RISE Media Release: stop the villification of Villawood detainee protestors

RISE MEDIA RELEASE: Wednesday 27/4/2011 RISE is concerned about the portrayal in the mainstream media of the latest protests by asylum seekers incarcerated in Sydney’s Villawood immigration detention centre. The images of fires and other distressed acts carried out by incarcerated asylum seekers coupled with sound bites from mainstream media commentators, radio shock-jocks and politicians are being used to whip up flames of hysteria in the Australian community at large.

RISE is also concerned by the attempt to erase from the public memory the three deaths within just 3 months at Villawood (where the recent protests have taken place) as well as three other deaths in the Curtin and Sherger detention centres. This is six deaths in the last eight months; five suicides in the last seven months. Where was the media and political outrage then?

Since 1996, successive Australian governments continue to implement the system of mandatory detention, tipping the scales against asylum seekers and refugees and punishing them for fleeing torture, trauma and persecution and seeking protection in Australia. As a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, the Australian government has a legal obligation to not only accept refugees, but also to treat asylum seekers—irrespective of how they arrive—humanely. The many deaths that have occurred in detention centres, the self-mutilation, psychological deterioration, and the desperate acts of protest are symptoms of a callous and heavily flawed system. Criminalizing the participants in the latest bouts of protest will not address these problems.

Both Liberal and Labour parties have cited the latest Villawood protests as “criminal actions”, but Australian detention centres are being used as crypts to bury the voices and narratives of oppressed men, women and children who are seeking freedom. What democratic options do they have? When asylum seekers try to have peaceful “non-violent” protests, they are constantly ignored, denied and rendered invisible. About six months ago, over ten Kurdish asylum seekers were on hunger strike for over a week, with no effort made by SERCO, Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), or other government agencies to respond to their pleas. If you were an asylum seeker, what would you do in this position?

According to DIAC in March 2011, immigration detention centres held about 6,500 people who have arrived by boat, 179 visa overstayers and 56 air arrivals. Meanwhile, over 50,000 people, mostly from countries such as Great Britain, USA and New Zealand are living illegally in the community. RISE is concerned about the blatant racism and discrimination that is apparent in this policy. It is time to hold the government accountable and demand that it stops making the politically expedient choice of disproportionately targeting a relatively minuscule number of people that arrive in rickety boats and start defending the rights of those displaced by violence, persecution, and conflict.

As Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison demand an audit of the damage to buildings and property in Christmas Island and Villawood detention centres, RISE asks if they would have the courage to be equally strident in appealing for an audit of lives lost and damage caused by mandatory and indefinite detention?

We also ask Immigration minister Chris Bowen to shift his focus from reacting to his political counterparts. We ask Bowen to stop asking for extra ministerial powers to deport a small group of refugees and asylum seekers who are being used as scapegoats for the repeated breakdown of an inherently flawed system. Rather than using coercive power to silence detainee dissent, the Gillard government should address the legitimate concerns raised by detainees during their acts of protest and resistance. We ask Bowen and the Gillard government to consider the critical issues flagged by non-governmental humanitarian organisations, independent monitors, legal and health experts, and most importantly, the refugee community itself, to create a more humane system to deal with those seeking asylum.
http://riserefugee.org/rise-exclusive-media-release/

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Comments

As is frequently pointed out and admitted by these illegal immigrants is that the journey is an expensive one. the costs per person smuggled can be many thousands of dollars. At the time of writing this response I personally cannot afford to be an illegal boat immigrant. I dispute that these boat people are genuine refugees seeking asylum. If they were genuine they would not even be able to afford to get smuggled on to these boats in the first place. There is a legitimate refugee system in place and these people seek to bypass it, using their money to jump the cue over the more genuine and needy refugees choosing legitimate paths to refugee status in australia. The irony is your bleeding hearts are bleeding for the wrong people. The real loosers here arent the detainees, or even the australian people, but genuine poor suffering victims.

Sleep well...

Richard. I could not agree more with what you say. Genuine refugees would not be acting the way these ingreats are.
I have no issues with allowing those in genuine need of safe refuge to come here and settle I find it offensive that people expect us to believe those who can pay thousands of dollars are true refugees.
While the centres need some improvement people forget that the non genuine people would be out the gate never to be seen again.

As for the protesters who have damaged property and assualted emergency workers. Throw the book at them or kick them out. There are plenty of genuine people who would be greatful to just have a roof over their head and goto sleep at night knowing they are safe.