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Local News and Commentary |
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Everything is Not Fine and Dandy in Port Augusta |
by Rig Email: sievx01 (nospam) yahoo.com.au |
09 Jun 2005
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The Baxter immigration detention centre is an obvious blight on the image of this town, however there is a more deep-seated conflict. This is the intensification of policing operations aimed at the town’s Aboriginal population and the underlying racist sentiment that drives it.
In February of this year a STAR force team was used against Aboriginal people congregating on an area of foreshore. The STAR force team was deployed at the request of the Local Council and police. The Council cited serious public order issues as the reason for this aggressive action, however in the context of Port Augusta’s history of white settlement and Aboriginal dispossession, this seemed like yet another act in a long line of racially motivated abuses by the white land-owning establishment |
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News :: Civil Liberties & Human Rights : Refugees & Asylum seekers |
Notorious isolation unit re-opened at Baxter |
by adele indy |
24 May 2005
Modified: 12:49:15 PM |
Just in case you were thinking that the release last night of 3 year old Naomi Leong from the Villawood immigration prison marks a change for the better in Australia's brutal and unyielding treatment of refugees, think again. The ghosts of Tampa and SIEV-X are not so easily dispelled. The notorious 'Red 1' isolation compound in Baxter Detention Centre is being used again, after being closed since the February release of Australian Cornelia Rau who had been wrongfully held there for over two months. Ask any asylum seeker who has been locked up in "Management" at Baxter about their individual experience and you will hear reports of humiliation, physical and mental cruelty, and deprivation of basic human rights. An African asylum seeker was forcibly taken to Red 1 compound last Saturday (21 May). He has not been able to make any phone calls since being placed in the compound. Baxter refugees staged a protest on May 23 to highlight the situation of the man placed in Red 1. Mira Wroblewski, National Rural Australians for Refugees (RAR) spokesperson, said her organisation is extremely concerned about this development. "Detainees who are psychologically fragile after years of detention, are again being punished by being placed in isolation units." RAR is concerned that detainees who are put into Red 1 compound have no right of appeal, and their placement in this compound is under the control of individual employees of GSL, the company contracted by the Australian Government to run detention centres. "GSL is able to operate with secrecy and its actions lack accountability", said Ms Wroblewski.
Meanwhile Attorney-General Philip Ruddock has used the controversial and illegal deportation of Australian citizen Vivian Alvarez to the Philippines 4 years ago to again push the barrow of the necessity of a universal identification system, claiming that its lack made it difficult to identify people who did not provide correct information to authorities. This is a highly spurious argument given the existence of extensive inter-linked government databases such as the Movements and Reporting System that contains details of ALL individuals' movements in and out of Australia, holding data from 1980.
LINKS:
Notorious isolation unit re-opened at Baxter
freed from life in detention
Cornelia Rau's first press conference (video)
more Rau digest from mainstream wires
Ruddock 'in dark' on Alvarez
Personal Information Digest-Border Control and Compliance Division |
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News :: Anti Racism : Civil Liberties & Human Rights : Indigenous Issues & Reconciliation |
Kevin Buzzacott Arrested |
by Chris Littlejohn Email: akrisalisATyahoo.com.au |
06 Apr 2005
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Arabunna Elder Mr Kevin Buzzacott was arrested tonight at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra. |
Read the full article... |
Announcement :: Refugees & Asylum seekers |
BAXTER05 |
by bert |
22 Mar 2005
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BAXTER 05 IS ALIVE!
This weekend people from across the continent (and around the world) will converge on the Baxter Detention Centre to demand an end to the Howard government's inhumane policies. Baxter05.info is the site you need to go to to get the lowdown on the happenings, to catch up on the discussions and to either see the news as it is reported or PUBLISH the news yourself. |
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News :: Anti Racism : Indigenous Issues & Reconciliation : Police & Thieves : Urban Development |
Port Augusta - Riot Cops to disband Aboriginal meeting places |
by Gayle Mather |
19 Feb 2005
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Just a note to let you know that things are pretty tough in Port Augusta right now. |
Read the full article... (2 comments) |
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Regional features from Oceania |
oceania :: features |
Wiranto Mengakui 14 Aktivis Yang Hilang Sudah Meninggal |
by Jakarta IMC
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14 Jun 2005 |
Kasus Penculikan Aktivis 1997-1998 Mantan Panglima TNI Jenderal (Purn) Wiranto mengakui bahwa 14 korban penghilangan paksa pada 1997-1998 yang sampai saat ini tidak diketahui nasibnya, semuanya sudah meninggal. Hal itu diungkapkan oleh ketua tim Ikatan Orang Hilang Indonesia (Ikohi) Mugianto dalam konferensi pers di Jakarta hari ini (14/6).
