Twenty-two detainees arrested and hunger strike
AUSTRALIA: The denial of the right to asylum and inhumane treatment
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On May 26, 2001, at 4:00 a.m., 170 police officers and guards, armed with guns, batons and shields, made a surprise raid on the Port Hedland migrant detention centre. During the raid, men, women and children were handcuffed, and women were hit with batons to force them to sit or kneel on the ground.
Twenty-one males and one woman, including one child and two teenagers, were arrested and transported to the South Hedland police holding cells during the raid. The 22 detainees are charged with threatening and violent behaviour towards Commonwealth employees during the recent riot at the centre. According to the media on the morning of May 29, 2001, one child was sent back to the detention centre, but the 21 detainees, including two teenagers, are still in jail.
Meanwhile, 35 Palestinian adults and seven children have begun a hunger strike in protest against the raid. They are demanding the release of the 21 detainees who were taken to prison or, if this demand is not met, to take all of the 200 remaining people in the detention centre to the prison.
Fr. Wally McNamara who visited the centre says some inmates believe that those arrested and charged with threatening and violent behaviour were unfairly selected. Consequently, the situation is getting worse and the atmosphere is getting increasingly tense.
BACKGROUND
The detainees had been demanding an increase in their rate of pay from $10 to $20 for a minimum of eight hours of work, a proper roster of available work and paid overtime after eight hours. A strike that took place on May 11, 2001, by detainees who primarily work in the kitchen had severely disrupted the detention centre. \”Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock treats the detainees as if they have no rights whatsoever. He has denied them the right to strike and now wants to deny them the right to protest,\” said Ian Rintoul, a spokesperson for the Refugee Acton Collective in Sydney.
\”The government is facing electoral defeat and is under mounting pressure over its policy of mandatory detention. The police raids are a desperate attempt to cover up what is really happening inside the detention centres,\” said Rintoul. \”The charges against the detainees are a sham and should be dropped. Asylum seekers are not criminals. As long as they are denied their rights, protests will continue inside and outside the detention centres,\” he said.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Please write protest letters to the prime minister, the minister for immigration and multicultural affairs and the attorney general and send copies to the committee secretary of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration, the shadow minister for immigration and president of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission to express your concern about this incident and to urge them to release all arrested detainees immediately.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear
I was deeply concerned to hear that the state and federal police of Australia, armed with guns, batons and shields, arrested 22 asylum seekers and more than 40 detainees at the centre, including seven children, not arrested in a military-style raid are now on a protest hunger strike.
I think that the 22 detainees were arbitrarily selected and, despite the fact that asylum seekers are not criminals, the military-style raid with guns, batons and shields was inhumane and improper. Even though they are asylum seekers, they also have the same rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly as those who live outside of the detention centre.
I urge you to release all arrested detainees immediately and to apologise to them for your inhumane treatment during the raid. I hope you will also allow them to discuss all issues surrounding their lives in detention as well as these recent arrests in order to hear their voices.
I look forward to hearing about your positive action to solve this problem.
Yours sincerely,
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1. John Howard MP
Prime Minister
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 6277 7700
Fax: +61 2 6273 4100
SALUTATION: Dear Prime Minister
To send an email you have to go to his homepage: http://www.pm.gov.au/your_feedback/feedback.htm
2. Philip Ruddock MP
Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs
Suite MF 40
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 6277 7860
Fax: +61 2 6273 4144
E-mail: minister@immi.gov.au
SALUTATION: Dear Minister
3. Daryl Williams MP
Attorney General
Suite MF 19
Parliament House
Canberra
Tel: +61 2 6277 7300
Fax: +61 2 6273 4102
E-mail: daryl.williams@aph.gov.au
SALUTATION: Dear Minister
SEND COPIES TO:
1. Committee Secretary
Joint Standing Committee on Migration
Department of House of Representatives
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 6277 4560
Fax: + 61 2 6277 8506
E-mail: JSCM@aph.gov.au
SALUTATION: Dear Minister
2. Con Sciacca MP
Shadow Minister for Immigration
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Tel: +61 2 6277 4548
Fax: +61 2 6277 8417
Email: Con.Sciacca.MP@aph.gov.au
SALUTATION: Dear Minister
3. Senator Andrew Bartlett
Spokesperson for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs
Australian Democrats
Suite 14B1, 7/421 Brunswick Street,
Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006
AUSTRALIA
-(Electorate office) Tel: +61 7 3252 7101 / Fax: +61 7 3252 8957
-(Parliament House office) Tel: +61 2 6277 3406 / FAX: +61 2 6277 3791
Email: Senator.Bartlett@democrats.org.au
SALUTATION: Dear Senator
4. Premier Geoff Gallop
Government of Western Australia
24th Floor, 197 St George’s Terrace
PERTH WA 6000
AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 8 9222 9888
Fax: +61 8 9322 1213
Email: wa-government@mpc.wa.gov.au
SALUTATION: Dear Premier
4. Professor Alice Tay
President of Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission
GPO Box 5218
SYDNEY NSW 1042
AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 9284 9600
Fax: +61 2 9284 9611
Email: paffairs@hreoc.gov.au
SALUTATION: Dear Madam President
*** Please send a copy of your letter to AHRC Urgent Appeals:
Email:
Fax: +(852) 26986367
Please contact the Urgent Appeals coordinator if you require more information or wish to report human rights violations.
===========================================================
AHRC Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission
Unit D, 7th Floor, Mongkok Commercial Centre,
16 – 16B Argyle Street, Kowloon, HONGKONG
Tel: +(852) – 2698-6339
Fax: +(852) – 2698-6367
E-mail: ua@ahrchk.org
*** Please send a copy of your letter to AHRC Urgent Appeals:
Email:
Fax: +(852) – 26986367
Please contact the Urgent Appeals coordinator if you require more
information or wish to report human rights violations.
===========================================================
AHRC Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission
Unit D, 7th Floor, Mongkok Commercial Centre,
16 – 16B Argyle Street, Kowloon, HONGKONG
Tel: +(852) – 2698-6339
Fax: +(852) – 2698-6367
E-mail: ua@ahrchk.org
Please contact the AHRC Urgent Appeals Coordinator if you require
further information or to make requests for further appeals.
