MEDIA
RELEASE
14 April 2003
Refugee advocates
call for legal observers during the Easter protest
The call has been launched in response to concerns that punishment of detainees will be used to discourage protesters from highlighting the inhumanity of detention. Detainees are already feeling the heavy hand of the Department of Immigration in the lead-up to the Easter protests. Refugee Action Collective has received reports that eight male detainees have been put in isolated detention and have had their hands and feet flexi-cuffed.
We are concerned that the Immigration Department and the centre's management will use the protests as an opportunity to crack-down on detainees. This tactic has been used at past protests and is designed to discourage Australians who are deeply concerned about detainees from protesting at the centres and exposing the government's treatment of refugees.
"Any crack-down on detainees in response to the protest is tantamount to political blackmail on the part of the government." said Jody Betzien of the Refugee Action Collective.
Greens spokesperson on refugees, Pamela Curr has backed the call. "It is essential that legal observers are present at Baxter when detainees are at risk of violence from over-excited guards. The violence towards detainees from guards following last year's Woomera protest was extreme and should not be repeated. Independent monitors are the only way to ensure that."
Helen Yandel, a solicitor at the Western Suburbs Legal Service has also backed the call saying, "I would like to support the call for an independent legal team to be allowed into the Baxter detention centre over the Easter period to ensure the rights of detainees are upheld while at the same time endorsing the right of protesters to protest the continued detention of many refugees and asylum seekers."
For comment phone Jody Betzien 0438 191 768
Find out what happened at this event
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Baxter detainees,
shackled, cuffed, and mouths taped by guards
Project SafeCom Inc.
P.O. Box 364 Narrogin, Western Australia
Saturday 12 April 2003 - 11:00 WST
Refugee advocates have received reports from several sources of assault of eight detainees in the Baxter detention centre near Port Augusta, South Australia.
The assaults come a week before a mass Easter weekend demonstration by refugee groups around Australia, expected to amass many Australian activists at the location of the hostile detention facilities at Baxter. On Sunday 6th April eight detainees were taken into solitary confinement, in Ruddock's style called a "Management Unit".
The eight detainees were told that they were considered to be likely to escape, so they were being removed and locked up until after Easter - a pre-emptive strike as it were. Most, not all were previously locked up in the Curtin detention centre, like the Baxter centre, an Army facility - where its infamous Centre Manager Greg Wallis held sway until he took over Baxter.
Some time between Sunday 6 April and the following Thursday the men became upset at their continued isolation and began to cry out. It is alleged that they were then beaten by their guards, employees of Australasian Correctional Management (ACM) - contractors to the Immigration Department (DIMIA).
Advocates report that the eight detainees were hand flexi-cuffed, foot flexi-cuffed, their arms shackled to their waist with belts, and had tape placed over their mouths - for at least a period of ten hours. Since then several advocates around Australia have contacted or attempted to contact lawyers, politicians, human rights organisations, DIMIA and ACM - all to no avail, because of the curtailing of independent review and complaints powers in Australia.
Australia's Migration Act, through a raft of manipulative amendments, has been 'doctored' since the "Tampa Affair" in the lead-up to the 2001 Federal election so amongst other things the Immigration Minister can over-rule any other authority. As a result, SA State police, charged with the investigation of assaults in that State, told refugee advocates that they are not responsible for the incident, since it occurred on a defence force property - while Federal police showed to be extremely reluctant to investigate the matter - confused, if not complicit, about bringing clarity about who or what is responsible for any investigation.
Refugee advocate Pamela Curr: "So what do we do? Just sit quietly while people are locked up in 'the management unit', beaten? It has happened before, and it will happen again, and there is nothing we can do about it until one day ACM go too far: someone dies, and even then, it will no doubt be covered up."
"The police have no idea who is responsible for investigating and clearly don't want to get involved or taking any action. Mind you, South Australia's State government is marshalling 300 Police and guards to face off the protesters at Easter, but there is no one available or willing to investigate the alleged assault of eight men who may right now be bound and gagged."
"Other detainees have reported thumping noises such as people banging heads or feet against the walls."