V06 : Villawood Detention Centre Easter 2006 : April 14-17
HA | 12.04.2006 18:58 | April 2006 No Borders Days of Action | Migration
Activists from across Australia will converge on Villawood Detention Centre in SW Sydney to collectively voice our opposition to the Howard government's treatment of refugees.
Inspired by previous Easter convergences at Woomera and Baxter, this year we turn our sights on Villawood, where a majority of refugees are now incarcerated: at January 6, there were 263 detainees, 143 of them Chinese. The high rejection rate of Chinese asylum seekers by the RRT (89.6% in 2004-05) is significant, especially with free trade negotiations in train.
As well as refugee groups organising contingents for the protest, Community Action Against Homophobia is organising a queer bloc. If you would like to be part of it, or just find out more, visit www.caah.org/refugees/index.htm
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PROTEST DETAILS
V06: Villawood Detention Centre Easter 2006: April 14-17
THIS WEBSITE (www.racnsw.net) WILL BE UPDATED DAILY WITH TIMES AND LOCATIONS OF PROTESTS.
Final planning meeting: Thursday April 13, 6pm, UTS Students' Association.
Friday 14:10.30am meet at Jones St next to UTS tower for convoy to convergence site. Meet at 12.30pm at Campbell Hill reserve, 10 minutes walk from Villawood. Actions at Villawood on Friday afternoon and evening.
Saturday 15: 10.30am mass protest with Chinese community (location to be confirmed).
3-9pm, multicultural music festival (location to be confirmed)
Sunday 16: morning - possible protest at Kirribilli
3-9pm, refugee movement conference (venue to be confirmed)
CAMPING
We will be camping on Friday night at least. If you are Sydney-based and can billet (or are from interstate and need billeting) call John on 0409 777 173.
.......................................................................
MEDIA RELEASE Easter protests will go ahead
Villawood detainees protest at relocation. Refugee supporters say release the detainees.
A statement signed by three detainees has threatened hunger strike protests against any attempt to remove them from Villawood detention centre. Reports from inside Villawood, where a meeting is only now being held with detainees (5.00pm, Monday) indicates that many detainees are fearful and angry about the Minister’s announcement that they will be moved tomorrow. (Text of letter sent Minister Vanstone below).
One detainee told the Refugee Action Coalition that people are very fearful of being sent to Baxter detention centre in South Australia. “Many people will protest,” they said.
Refugee supporters have called on the Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone to release the detainees, not relocate them.
“Asbestos or no asbestos, Villawood is a toxic site that should be closed. Detention has already damaged so many people and now the possibility of asbestosis hangs over their future,” said Ian Rintoul spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.
“It is a perfect opportunity for the Minister to release the detainees rather than relocate them in other detention facilities that can only add to their anxiety.
“The minister has said that all detainees will be returned to Villawood, but there is little confidence among the detainees or refugee supporters that the government can be trusted to keep their word. Removing detainees from Villawood will make public scrutiny of the government’s treatment of detainees that much harder,” said Ian Rintoul.
“It is typical that the government would hold a press conference to announce the relocation of the detainees before they even discussed the issue with the detainees themselves. If the Minister was really concerned about the welfare of the detainees in her care, she would have talked to the detainees first about this issue was going to be managed. This is a classic piece of damage control that may well make things worse.
“The timing of the government’s announcement, just days before a planned Easter weekend of protest action, is also suspicious. But we can assure the government that the protests will go ahead. The protest action by detainees may well mean that people are still behind the wire at Villawood.”
“The government’s announced review of asylum process for West Papuans has shown that the government has no serious commitment to human rights. We are determined to make the point that the government policy needs fundamental reform and Villawood should be closed, not ‘cleaned up’.”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
Text of letter to Minister, (sent 4.04pm, 10/4/06):
To Minister for Immigration
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are deeply concerned about unconfirmed information that you and or your department is proceeding to transfer the detainees from VIDC to an unknown location. Given the fact that we consider this exercise is intended to or is planned to be conducted very shortly, without any discussion with us and without any notice. We consider that this exercise is a conspiratorial conduct designed to exacerbate our stress, anxiety and to effectively restrict our communication and our support from the community including the legal support.
