John Howard didn’t ‘stop the boats’. Tony Abbott won’t ‘stop the boats’. No increases in the severity of punishment of asylum seekers will stop the boats. With no end in sight to the Rajapaksa regime’s persecution of Tamils, Tamil asylum seekers will still be taking boats to Australia. Abbott can’t stop this without increasing our support for the Sri Lankan Navy capturing Tamil asylum seekers and taking them back to certain torture and possible death. Similarly, The US approach of ‘shooting and talking’ with insurgents in Afghanistan, where the US deliberately sidelines crucial partners in the peace process, means that the war will continue and more Afghans will flee following the 2014 ISAF troop withdrawal date. Tell the politicians that no-one can ‘stop the boats’. Tell them that punishing human beings is folly. Tell them that we must welcome all asylum seekers. Tell them that we must treat all humans with dignity and respect. Come along to the World Refugee Day Rally and March (TOMORROW). Stop mandatory detention, end offshore detention, stop deportations, allow refugees on Bridging Visas to work. Sunday 16 June, 12 noon. Gather @ Exhibition Building, Nicholson Street, near Gertrude Street (beside Carlton Gardens). https://facebook/events/535144469853350/
Posted on: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 05:45:56 +0000