IKOHI mendapatkan informasi bahwa Jenderal Wiranto mengakui bahwa 14 korban penghilangan paksa tahun 1997-1998 yang sampai saat ini tidak diketahui nasibnya, semuanya sudah meninggal. Mugiyanto mengatakan informasi ini sangat valid. Dia mendapatkan |
more... |
oceania :: features |
Tanpa Pembacaan Hak, Gendo Divonis 6 Bulan Penjara |
by Jakarta IMC
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14 Jun 2005 |
Aktivis Bali Mempertanyakan Kesalahan Prosedural Persidangan Hari ini senin 13/06/2005 beberapa aktivis bali mendatangi Pengadilan Negri (PN) Denpasar untuk mempertanyakan proses peradilan terhadap Gendo yang sarat nuansa konspirasi.
Seperti diketahui bahwa Gendo divonis 6 bulan penjara (dipotong masa tahanan) pada hari jumat lalu. Namun ada kesalahan prosedural yang terjadi dalam persidangan. Seharusnya Senin kemarin (13/6) Gendo sudah bebas, tetapi pembebasannya ditangguhkan sampai bulan Juli tanpa alasan yang jelas.
Ketika vonis dibacakan memang sempat terjadi kericuhan akibat massa yang |
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oceania :: features | :: perth |
Walk against Wargames - Day 3 Update from the road |
| 13 Jun 2005 |
From the newswire: An update from the road up till Day 3 of our peace pilgramage from Lancelin to Fremantle... The Walk Against Wargames began on June 10th. We are walking from the Lancelin Defence Training Area to Fremantle Harbour. [ See WALK AGAINST WARGAMES - PEACE WALK FEATURE ] Talisman Sabre Joint Training Exercise is being held from June 10-30th at various training areas around Australia, involving 10,000 US troops and 20,000 Australian troops. The SeaSwap program has seen US Navy training at Lancelin Defence Training Area over the last 3 years. The environmental contamination |
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oceania :: features |
Direct action shuts down wood chip mill |
by Melbourne Indymedia
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12 Jun 2005 |
South East Fibre Exports woodchip mill was shutdown on Friday after 5 conservationists attached themselves to a conveyor belt in a protest against the wood chipping of old growth forest. [Full Story] |
more... |
oceania :: features |
Gas Wars Erupt Again in Bolivia |
by Melbourne Indymedia
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12 Jun 2005 |
In the latest phase of Bolivia's "gas wars", President Carlos Mesa resigned on June 6 under heavy pressure from social movements to nationalize the country's oil and gas industry. Peasant farmers are taking over oil fields, transportation is paralyzed and the U.S. Embassy has begun evacuating personnel. |
more... |
oceania :: features | :: manila |
Philippines, in the Brink of New Revolt |
| 11 Jun 2005 |
(July 11, 2005): A possible revolt in the Philippines is set to occur anew, after a recorded evidence of 2004 Election fraud surfaced last week. Among those who were caught on tape is Pres. Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo, Sen. Barbers and Comelec Commissioner Garcillano, etc. A call to ouster the President is raging in the streets as 6,000 military troops cordoning Metro Manila signalled the city in full red alert situation. Church bishops called for a National Day of Mourning. For more Updates, read the NEWSWIRE To Update News, post your articles HERE Take your own risk to broadcast the recorded |
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oceania :: features |
Election Fraud: GMA Caught on Tape |
by QC IMC
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11 Jun 2005 |
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, whose election and proclamation in 2004 as president continues to be widely-perceived as fraudulent, has been the subject of a new round of protests including those demanding her resignation, impeachment and ouster from office. |
more... |
oceania :: features | :: manila |
Students Want Higher Education Budget |
| 10 Jun 2005 |
