[Imc-sydney] Oz-ET asylum seekers/Ruddock statement/need for media replies

Tue Jun 10 19:12:39 UTC 2008

SOME SUGGESTED ARGUMENTS FOR LETTER WRITING OVER RUDDOCK'S LATEST DECISION
TO DEPORT 1600 TIMORESE ASYLUM SEEKERS FROM AUSTRALIA.
( BY JEFFERSON LEE 28/12/01).

1. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SHOULD STRESS THAT TO ALLOW 1600 TO FINISH
EDUCATION -TAFE, HIGH SCHOOL, UNI, ETC. WOULD BE A FAR MORE "COST
EFFECTIVE" FORM OF AID THAN MANY OF THE CURRENT PROJECTS OPERATING INSIDE
EAST TIMOR. IN SHOT, THE COST OF RESETTLING THESE 1600 BACK TO EAST TIMOR
WILL FAR EXCEED THE COST OF ALLOWING THEM TO REMAIN IN THE AUSTRALIAN
COMMUNITY WITH THEIR CHILDREN TO FINISH THEIR EDUCATION (AND RETURN TO
TIMOR IN THEIR OWN GOOD TIME IF THEY SO WISH). AFTER ALL, THEY RECEIVED
MINIMUM ASSISTANCE SINCE THEIR ARRIVAL HERE IN THE WAKE OF THE 'DILI
MASSACRE'....MOST OF THE "COST" OF THEIR RESETTLEMENT (IN OZ) HAS BEEN BORN
BY THE LONG STANDING TIMORESE COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN HERE SINCE THE LATE
1970S AND BY SYMPATHETIC CHARITIES AND REFUGEE SUPPORT GROUPS AND THE
INDIVIDUALS THEMSELVES. FURTHER, TO ALLOW THOSE INDIVIDUAL TIMORESE WHO ARE
HERE WITHOUT FAMILY SUPPORT TO FINISH THEIR EDUCATION HERE WILL MEAN THAT
AUSTRALIA WILL HAVE HUNDREDS OF POTENTIAL "GOODWILL AMBASSADORS" AMONGST
THOSE WHO EVENTUALLY DECIDE TO RETURN TO THEIR MOTHERLAND - PARTICULARLY IF
THEIR AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION ALLOWS THEM TO MOVE INTO POSITIONS OF POWER AND
INFLUENCE IN THE NEW INDEPENDENT GOVT OF EAST TIMOR AFTER MAY 20TH 2002. TO
FORCE THEM TO RETURN NOW TO EAST TIMOR WILL BE TO DISRUPT THEIR EDUCATION
AND RETURN THEM TO A PLACE WHERE THE EDUCATION SYSTEM WILL BE FOREIGN TO
THEM AFTER 8-10 YEARS AWAY FROM IT. INDEED THE INCUMBENT TIMORESE GOVT HAS
A MAJOR PROBLEM OF DECIDING THE LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION INSIDE EAST TIMOR.
HOW WILL THESE CHILDREN IN AUSTRALIA - WHO HAVE NOW BEEN SCHOOLED IN
ENGLISH - FIT INTO A SYSTEM WHERE THERE ARE NOW 3,000 PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE
TEACHERS BUT ONLY A HANDFUL OF ENGLISH TEACHERS? WHAT OF THOSE IN THE FINAL
YEAR OF TAFE STUDIES WHEN THERE IS NO EQUIVALENT COURSES ON OFFER IN EAST
TIMOR?

