Media release TURN BACK ABBOTT NOT BOATS Protest against Abbotts tow back policy 12pm Thursday 30th January Department of Immigration and Border Protection 299 Adelaide Street, Brisbane. Refugee rights advocates will protest against the Abbott governments tow back policy outside the Department of Immigration and Border Protection in Brisbane on Thursday. Using brute force to board and tow back boats packed with desperate asylum seekers takes Australias anti-refugee deterrence policies to a new low said Mark Gillespie from the Refugee Action Collective. It is both inhumane and highly dangerous Three asylum seekers drowned in 2001 trying to reach land after the Howard government towed back their boat and beached it off Rote Island. The same could happen again but Abbott couldnt care less, so long as his precious border is not breached. He wants to use force to sweep a humanitarian problem under the Indonesian carpet. To justify these cruel measures the Abbott government is demonising asylum seekers, branding them as illegals and accusing them of fabricating stories of mistreatment. But the navy have mistreated people before. In 2001 they fired on asylum seeker boats and used capsicum spray, batons and handcuffs to turn boats back. Nor should we forget that the Howard government lied in 2001 when it claimed asylum seekers threw their children overboard. The media should not be bullied by the government and should report and investigate all claims of mistreatment. It time Australias harsh anti refugee policies were ditched and asylum seekers were welcomed to our shores. For comment contact Mark Gillespie 0439 561
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 12:53:25 +0000
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