Aussies stand up for LGBTI refugees after death on Manus Island
THOUSANDS of Australians took to the streets over the weekend to show compassion for asylum seekers, including LGBTI refugees, after one was killed and about 60 injured inside the Manus Island detention centre.
There are growing calls for offshore detentions centres on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and Nauru to be closed and for Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to resign over his handling of the death of asylum seeker Reza Berati.
An Iranian Kurd, 23-year-old Berati arrived on Christmas Island five days after then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced last July that all refugees arriving in Australia by boat would be processed and indefinitely detained on Manus Island.
In response, on Saturday about 600 people protested outside Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s electoral office at Manly in Sydney’s northern beaches.
Speaking at the rally, organised by the Refugee Action Coalition, Metropolitan Community Church pastor and Community Action Against Homophobia co-convenor Karl Hand said it was important for the LGBTI community to show its support for asylum seekers, some of whom were fleeing persecution because of their sexuality or gender identity.
鈥淭he threat of expulsion to Manus Island is particularly terrifying for some asylum seekers given the criminalisation of homosexuality in Papua New Guinea,” Hand told the Star Observer.
“Amnesty International said last year that staff would be forced to report suspected same-sex activity in the detention centre. PNG can prosecute same-sex people with a penalty of 14 years jail.
鈥淗owever, the LGBTI community has the power to stop people being deported to such dangerous destinations. When the community has fought for refugees to be granted asylum, it has generally succeeded.鈥�
Amnesty International researcher Graeme McGregor, who visited the Manus facility recently and compiled a report that compared it to a 鈥渢orture camp鈥�, told the Star Observer this week that concerns for LGBTI asylum seekers on the island still stood with Morrison not accepting any of the 70 recommendations made in the report to guarantee the safety of detainees.
鈥淭hey continue to be told they are not allowed to have sex and that if they do engage in sexual activity there is a system of mandatory reporting to PNG police,” McGregor said.
“Obviously, as we have seen there are serious concerns about the conduct of the PNG police… We also continue to have concerns about the fact that condoms are not allowed to be distributed within the facility which poses a serious health risk within the camp to all the men in the facility.鈥�
Soon after Berati’s death on February 17, Morrison had alleged he died after rioting and escaping the centre along with others.
However, over the weekend Morrison admitted that initial information was incorrect.
鈥淚 wish to confirm that contrary to initial reports received, I have received further information that indicates that the majority of the riotous behaviour that occurred, and the response to that behaviour to restore order to the centre, took place within the perimeter of the centre,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he further information I have now received casts further doubt on the initial advice that his injuries were sustained outside the centre.鈥�
Last night, candlelight vigils in memory of Berati took place across the country co-organised by lobby group GetUp, Amnesty International and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre with up to 10,000 people attending the gatherings in Melbourne and Sydney.
鈥淭he truth is we just don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 happening in these places, the government鈥檚 shut off the lights, taking censorship to an unprecedented level,鈥� GetUp national director Sam McLean said.
鈥淚t’s past time to switch those lights back on 鈥� we need a truly independent inquiry into this tragedy and proper public scrutiny of these places.鈥�
Greens leader Christine Milne has called for a Royal Commission into Australia’s offshore detention system for refugees while also calling for Morrison to resign.
Morrison’s office did not return the Star Observer’s calls nor respond to emails and Facebook messages seeking clarification on the safety of LGBTI refugees on Manus Island.
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Australians are the most racist in the world and our constitution from 1900 is the most racist as well – or a western country. Our migration/immigration laws are completely outdated, laws banning gay marriage since 2004 are an embarrassment to the rest of the western world, our broadband internet is extremely slow, our highways are chocking and full of accidents are complete hell for families (e.g. The Pacific Highway or “the Goat track”), a public transport system is in a complete shambles and has not changed since the 1960’s and our justice and court system is beyond a total joke!
Need I say more?!
All the bleating about refugees as though we have no system in place to facilitate accepting genuine refugees. The fact is we have a system – you either apply or enter a holding facility where you apply in any number of countries and in time you will be heard and processed. It has been broadcast near and far that Australia does not nor will not accept people who come by boat. Labor stuffed it completely and had hordes arriving in just a few short years and the system was overwhelmed costing us (the Australian tax payer) literally nearly three billion dollars plus some.