We hereby declares that any attempt to our transfer to any other place from VIDC will compel us to go for a hunger strike until death or until we are released from the detention. If you intend to kill us only then proceed with this exercise. Thank you.
Signed
Motahar Hussein
Harinda Kharbanda
Zakir Baghban
As well as refugee groups organising contingents for the protest, Community Action Against Homophobia is organising a queer bloc. If you would like to be part of it, or just find out more, visit www.caah.org/refugees/index.htm
.......................................................................
PROTEST DETAILS
V06: Villawood Detention Centre Easter 2006: April 14-17
THIS WEBSITE (www.racnsw.net) WILL BE UPDATED DAILY WITH TIMES AND LOCATIONS OF PROTESTS.
Final planning meeting: Thursday April 13, 6pm, UTS Students' Association.
Friday 14:10.30am meet at Jones St next to UTS tower for convoy to convergence site. Meet at 12.30pm at Campbell Hill reserve, 10 minutes walk from Villawood. Actions at Villawood on Friday afternoon and evening.
Saturday 15: 10.30am mass protest with Chinese community (location to be confirmed).
3-9pm, multicultural music festival (location to be confirmed)
Sunday 16: morning - possible protest at Kirribilli
3-9pm, refugee movement conference (venue to be confirmed)
CAMPING
We will be camping on Friday night at least. If you are Sydney-based and can billet (or are from interstate and need billeting) call John on 0409 777 173.
.......................................................................
MEDIA RELEASE Easter protests will go ahead
Villawood detainees protest at relocation. Refugee supporters say release the detainees.
A statement signed by three detainees has threatened hunger strike protests against any attempt to remove them from Villawood detention centre. Reports from inside Villawood, where a meeting is only now being held with detainees (5.00pm, Monday) indicates that many detainees are fearful and angry about the Minister’s announcement that they will be moved tomorrow. (Text of letter sent Minister Vanstone below).
One detainee told the Refugee Action Coalition that people are very fearful of being sent to Baxter detention centre in South Australia. “Many people will protest,” they said.
Refugee supporters have called on the Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone to release the detainees, not relocate them.
“Asbestos or no asbestos, Villawood is a toxic site that should be closed. Detention has already damaged so many people and now the possibility of asbestosis hangs over their future,” said Ian Rintoul spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.
“It is a perfect opportunity for the Minister to release the detainees rather than relocate them in other detention facilities that can only add to their anxiety.
“The minister has said that all detainees will be returned to Villawood, but there is little confidence among the detainees or refugee supporters that the government can be trusted to keep their word. Removing detainees from Villawood will make public scrutiny of the government’s treatment of detainees that much harder,” said Ian Rintoul.
“It is typical that the government would hold a press conference to announce the relocation of the detainees before they even discussed the issue with the detainees themselves. If the Minister was really concerned about the welfare of the detainees in her care, she would have talked to the detainees first about this issue was going to be managed. This is a classic piece of damage control that may well make things worse.
“The timing of the government’s announcement, just days before a planned Easter weekend of protest action, is also suspicious. But we can assure the government that the protests will go ahead. The protest action by detainees may well mean that people are still behind the wire at Villawood.”
“The government’s announced review of asylum process for West Papuans has shown that the government has no serious commitment to human rights. We are determined to make the point that the government policy needs fundamental reform and Villawood should be closed, not ‘cleaned up’.”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
Text of letter to Minister, (sent 4.04pm, 10/4/06):
To Minister for Immigration
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are deeply concerned about unconfirmed information that you and or your department is proceeding to transfer the detainees from VIDC to an unknown location. Given the fact that we consider this exercise is intended to or is planned to be conducted very shortly, without any discussion with us and without any notice. We consider that this exercise is a conspiratorial conduct designed to exacerbate our stress, anxiety and to effectively restrict our communication and our support from the community including the legal support.
We hereby declares that any attempt to our transfer to any other place from VIDC will compel us to go for a hunger strike until death or until we are released from the detention. If you intend to kill us only then proceed with this exercise. Thank you.
Signed
Motahar Hussein
Harinda Kharbanda
Zakir Baghban
HA
