Re: Australian Boat People Saga - another resource

[Jenny Campbell <gaffcam@mira.net>]

Dear all,
Barbara's links are useful here, but I still need to inform you that
Barbara is using language that in itself shows a bias.
Not that I mind that, but for anyone to pretend that they are unbiased
is absurd.
Let's look at this phrase 'asylum seekers arriving illegally by boat'
At least the media in this country is now calling these people 'asylum
seekers' instead of just the term 'illegals'
But I wish to alert you to the fact that not all in Australia refer to
these people as illegal.
Exactly what law have they broken?
People fleeing from oppressive regimes to try to get to one less so are
guilty only of that.
Why they think Australia is the place to come is beyond me! But I'm
lucky enough to live here I guess.
Barbara is not alerting you to other media reports. eg. Phillip Adams
(another journalist) attacked the Immigration minister for saying that
'no more than 200 people in Australia would house escaped refugees'
(This is in Australian Weekend review) This is referring not to these
Tampa boat people but those who are detained in camps in Australia once
they get here and have to wait years to be processed. Some of them escape.
Phillip Adams has challenged this statement by saying that thousand
would house them. I am sure that this challenge will be met by a rousing
support for these refugees.
When Barbara talks of investigative research into the Tampa incident
(still not resolved because the federal court has an injunction on the
vessel beng forced out of Australian waters), what is not being relayed
is the whole picture and why this is such an important question to
Australians.
Australia has taken in only 4,000 boat people in total. Compare this
with what other countries take in. Like India.
What is embarrassing too for those of us who do not agree with the
Australian government is that East Timor was approached to take the
Tampa people in and another tiny country with no resource (Nehru). Now
the Tampa people will most likely be transported to New Guinea if the
federal injunction is lifted. Then they will be processed in these other
countries who have offered to assist. 200 residents of Christmas island
, population 1200, protested against the Australian government also.
These residents said let them land. Even Pauline Hanson who you have
probably heard of said that she thought they should at least be
processed at Christmas Island.
I am not in a  school to be able to give you a lot of resources to look
at. I presume Barbara gave you the web address of the Australian Weekend
Review.
This is a hot issue in Australia and I don't think Barbara is
communicating why that is.
I write because Barbara does and being Australian I want to correct a
view that is being relayed as the view of all Australians.
Jenny


Barbara Braxton wrote:

>Asylum seekers arriving illegally by boat are not new to this country (or a
>lot of other countries) although most situations do not get the
>international publicity that the latest effort has.
>
>The Federal Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission has responded to
>the need to provide a clear guide to what the situation is in a booklet
>which has three sections. - Migrants, Immigrants and Multiculturalism;
>Asylum Seekers and Refugees; Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islanders.
>
>Its called Face the Facts and its format is question and answer such as Who
>are refugees? How do they differ from migrants? followed by two or three
>clear paragraphs.  It is has been sent to all Australian schools but is
>also available online at
>http://www.humanrights.gov.au/racial_discrimination/face_facts/index.html
>If that direct link doesn't work for you then go to
>http://www.humanrights.gov.au  > Racial Discrimination > Face the Facts  And
>they have even put this little para at the end ....Copying is permissible
>provided acknowledgment is made to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
>Commission.
>Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Sydney, March 2001
>
>Frank Di Salle has also suggested a way that the situation could be used in
>webquest fashion for younger students and I am hoping he will post it to the
>list or give me permission to do so.
>
>There has been no decision in the Federal Court case as the Norwegian
>captain of the MV Tampa is refusing to testify, but, as is the way with news
>reports, no explanation is being given.  It could be that he is required to
>be in Melbourne in person, a place that is thousands of kilometres from his
>ship which is anchored off Christmas Island which itself is 1700 kilometres
>from the Australian mainland.
>
>Will keep you posted
>
>Kia ora
>Barbara
>
>Barbara Braxton
>Teacher Librarian
>Palmerston District Primary School
>PALMERSTON ACT 2913
>AUSTRALIA
>
>T. 02 6205 7241
>F. 02 6205 7242
>E. barbara@austarmetro.com.au
>W. http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au
>
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--
Cheers,
Jenny Campbell, unemployed teacher librarian
Melbourne,
Australia
http://www.knowledgecollegetutors.com
gaffcam@mira.net

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