The forgotten victims of Rudd’s ‘Indonesian Solution’
SP Newsletter No.308
On April 19 more than 100 refugees, who were being held on a tiny boat at the port of Merak in Indonesia, were forcibly moved to the Tanjung Pinang detention centre. After nearly 7 months on the boat they still face an uncertain future.
The refugees are now unable to communicate with their relatives and have no access to legal aid. These Tamil men, women and children fled civil war in Sri Lanka and were making their way to seek asylum in Australia in October last year.
After receiving intelligence of their immanent arrival, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and requested their boat to be stopped. The Indonesian Navy promptly intercepted the boat and hauled it back to Indonesia. This is what is referred to as the “Indonesian Solution”.
In a sign of strength and determination the refugees refused to disembark. They feared being locked up in an Indonesian detention centre or deported back to Sri Lanka. Many of the Merak refugees hold UNHCR cards acknowledging their legitimate status as refugees. Despite this they have been treated like criminals.
The demands of the refuges are modest. They want Australia, as a signatory of the UN Refugee Convention, to process their claims for asylum according to its international obligations.
The ‘Indonesian Solution’ is a policy of sub-contracting the detention of asylum seekers to Indonesia, where they can languish in prison for up to ten years before being sent back to the country they fled.
Indonesia is not a signatory to the UN refugee convention. Australia is one of only a few signatories in the region, and one of the closest to Sri Lanka. It is Australia’s obligation to process and resettle these refugees. Instead, the Australian Government funds Indonesian authorities to the tune of millions each year to imprison asylum seekers with no regard for their basic rights under international law.
In March, Indonesian President Yudhoyono addressed the Australian Federal Parliament. One of the key points of discussion between Rudd and Yudhoyono during his visit was “tackling people-smuggling”. This means a continuation of the failed ‘Indonesian Solution’. Last year Australia re-settled only 77 refugees from Indonesia, while thousands remain in detention.
Shamefully, upon arrival President Yudhoyono was awarded an honorary Order of Australia for “strengthening the Australia-Indonesia relationship”, while innocent people remain in a desperate situation due to the collaboration of these two Governments.
When Kevin Rudd came to power in 2007, many people had hoped for a more humane refugee policy. This has not been the case. The cosmetic changes from Howard’s “Pacific Solution” to Rudd’s “Indonesian Solution” have not improved the plight of refugees at all.
This situation cannot be ignored any longer. What is needed is a strong community campaign to call an end to Rudd’s brutal anti-refugee policy of Indonesian imprisonment, off-shore processing and mandatory detention. Pressure needs to be maintained on the Government until this happens.
May Day action in support of the Merak refugees
Rally in Melbourne: 12 noon Saturday May 1st outside Trades Hall, corner of Lygon & Victoria Streets Carlton South.
At this rally Indigenous elders will welcome the Merak refugees to Australia with Original Nation Passports. They will be joined by representatives from the trade union movement, refugee rights groups and the Tamil community.
For more information see: Protest against vile ill-treatment of refugees in Indonesia
http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4230
Upcoming SP meetings
The Melbourne Branch of the Socialist Party meets every Wednesday 7pm at Trades Hall on the corner of Lygon & Victoria Streets Carlton South. Upcoming meetings include:
5/5 – The struggle for socialism in Venezuela
12/5 – Chile 1973: Lessons for today
19/5 – The fight doe GLBTI rights
26/5 – The 1905 Russian Revolution
For more information or for details of meetings in other parts of Australia contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111.
News links:
Kazakhstan: Ainur Kurmanov jailed for 14 days on trumped-up charges
http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4242
Kazakhstan: Joe Higgins MEP protests over jailing of Ainur Kurmanov
http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4243
Europe: Report of CWI European Bureau meeting
http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4239
Europe: CWI European Bureau Resolution
http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4228
Join the Socialist Party
If you agree with what you have read in our newsletter or on our website you should consider joining SP. The Socialist Party has branches in Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Perth as well as members and supporters in all other states.
We are involved in trade union work and student work. We also run community, anti-war and environmental campaigns. But most of all we want to build a party that will fight to get rid of the capitalist system, the system that is at the root of all of these problems. We fight for socialism - a system that will bring an end to wars, poverty and environmental destruction. To join SP contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111 and we will send you a membership application form.
Subscribe to ‘The Socialist’ newspaper!
Support the Socialist Party by subscribing to our monthly newspaper ‘The Socialist’. Subscription rates are only $10 per year or $20 solidarity price. You will receive 11 copies per year delivered to your door every month. You will also receive our email newsletter every week and you will know that you are supporting an organisation that is at the fore of fighting against the capitalist system. To subscribe to ‘The Socialist’ contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111 and we will send you a subscription form.
Socialist Party contact details
Melbourne: Phone Anthony on 0396399111.
Sydney: Phone Gary on 0297287727.
Newcastle: Phone Samantha on 0249681545.
Adelaide: Phone David on 0883441474.
Perth: Phone John on 0894020728.
Rest of Australia: Phone our National Office on 0396399111.
Rest of the world: Phone our International Office on ++ 44 20 8988 8760.
The Socialist Party is the Australian section of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI). The CWI is organised in over 40 countries across the world.
http://www.sp.org.au
http://www.socialistworld.net
http://www.myspace.com/socialistpartyaustralia
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20461960776
