A record of the attempts
panicking and hopeless people make
To reach Australia, the Land of the Fair Go.
3rd July
YESTERDAY and TODAY
TAMILS RETURNED TO SRI LANKA?
While I have been unable to confirm the rumours they have been so pervasive it is hard to reject them.
Especially when our Prime Sinister considers that the “Peace” in Sri Lanka somehow works for the Tamils and it is perfectly OK to send them back there. What does he think? These people simply up and left Sri Lanka for a holiday, on a whim? Just another glimpse into the rather warped mind of a failed wannabe priest.
Sarah Whyte wrote, in the SMH that “Scott Morrison revs up border officials while continuing his silence on Tamil asylum seekers.” Amongst other things, our Minister for Secrecy said, “”We know the work we ask you to do is difficult, the decisions we ask you to take in the context of the policies can be hard but the border protection command has never flinched.‘ I would just say that I am concerned for the personnel of Operation Sovereign Borders. I do hope they are remembering that “Following Orders” is not a defence if a charge of breaching the law is ever brought against them.
SBS has reported that, “Reported forced return of Tamil asylum seekers shocks Tamil Congress“
There is that word again; “Reported”. And an emphasis on the vessel which arrived with 153 people on board. It is almost as though that “other” boat with just 50 people on board never existed.
Ian McPhedran of Perth Now News has reported, “Long cruise for 150 Tamil asylum seekers now being shipped back“. In this report it is revealed that Ocean Protector will take the larger group of refugees back to Sri Lanka, “According to well-placed sources”.
The Nation, from Sri Lanka reported on Tuesday that, “The Sri Lanka Navy today confirmed that no Sri Lankan asylum seekers from Tamil Nadu were handed over to them by Australian authorities.” This is unsurprising as the cargo of the kidnapped could not have been returned that quickly. It will be interesting to ask that same question on Monday!
The Sri Lanka Navy today confirmed that no Sri Lankan asylum seekers from Tamil Nadu were handed over to them by Australian authorities.
The Navy’s response comes following unconfirmed reports indicating that Australian authorities had handed over 153 Sri Lankan asylum seekers who had arrived at Christmas Island from Tamil Nadu recently.
– See more at: http://www.nation.lk/edition/breaking-news/item/30822-australia-did-not-hand-over-sl-asylum-seekers-navy.html#sthash.RuCnT0zN.dpuf
The Sri Lanka Navy today confirmed that no Sri Lankan asylum seekers from Tamil Nadu were handed over to them by Australian authorities.
The Navy’s response comes following unconfirmed reports indicating that Australian authorities had handed over 153 Sri Lankan asylum seekers who had arrived at Christmas Island from Tamil Nadu recently.
The Sri Lanka Navy today confirmed that no Sri Lankan asylum seekers from Tamil Nadu were handed over to them by Australian authorities.
The Navy’s response comes following unconfirmed reports indicating that Australian authorities had handed over 153 Sri Lankan asylum seekers who had arrived at Christmas Island from Tamil Nadu recently.
– See more at: http://www.nation.lk/edition/breaking-news/item/30822-australia-did-not-hand-over-sl-asylum-seekers-navy.html#sthash.RuCnT0zN.dpuf
DANGER FOR THOSE LEFT BEHIND
In the Age, Sarah Whyte has another article, “Immigration department officials screen asylum seekers at sea ‘via teleconference‘”. This is one article which horrifies me. Sarah reveals that “It is understood interpreters were brought into the Sydney and Melbourne offices of the department on Saturday and Sunday to help ”screen” the asylum seekers. Four questions were allegedly asked of the 50 passengers, including their name, country of origin, where they had come from and why they had left.”
Leaving aside the obvious breaches of human rights in avoiding the use of lawyers to assist the refugees there is a major cause for concern. Once the refugee’s name and place of origin is gained by the Department, what happens? Is the country of origin contacted to confirm the details? In other words is the country of origin encouraged to look into the circumstances of the refugee’s family? Is any care taken to protect those families?
