The Social Justice Network (SJN) condemns unreservedly the Labor minority government’s singing on the Malaysian “solution” deal. The deal is a clear violation to many international treaties and agreements that were signed by Australia long time ago. On the top of this are the violations to many articles in the Geneva Convention on Refugees status, 1952, and subsequent protocols. The deal especially violates the “non-refoulement” principle in the Geneva Convention.
“We do not know why asylum seekers arriving by boats are treated differently to asylum seekers arriving by planes” said Jamal Daoud, spokesperson of SJN. “The deal with Malaysia means effectively that refugees arriving by boats will be denied basic rights of non-refoulement that their counterparts arriving by planes are still enjoying”.
The deal with Malaysia has more serious implications on Multiculturalism and social harmony in the society.
“We note here the irony of the singing on the deal on the next day of the massacres in Oslo by Anti-migrants Anti-Muslims extremist. The Australian government has sent the wrong message to the whole world by caving in for the extreme racists’ demands to crack down on migration, especially Muslims”
The deal with Malaysia is a bid from the current minority government to win back racist voters who deserted the Labor party in the last election on this particular issue.
“The Labor minority government cannot understand that the voters have deserted the Labor party for opposite reasons” Mr Daoud added. “The voters clearly were shocked when the Labor party did not stand up for Multiculturalism and against Islamophobia”
“We have great faith in Australian people to believe that in fact voters deserted the Labor after they did not feel any difference between them and the extreme racist Liberal party. The evidence on this is the high record of people voted for the Greens who claimed to support Multiculturalism and asylum seekers rights”
“But contrary to the Greens claims, we hold the Greens party equal responsibility on these serious setbacks of human rights in Australia. The Greens have flexed their muscles in the face of the Labor minority government on many issues, but the asylum seekers rights”
In this instance we wonder why the Greens were successful in enforcing the government to introduce Carbon Tax, re-opening of same-sex marriage debate, banning life cattle trade with Indonesia and on many other issues. But the Greens are claiming to have no muscles in the face of the Labor’s attack on boat people’s right to seek asylum in Australia.
“We are giving this issue such huge importance because we believe that it plays major role in undermining the social cohesion and social harmony. The attack on boat people are no more than attack on Multiculturalism and rights of people from minor ethnic and religious groups to live equally in the society. Such attacks that lead to the Oslo horrendous massacres 2 days ago”
The slide of the Labor and the Greens popularity in recent opinion polls are clear indications that Australians had fed up with political cowardness. The majority of Australians who voted against Howard’s government in 2007 election, actually voted for deep change in society. On the top of these issues are the attack on Multiculturalism and human rights. But for the last 4 years, no major changes to Howard’s polices were introduced by Labor - Greens. In fact, things now are worse on human rights and Multiculturalism issues than during Howard’s dark era.
We note here that the Labor-Greens government has:
1- Introduced the most racist migration laws in any Western democracies, where virtually people from Non-English speaking countries has nil chance to migrate to Australia, but on spouse visas. The English proficiency was introduced to be the main important issues for skilled, business and working migration.
2- Re-introduced Temporary protection visas.
3- Introduced Malaysian solution (which is by all experts’ opinions are far worse than Pacific solution).
4- Enforced very harsh circumstances in detentions which resulted in many deaths-suicides, mass self-harm attempts and mass riots and protests.
We hold Labor-Greens government the full responsibility of any serious Oslo-like attacks in Australia as a result of not doing much to crack down on extreme racism and Islamophobia in the society. We believe, from recent attacks and threats to us and to other human rights campaigners, that extremism, racisms and Islamophobia are on steep rise in Australia. This is a direct result of the total lack of leadership form our politicians in Canberra to stand up against extremists and racists. If things continue on this track, we believe that dark days are awaiting us.
For media comments, Jamal Daoud can be contacted on 0404 447 272
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