To restore things the Libs had no choice but to be hard and that’s what we are seeing now. Any sign of “soft cock” will start the whole vicious trade up again.
Yes we all feel sorry for genuine cases but now that the system is back under control perhaps they will have more chance now to be processed properly – whether they are gay or straight etc. One thing that does come first with many of us is our own sovereignty and that comes before anything.
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See everybody, for Ron it isn’t really about ‘boat people’ at all.
Back to topic…. there are are two entry points for those seeking asylum to Australia, however the government and the media only focus on the one. Boats. The public also should be told:
1. How many arrive by plane.
2. Where are they detained until their applications are processed?
3. What is the cost to the taxpayer via this access route?
4. What is the physical and psychological cost to the detainees via this method of arrival?
5. Are there harsh penalties for arriving by plane?
6. Do the government maintain a list of how many days they have not had an arrival by plane?
When the public are being fed only snippets of the whole story, it becomes easy to manipulate for political purposes. Give the public the whole story and they should be able to analyse the merit of the overall policy and form a valid opinion about the acceptance or rejection of those seeking asylum.
Re: David’s posting above.
I just love how whenever someone speaks out against Islamic “refugees” entering Australia, the left always wheel out one or two shining examples of a pin up boy or girl, who’s a doctor and helps people etc etc.
That’s absolutely irrelevant. There are already thousands of migrants coming legally to Australia every year contributing and are also becoming doctors or shining examples of citizens, and I dare say to a far higher degree than refugees are, being that legal migrants must have qualifications that benefit Australia to get PR in the first place. Your point is invalid.
Fact remains you’re completely and utterly ignorant of Islam and it’s nature as are all similar left wing people. Greens followers seem to believe that if you “love” your fellow man and do them a good turn and let them into the country, give them free housing, welfare, medicare at taxpayers expense these muslim refugees will then suddenly drop their social values they have held for a thousand of year and start liking gay people, because of course, it’s only the “extremists” that hate gays.
今日吃瓜flash. I challenge you to educate yourself on any, and I mean ANY heterosexual practicing muslims views on men who have sex with men.
Checkout Australian muslims facebook page and the kind of stuff that is said about Mardi Gras.
Not all may want to put you to death, however they are all extremely homophobic, and dogmatically anti-gay.
They will not deviate from their religion, few to none will ever leave their religion and become atheist or convert and there is no Imam in this country that preaches tolerance toward gay people. Not one.
Perhaps you all ought to offer refugee status to the Westboro Baptist church as well? They are living in fear of their lives, get regular death threats and are being persecuted as well.
Perhaps they will then change their dogmatic biblical views and start liking gay people just because you’ve helped them.
Don’t hold your breath.
And as for me voting Liberal and Cory Bernardi. I don’t agree with him either, however we have a 2 party preferred system and the liberal party were simply less bad, than Labor. In addition, might I had, Labors’ Stephen Conroy has made similar statements against gay people.
Ron, I live in a country area, about six hours drive from Sydney, and four hours from Melbourne. Some of those Muslims you go on about, are doctors, that make a tremendous difference in my town. Some came here as refugees fleeing places like Iraq. One even told me, it was better under Sadam. He respected religions, and would even use his army outside of churches and mosques to protect them. There were no US cluster bombs or Daisy cutters before. Sort of reminds me of Australia supporting Indonesia, that generated shit loads of refugees from East Timor. I do not know, I have not lived there. I can only imagine someone was very desperate to escape, and live in a remote part of Australia where I live. My local Chinese restaurant in the next town, is run a by person who came here is a refugee. His sons have become doctors. Not a bad contribution.
I just find it hard to understand what the thinking is. Do you want to send back some refugees, or all? What about children born here, or what about Australians who convert to Islam? Do we send those somewhere? I am not understanding what you are saying exactly. But I live in a country area. We rely on immigration, including refugees, to work in many of our vegetable farms that sell to the city to people like you. I rely on a good health service. There is a six week wait to see a GP in my area. But heck, what would I know right, as you say, I must by homophobic and inner city lefty. They sure as hell are not turning me away because I am not Muslim. They are treating me with respect. The same respect I only wish a few others had. You will forgive me if I am bloody angry, we are spending billions on smoke screen, so people like you think they are being sent back, while my hospital has funding cut after funding cut. Someone has to pay for the panic.
