ID :
199506
Sat, 08/06/2011 - 15:17
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/199506
The shortlink copeid
Hunger strike won't stop Malaysia transfer
Reports of a hunger strike will not change the government's decision to send asylum seekers to Malaysia under its swap deal with Kuala Lumpur, says Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
The Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) says it has received a distress call from asylum seekers on Christmas Island saying some of them were going on hunger strike in protest at plans to send them to Malaysia.
The group of 54 mainly Afghan asylum seekers who arrived on Christmas Island on Thursday, are the first boat people to be transferred to Malaysia under the government's recently agreed Malaysia solution.
Among them are 18 minors, or people claiming to be minors, up to 14 of whom are unaccompanied.
RAC spokesman Ian Rintoul said the asylum seekers had called his organisation on Friday.
"The short call said only: 'We are in a bad way; we need help. We are starting a hunger strike'," Mr Rintoul said on Friday, calling on the government to give the group access to lawyers.
Ms Gillard said the hunger strike reports would not change the government's position.
"I have seen reports to that affect. Obviously, our immigration department officials will handle any issues," Ms Gillard told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.
"But, as we have made clear all along, the returns to Malaysia aren't a question of volunteering. This will be done."
Meanwhile, the immigration department says it isn't aware that any of the asylum seekers facing transfer to Malaysia have launched a hunger strike, as claimed by the refugee activist.
"There is no one on hunger strike of which we are aware," he told AAP.
"Just because someone misses a meal or two does not mean they are on voluntary starvation.
Greens leader Bob Brown says the Malaysian asylum-seeker swap plan is unacceptable, but he says he won't bring down the Labor government because the coalition would be worse.
Senator Brown said asylum seekers should be processed in Australia.
"We don't see the advantage that the government apparently sees in sending people to Malaysia, in particular vulnerable children and/or their families," he told ABC Television.
"Whether they are accompanied or not they should be processed here onshore in Australia as all other equivalent reasonable countries do around the world."
He rejected suggestions that he could withdraw support from Labor in the House of Representatives and bring down the government.
"You then end up with the nastiness of the approach to these people wanting to come to Australia of the Abbott alternative. It's just downright nasty," he said.
The Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) says it has received a distress call from asylum seekers on Christmas Island saying some of them were going on hunger strike in protest at plans to send them to Malaysia.
The group of 54 mainly Afghan asylum seekers who arrived on Christmas Island on Thursday, are the first boat people to be transferred to Malaysia under the government's recently agreed Malaysia solution.
Among them are 18 minors, or people claiming to be minors, up to 14 of whom are unaccompanied.
RAC spokesman Ian Rintoul said the asylum seekers had called his organisation on Friday.
"The short call said only: 'We are in a bad way; we need help. We are starting a hunger strike'," Mr Rintoul said on Friday, calling on the government to give the group access to lawyers.
Ms Gillard said the hunger strike reports would not change the government's position.
"I have seen reports to that affect. Obviously, our immigration department officials will handle any issues," Ms Gillard told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.
"But, as we have made clear all along, the returns to Malaysia aren't a question of volunteering. This will be done."
Meanwhile, the immigration department says it isn't aware that any of the asylum seekers facing transfer to Malaysia have launched a hunger strike, as claimed by the refugee activist.
"There is no one on hunger strike of which we are aware," he told AAP.
"Just because someone misses a meal or two does not mean they are on voluntary starvation.
Greens leader Bob Brown says the Malaysian asylum-seeker swap plan is unacceptable, but he says he won't bring down the Labor government because the coalition would be worse.
Senator Brown said asylum seekers should be processed in Australia.
"We don't see the advantage that the government apparently sees in sending people to Malaysia, in particular vulnerable children and/or their families," he told ABC Television.
"Whether they are accompanied or not they should be processed here onshore in Australia as all other equivalent reasonable countries do around the world."
He rejected suggestions that he could withdraw support from Labor in the House of Representatives and bring down the government.
"You then end up with the nastiness of the approach to these people wanting to come to Australia of the Abbott alternative. It's just downright nasty," he said.
