Sydney Free the Refugees Rally

A Free the Refugees Rally outside Sydney Town Hall tonight drew a nice vocal crowd, and the friday night crowds attention to one of the many contentious human rights policies of Australias Rudd Labor Government. The nation which accepted thousands of white South Africans who felt uncomfortable to stay there in the aftermath of apartheid (and integrated many ex-South African Police into its police forces) , allowed those "refugees" the dignity of arriving by plane, with an immigration purple corridor especially for them.No such favour was shown to Khmer,Lao and Vietnamese boat people, many of whom had supported the Australian-US invasion of their country.

Today, refugee arrivals are Tamils from Sri Lanka, Rohingya (and others) escaping brutal Military persecution in Burma ( Myanmar ) and Afghans escaping another Australia-US-UK axis instigated war in Afghanistan. Like the earlier boat people from South East Asia,these non europeans are processed as refugees - and detained in overcrowded and inhuman conditions which make Australias jails look like 5 star hotels. They are detained behind barbed wire.They are prisoners without a crime, awaiting the glacial processes of an immigration department which carefully regulates immigration to ensure that the correct balance in favour of europeans and other sympathisers of their political system,is maintained.

 Of the mainstream political parties Parliamntary Twinset Liberals and Labor were notable for their absence - while the Greens maintained a high degree of visibility - adding somewhat to their credibility #Ozelection2010

Two ways to do something listed below

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Get involved with the Refugee Action Coalition

next meetings 6pm Monday 3 May 6pm Mon 17 May

NSW Teachers Federation 23-33 Mary St Surry Hills

http://refugeeactioncoalitionsydney.wordpress.com

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Solidarity Meeting

Does Rudd need racism to win the election?

The cowardly decision by the Rudd Labor Government to freeze the new refugee visa applications from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan is a craven attempt to ensure the government's re-election, giving in to the opposition Liberal Party's hysteria on refugees.It has no justification in terms of the Labor Government's claims that the situation in both countries is "evolving"- journalists, Tamils and opposition figures are routinely thrown in jail ,or murdered, in Sri Lanka. The war in Afghanistan has worsened in recent months and, with respect of the recent civilian deaths at the hands of US-Australian coalition military forces, have a legitimate right to fear for their lives from all participants in state violence (Often misdefined as a war, in fact wars are fought between "sovereign nations"- which sovereign nation opposes the US-Australian-UK inspired "Coalition of the Killing?".

Rudd has toughened his refugee policy further and further to virtually mirror the Liberal (Coalition) position. This forum will discuss why the government has done this, how they could stand up against racism and what we can do to force them to reverse their stand.

7pm Thursday May 6

Brown St Hall,

Brown St, Newtown

(off King St above Newtown Library)

ph 9211 2600 email sydney@solidarity.net.au for info