School year 2005 started this week with a large number of student drop-outs comparing to its previous percentage last year. The reason behind the trend of students dropping-out from school is the "lack of Government's allocation for Education Budget", said the student group Samahan ng Demokratikong Kabataan (SDK) after stating their demand to increase the Education Budget rather than allocating the large quantity of national budget to debt servicing that cost a massive amount of P301 Billion annually.[ Full Story ] 84% of Philippine public shools has no water, 25% has no rooftops, 55% has no |
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oceania :: features | :: perth |
White Supremacist threatens violent attacks |
| 10 Jun 2005 |
From the newswire... White Supremacist threatens violent attacks: Anti-racism activists say they fear for their safety after uncovering evidence that white supremacists plan to set up a "hit list" website called Redwatch Downunder. The site will feature names, photographs, home and work addresses, car registrations and family details of anti-racism campaigners, refugee advocates, gay rights activists and other at-risk minorities. The Australian and New Zealand anti-racism group Fight dem back! discovered that Ben Weerheym, who was convicted over a spate of racist graffiti attacks in Perth last |
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oceania :: features |
War Games: Not in Our Name. |
by Melbourne Indymedia
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10 Jun 2005 |
This week joint US-Australian military exercises, Talisman Sabre 2005, will begin in Shoalwater Bay, north of Rockhampton on Queensland's central coast. Hundreds of activists are making their way to Rockhampton for The National Peace Convergence to protest this tangible sign of Howardâs commitment to the Iraq war and US militarism. |
more... |
oceania :: features |
Badan Pembinaan Hukum TNI: Prajurit TNI Aktif Menolak Panggilan Komnas HAM |
by Jakarta IMC
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9 Jun 2005 |
Pemanggilan Saksi Pelaku Kasus Penculikan Aktivis Tim Penyelidikan Penghilangan Orang Secara Paksa 1997-1998 Komisi Nasional Hak Asasi Manusia (Komnas HAM), Jumat lalu (3/6) menjadwalkan pemanggilan tiga orang jenderal, yaitu Wiranto, Prabowo dan Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin. Pemanggilan itu bertujuan untuk memperoleh fakta, informasi dan data baru mengenai keberadaan 44 orang yang menghilang begitu saja antara April 1997 sampai Mei 1998. Tim Mawar Kopassus mengakui hanya menculik 9 aktivis yang kemudian dibebaskan. Tim tersebut sudah diadili pengadilan militer. Sementara itu 1 aktivis ditemukan |
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oceania :: features | :: perth |
The Walk Against Wargames Peace Pilgrimage - June 10-18th 2005 |
| 8 Jun 2005 |
UPDATE: "Defence Force fires warning at protesters" - ABC 10jun05 The Walk Against Wargames Peace Pilgrimage From Lancelin Defence Training Area to Fremantle Harbour. June 10-18th 2005. A group of walkers will travel from LANCELIN TO FREMANTLE... The Walk is held in solidarity with a Peace Convergence at Shoalwater Bay in Queensland, one of the sites to be used in the Talisman Sabre Joint Training Exercise. There will also be a peace vigil held in Vieques, Puerto Rico, on June 17th at the gates of the old US Navy training ground. Updates will be posted at www.peacepilgrimage.net - look for the |
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oceania :: features | :: manila |
Eco-activists Stormed the Toxic Pollutant Headquarters in Manila |
| 3 Jun 2005 |
MANILA-- Mirant- an American coal-power company in Toledo, Cebu stormed its headquarters in Manila by Greenpeace activists, wrapping it with a huge banner and branding the coal-power company as a toxic polluter and climate killer, thus demanding the Senate to immediately resume investigation of MirantÂs dirty designs and to compel the company to stop its expansion plans. The peaceful activists were shortly apprehended by the authorities according to local newspaper reports, last week.[ Full Story ] Greanpeace found the coal power plant positive for mercury, a deadly neurotoxin, arsenic and |
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