2. ARE THE TIMORESE TO BECOME THE LATEST PAWNS/SCAPEGOATS IN THE GOVT'S
HARD LINE POLICY OVER REFUGEES SINCE THE TAMPA CRISIS? CLEARLY THE
SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF THESE 1600 TIMORESE ASYLUM SEEKERS INTO THE
AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY MAKES A MOCKERY OF RUDDOCK'S HARD LINE "LOCK THE
AFGHANI KIDS UP" POSITION. CLEARLY HIS MOTIVATION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH
"COMPASSION" FOR THOSE MORE DESERVING THAT THE TIMORESE. HE NOW WANTS TO
KICK THE TIMORESE OUT WITH THE "IT'S SAFE TO GO HOME" ARGUMENT SO HE CAN
USE THIS DECISION AS A PRECEDENT FOR KICKING THE AFGHANIS OUT AS WELL WITH
THE ARGUMENT "THE WAR'S OVER, IT'S SAFE FOR THEM TO GO HOME TOO", WHEN ONLY
YESTERDAY AN AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT FROM THE BOTON GLOBE (MCLEHR-NEIL NEWS
HOUR REPORT/REBROADCAST IN OZ ON SBS TELEVISION 27/12/01) STATED THAT "MANY
OLD AND YOUNG AFGHANS WILL PERISH....AID IS ONLY GETTING THROUGH TO THE
MAJOR CITIES....MANY OF THOSE IN THE VILLAGES WILL PERISH THIS WINTER").
RUDDOCK IS ALSO TRYING TO SMEAR THE TIMORESE (WHO SUFFERED SO MUCH) WITH
THE "QUEUE JUMPER" LABEL BY ARGUING THERE ARE NOW OTHERS WHO DESERVE MORE
"COMPASSION". THIS FROM A MAN WHO NEVER UTTERED ONE WORD ABOUT THE DILI
MASSACRE AND WHO'S PRIME MINISTER (HOWARD) IS GOING TO JAKARTA IN FEBRUARY
WITH THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF RESTORING MILITARY AID TO THE INDONESIAN
GENERALS SO THEY CAN CONTINUE THEIR GENOCIDAL PRACTICES IN ACEH AND WEST
PAPUA.

3. WE OWE IT TO THE EAST TIMORESE....AFTER ARMING THE INDONESIANS FOR 25
YEARS IN A GENOCIDAL WAR AND COLLABORATING WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF THEIR
COUNTRY IN 1999 BY INSISTING ON INDONESIAN MILITARY "SECURITY" FOR THE
AUGUST 30TH REFERENDUM AND SAYING "THE UN WILL PROTECT YOU" CAN WE SAY THAT
2 YEARS OF PROVIDING PEACE KEEPERS AND A MINIMAL AID BUDGET IS REALLY
CLEARING OUR DEBT TO TIMOR? AS STATED ABOVE, PORTUGAL HAS SENT OVER 3,000
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS TO EAST TIMOR. AUSAID AND THE VARIOUS
NGOS HAVE ONLY FUNDED A FEW DOZEN ENGLISH TEACHERS FROM AUSTRALIA? THE LUSA
ORGANISATION IS PROVIDING TIMOR WITH A COMPLETE RADIO AND TELEVISION
INFRASTRUCTURE. WHAT ABOUT THE ABC AND RADIO AUSTRALIA MATCHING THAT?
RECONSTRUCTING EAST TIMOR IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN
NEGLIGENT IN REMINDING ITSELF AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SINCE 1999 OF JUST HOW
MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE WE CAN SAY WE HAVE ABSOLVED OURSELVES OF
THAT RESPONSIBILITY. ALOWING THE 1600 ASYLUM SEEKERS TO REMAIN IN AUSTRALIA
- TO RETURN TO TIMOR AT A TIME OF THEIR OWN CHOOSING AND OF THEIR OWN
VOLITION - WILL BE ONE MORE SMALL STEP IN AUSTRALIA ABSOLVING THEIR DEBT.
=======================

east-timor at igc.topica.com
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp at igc.apc.org>
Subject: E. Timorese Refugees fear Aust Govt will force them home
Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2001 09:55:08 -0500
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Received from Joyo Indonesian News

Australian Broadcasting Corporation
December 26, 2001

East Timorese refugees fear Aust Govt force them home

East Timorese asylum seekers have expressed concern the Federal Government
may attempt to forcibly send them home.

About 1,600 East Timorese, some of whom arrived up to eight years ago, fear
the government has been waiting for the situation there to stabilise before
processing their claims.

Their fears stem from the Government's decision to suspend the claims of
Afghan asylum seekers.

Liz Biok, a refugee lawyer and member of the International Commission Of
Jurists, says for some of the East Timorese asylum seekers it is safe to
return home.

However, she says for others too much time has passed.

"For people from the Dili area, there won't be the physical threat from the
militia, but there are still a lot of problems, and this denies the fact that
the East Timorese have waited here in good faith hoping that the Australian
Government would assess their refugee claims," she said.

"They have waited here, they have allowed their children to go to school here
for up to years so their claim is like a moral claim against the Australian
Government."

[This message was distributed via the east-timor news list.]

=========
To: east-timor at igc.topica.com
From: "John M. Miller" <fbp at igc.apc.org>
Subject: E. Timorese Refugees fear Aust Govt will force them home
Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2001 09:55:08 -0500
Reply-To: fbp at igc.apc.org
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Received from Joyo Indonesian News

Australian Broadcasting Corporation
December 26, 2001

East Timorese refugees fear Aust Govt force them home