If there is a list of homophobes, it would be a long one. If you are saying you do not like these people because they are homophobes, perhaps we can start by adding a few others to that list if that is alright with you. The people have actually done things, to hurt others, in the name of Christianity.
Ron I respect your right to vote Liberal. But Tony Abbott does care about refugees, only to create moral panic in people like yourself. Refugees are still coming here, we accept thousands per year. It might look like they are being turned away, but others still come here off a 747 daily, from refugee camps with the governments blessing. This issue, as I have said, is not a matter of left or right. It is not a matter if you live in a city, or outer suburb. It is a matter of human decency. That is why liberals such as Malcolm Fraser is so outraged.
Ron M accuses people he has absolutely no idea about and has never spoken to of having extremist and hateful views while under his very nose the party that excuses the hateful and bigoted views of Cory Bernardi is doing its best to ensure that gay people in this country DO NOT have equal rights. And he votes for them! There are none so blind….you know the rest.
My eyes read Ron Meagher but my ears hear Pauline Hanson.
The “stop the boats” sloganeering makes a little sense when you hear from the audiende it was contrived for.
Ron, people once spoke about people of the Jewish faith, with similar vitriol. We take refugees, as a result of what happened next. I would not call Malcolm Fraser of the left, but the former PM is outraged, at the fear campaign Tony Abbott is running. Fortunately, not everyone is gullible. Abbott is using the same fear campaign strategy that resulted in the White Australia Policy.
In the eighties and early nineties, some in the LNP, and churches, called for special barbed wire camps to be setup in the desert, to put homosexuals. Proffessor Fred Hollows, was one of the bullies engaged in the fear campaign. All in the name of a Christian God, of course. I guess we are all just fortunate here that brave people took a stand, just as some are now.
Sure you can find extremist Muslims. Some African Christian countries are putting forward legislation to put us to death. We still have hate crimes in Australia because of sexuality or gender identity. We are told by Tony Abbott, this is a Christian country. A criminology report noted crimes against gay people are unusual because of the extreme violence. We still have Cardinal Pell, saying homosexuality is the broken threads on the tapestry of creation.
In any case, not all refugees are Muslim or Christian. You either take refugees, or you do not. Tony Abbott has a policy that leads to death and torture. He goes further, to help arm countries like Sri Lanka, to kill and torture those feeling, giving of all things, navy patrol boats.
Where governments are torturing people, and killing them, people will leave by any means. If Abbott cared about stopping drownings, he would make our embassies accessible, and fly in more people from camps. People are in the same camps advocated for GLBTI Australians, within living memory. I do expect all to show compassion, or the ability to give the kind of respect you expect people to give you, but I am so glad that some can.
Dave your comparison is ridiculous.
Since when, ever, at any time, did Jewish people, shoot, hang or stone gay people?
There is only one religion that has been consistently atrocious toward the gay community, and that’s Islam.
They are far, far worse than the worst Christians.
I cannot name a Christian country or denomination that executes gay people.
I can name several Islamic ones that do.
Refugees should be deported and never allowed to settle here, form voting blocs and harm others.
They are only victims “now”.. That does not mean they wouldn’t do the same thing if they had the power to oppress others, and they have done.
Hell no.
I will continue voting Liberal until Labor takes a harder line against Islamic migration whether or not it’s via refugees or otherwise, and I’m in a marginal seat.
Internalized homophobia is a very sad thing to have Dave.
You putting the rights of Muslims ahead of the safety and rights of your own community is even worse.
We are not worthless because we are gay, and I for one am not afraid to be accused by brainless inner city leftists (who nobody pays attention to anyway nowadays) who brand anyone who doesn’t agree with Islam, and Muslims killing homosexuals as racist.
I will vote for whatever party reduces the amount of Muslims in this country and keeps me and my rights safe.
