGM and a member of the Resistance socialist youth organisation, told 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly that the protest action was aimed at "shaming the Howard government in front of the whole world for its callousness towards the human rights of asylum seekers and refugees".
Protesters are calling on CHOGM delegates to take the strongest possible disciplinary action against Australia for the bipartisan policy of mandatory detention. Voukelatos said that a call had been issued to all CHOGM member nations to expel or suspend Australia from the Commonwealth while mandatory detention remains in force.
Jubilee Australia and Amnesty International in New Zealand and Brisbane as well as the Sunshine Coast Environment Centre, Everyone for a Nuclear Free Future (ENuFF), the Lismore Refugee Action Collective are among the groups supporting the protest action. Resistance has invited those interested in taking part in the peaceful protest to a convergence meeting at 5pm at the Resistance Centre in Brisbane on March 1.
Following a rally on February 2, activists in Perth are planning another "Free the Refugees" action on March 2. Nikki Ulasowski from the Refugee Rights Action Network told GLW that the protest would "continue to build the pressure to close the detention centres". A range of groups and individuals are involved including the Anglican Church, Tribal Refugee Welfare of WA, Oxfam-Community Aid Abroad, International Socialist Organisation, Greens (WA) MPs Giz Watson and Robin Chapple, Jo Vallentine, Resistance, the Deaths in Custody Watch Committee, Democratic Socialist Party, Fremantle Refugee Support, Chris Cain (Socialist Alliance national executive member and Maritime Union delegate) and Yaluritja-Clarrie Isaacs, Aboriginal activist.
Melbourne West Refugee Action Collective is planning a vigil on March 3 at 11.30am at the Hampstead Road entrance of the Maribyrong detention centre, as part of the group's monthly vigils in solidarity with the detainees. The focus for this action will be on the disproportionate numbers of women who become refugees, a theme which will be highlighted around the country at various International Women's Day rallies on March 8 and 9 (see activist calendar for city listings).
Interest in discussing the issues is very high. ChilOut (Children Out of Detention), Free the Refugees Campaign (FRC), Refugee Action collectives, Labor for Refugees, the Jesuit Refugee Service and the newly formed Australians for Just Refugee Programs (initiated by former PM Malcolm Fraser) are all planning public meetings (see calendar for listings).
This year's Palm Sunday events on March 24 are shaping up to be an important focus for refugee rights activists. In Melbourne, the city council, the Trades Hall Council, refugee rights groups and political parties are involved in organising what they hope to be the biggest ever demonstration in support of refugees' rights around the theme "Justice for Refugees".
In Sydney, the theme chosen by the invitation-only Palm Sunday committee is "Compassion for Refugees, Peace and Justice". It has been advertised as a silent march starting from Belmore Park and ending up in Tumbalong Park for a festival. Among the demands are: close detention centres, on- and off-shore; house asylum seekers in the community and for a global program to help people fleeing war and persecution.
Newcastle Action for Refugee Rights has also called a rally for Palm Sunday around the theme "Free the refugees, close the detention centres". NARR involves a broad range of groups and individuals, many of whom are long-term peace and social justice campaigners. The rally will also send off a contingent going to Woomera2002.
Woomera2002 and the international solidarity action at Villawood on March 31 are shaping up significant refugees' rights protests. Kathy Kang, who will deliver a solidarity message from Woomera2002 to the Villawood rally, said that she expected at least a thousand people to go to Woomera.
Matt Skellen, NUS environment officer and another Woomera organiser, told GLW that "Woomera will highlight Aboriginal dispossession, nuclear-related issues and refugee rights. This is not a grab-bag of issues, but an opportunity to protest against capitalism, against the system", he said.
Iggy Kim, organiser of the Second Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference which initiated the Villawood action, said it was aimed at "throwing the international spotlight on the government's barbaric anti-refugee policy". Kim said the Villawood international solidarity action was designed to complement the Woomera2002 action. Along with local refugees' rights campaigners, speakers at the Villawood action will include Dita Sari, a former political prisoner under General Suharto's regime and now head of the Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggles (FNPBI), Farooq Tariq from the Labour Party Pakistan and Sonny Melencio, a leader of the Philippines Socialist Party of Labor.
"Delegates from Third World countries will shame Canberra and take part in an important 'cross-border' act of solidarity", said Kim. The action is being supported by, among others, the Refugee Action Coalition, the Free the Refugees Campaign, the Edmund Rice Centre, Mary McKillop Institute, Father Claude Mostowick, Rural Australians for Refugees, Health Professionals for Global Responsibility (NSW), United Nations Association of Australia, Nicholas Poynder QC, Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific, Fairfield councillor Thang Ngo, Socialist Alliance (Parramatta), Newcastle Action for Refugee Rights, Refugee Action Collective (Melbourne central), Australia West Papua Association and the newly formed Progressive Young Hazaras.
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, February 27, 2002.
Visit the