These refugees are the ones from the vessel of 50 occupants which appears to be also from India or Sri Lanka. They are on board the ACV Triton which is unlikely to be charged with returning the prisoners. It does not have the range to get there and return. Unless it meets with the Australian gifted patrol boats Hervey Bay and Corio Bay which are now a part of the Sri Lankan Navy and are now known as SLNS Omaya and SLNS Oshadi respectively. Not that we know where they are as Sri Lanka has the same cloaking device the Australian Navy uses
PRISON HULKS?
To conclude, this week has seen the return of the Prison Hulks, an 18th century method of holding excess prisoners off the coast of England. Now Australia seems to be using that system.
Paul Farrell and Oliver Laughland of the Guardian have written that “On-water asylum screening plan ‘shelved amid fears it could be unlawful’. Immigration department considered using Australian customs vessels as ‘motherships’ to process claims as early as 2012, former official reveals.”
Now it seems that the abbott Government is disregarding legal advice and is implementing that plan.
I refer back to my comment near the beginning of this post. “Following Orders” is not a defence when those orders are unlawful. I do hope our OSB people are aware of that.
Here is a little bedtime reading to go with tony abbott’s claim the Sri Lanka is peaceful. Dr Paul White, a lecturer in the fields of political science and Middle Eastern studies, has written “Since March 2014 Sri Lankan authorities have intensified security operations in Tamil areas. There have been scores of arrests and several deaths in these regions and freedom of movement has been restricted in these areas. According to an estimate by The Sentinel Project, ‘the overall risk of genocide in Sri Lanka is medium to high’, as ‘conditions point to a likely renewal of conflict in Sri Lanka that could escalate to mass atrocities including genocide’.
Now the UNHCR has become involved. And it appears to contradict everything abbott and Morrison are saying and it puts into doubt the legality of what is being done by OSB personnel.
“Reports of interceptions at sea: UNHCR Statement“
UNHCR has followed with profound concern recent reports in the media and from the community in relation to the interception at sea of individuals who may be seeking Australia’s protection.
UNHCR does not have official confirmation of these reports.
When boats presumed to be carrying asylum-seekers are intercepted, UNHCR’s position is that requests for international protection should be considered within the territory of the intercepting state, consistent with fundamental refugee protection principles.
UNHCR considers that individuals who seek asylum must be properly and individually screened for protection needs, in a process which they understand and in which they are able to explain their needs.”
Ærchies Archive - Digital Detritus 
I cannot believe in the entire workforce of the Immigration Dept, there is not one concerned soul with inside knowledge of what Morrison is up to, so loyal to their Minister and his filth, they remain silent.
When Morrison is done with them and the Immigration Dept, he will discard them like tissues used to blow his nose. Mere tools of his disgusting treatment of innocents, trying to escape the evil of those in their own land who would defile them.
Such a belief of escape to a land Australia, that supposedly cares humanely for their fellow human beings, is met with treatment of hatred and persecution, from a Government that is evil to the core.
I am deeply ashamed. :=(
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I am stunned that there is not a single whistleblower, not even with guaranteed anonymity. I tried very hard not to use the “Nuremberg” word! My shame increases each day.
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We seem to be sitting idly by watching our government repeat aspects of history that were abominable then and are equally so now. Then it became the genocide of the Jews and of other ‘lesser’ beings. One wonders when this piece of garbage we have as a Federal government will start oppressing it’s own people without censure? Oh!!
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This is my fear. Will it be the unemployed young or the defenceless old? Perhaps an outright blitz on the Indigenous or Unionists. They are certainly practising with asylum seekers. In some ways I am lucky, I am of an age where I can withdraw a little and look on what is happening from a distance as the consequences are probably not going to affect me. I do worry for my children and grandchildren, though. 😦
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They’ve already established the tag — “Leaners”. It now depends where they establish the cut off point as to who these abusers of the public teat are!
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