I don’t fear to speak out against Muslims who have totalitarian beliefs based on their religion. In addition, uneducated leftists should realise Islam is not a “race”. Therefore people who speak out against the horrific acts created by this vile religion are not racist.
Again, I challenge you to let some muslims down at Lakemba mosque you’re gay and see the opinions you get. Ranging from being assaulted to chants of being put to death you can be pretty sure you will not be popular.
Thanks for letting them in Greens !
I am sick and tired of the vocal minority within the gay community with their pro-refugee stance.
I am personally very glad Tony Abbott is keeping these undesirables out of our country, and it’s one of the reasons I changed my vote to elect a Liberal party MP, the first in my seat of Barton for 50 years.
Just because these people (who are overwhelmingly Muslim) are fleeing “possible” harm, does NOT mean they will be accepting or even tolerant of gay people. All it means is that their branch of Islam is on the losing team at the present time.
It amazes me that The Greens and similiar leftist groups are so supporting of Islam, coining a new phrase “Islamaphobia”. Islam is a religion that overwhelmingly not only disapproves of gay people, but in many cases, executes us as well. There is no religion on this planet that is less tolerant toward gay people, than Islam. Yet these same leftist groups, bizarrely push their pro-Islam/anti-Christian-right stance.
I challenge these gay left-wing pro refugee advocates to go on down and stand opposite Lakemba mosque, and stage a “gay kiss in”, with your partners. Let’s see just how tolerant these people are that you are supporting and wanting more of in our country.
If you are wondering why Labor has become far more socially conservative, the Muslim voting bloc is your answer. Before the last federal election, my now jobless federal Labor MP attempted to get the Muslim vote by drumming up support at mosques within the electorate by stressing his socially conservative views, many of which were far more conservative than the newly elected Liberal MP. In fact Labor wouldn’t even consider a female candidate because “Muslims won’t vote for a woman”, and these are the people you won’t *more* of populating our suburbs?
Deport them, and turn back the boats at any cost.
Good on you Tony, you’ve got my vote !
Within living memory, in Australia, some police would go to beats, bash members of the GLBTI community, and throw them off the rocks to their death, or, as in South Australia, throw them into a cold river at night. If you were on the police radar, you could have your house raided, loose your job, and you could end up in jail. I still remember a so called gay activist, walking out of the Greater Union Cinema in Melbourne, and being charged with carrying a weapon. It was just his belt, a normal belt- I had similar belts, as did lots of my friends. Who could forget the Tasty Night Club raid, where, hundreds were strip searched, and anally penetrated with the same gloves. Police were well trained in HIV transmission.
Refugees also face persecution. It is shocking that most cannot go to an Australian Embassy in the countries they are fleeing. I find it abhorrent, a militia, can go into a refugee camp Australia is responsible for, and kill. I cannot understand Tony Abbott, giving Navy patrol boats, to Sri Lanka, a country condemned in report after report, by the United Nations. Human rights are not a matter of the right, or left, of politics. We all have them.
Many Prime Ministers past, are appalled by what the current Liberal Party is doing, and the Labor Party is echoing.
It is refreshing to see people take a stand against the atrocities the Australian government is committing. It is unfortunate, elements in the Labor and LNP parties, do not care, or have any understanding what it is like to be hunted, simply because of your birth.
Thank you for taking a stand for basic human dignity.
Perkin I suggest you look at this document which only covers the drownings we know about. It is widely accepted (even by the previous Labor Government) that this figure understates the actual deaths.
Or you can take this from the Guardian Fact check site
“The article points to the best estimates we have outside official figures. On those figures to conclude that 1000 deaths is 鈥渂roadly correct鈥� when the best figure is 877 seems generous – it is more reasonable to round 877 up to 900.”
Owen – got some verifable data to match the emotive “…over 1000 drowned” comment?
I think you will find the same protesters criticized the previous Government over their ham-fisted efforts to deal with the so-called “problem” of asylum seeking.
What did you do to help make Australia seem a better place, Owen?
I wonder how many of those same people protested when over 1000 drowned during the Rudd/Gillard Government? Hypocrites much???
Could we please use language that recognises that not all people who are potentially at harm from lack of access to condoms are people who identify as men?