The Australian Government recently announced the reopening of Christmas Island Detention Centre, which proves their hostility and brutality against asylum seekers coming by boats, and is a continuation of using refugees and asylum seekers as political pawns for their personal gain. This has been happening for nearly 30 years. RISE eX-detainees call for a Students Walkout in solidarity with detainees in Australian-run detention centres both offshore and onshore, on the 6th March 2019.
RISE eX-detainees, calling for students across Australia to take actions against the Australian Government for its inhumane treatment of refugees in Australian-run detention centres both offshore and onshore. The main event is based in?Melbourne CBD, 6th March 2019 at 1pm, State Library of Victoria. We eX-detainees request students to walk out of their classrooms and campuses at 1pm ?(AEST) wherever you are, hold banners that read?#EndDetention?and pay 2 minutes silence for those who survived and those who have lost their lives in Australian-run detention centres. We ask teachers and associates to join this action to show your solidarity. To bring national and international wide attention, we request you to post your images on different social media channels.
Australia MUST stops using us as political pawns and stop dumping its refugee responsibilities to less wealthy countries such as PNG and Nauru. The recent announcement of reopening of Christmas Island Detention Centre is evidence that Australia continues its oppressive detention?system.?
Further, it is evident to us that Australia has succeeded in enacting and providing the world with a blueprint for contemporary modes of border imperialism. Australia?s unrelenting devotion to its politics of deterrence, built on the foundations of White Australia policy and the theft of Aboriginal land, demonstrates to us that this country is one that not only allows refugees to be used for political leverage, but also applauds its own on-going mistreatment of asylum seekers and refugees.
There have been many inquiries and many reports of rape, sexual abuse and torture in Australia?s refugee detention camps since they were opened more than 2 decades, yet these abuses continue because not a single Immigration Minister or administrator in the Australian government has been held accountable. Depression, suicide, and other mental illnesses are pervasive within Australian detention centres, and are often a direct result of the experience of detention itself and we should not stay silent when it matters.?
Enough is enough, we don?t need more inquiries and reports, we want all detention centres to be shut down permanently and restore sanctuary to all detained refugees in the community. Your pressure to the Australian government is an act of solidarity and an act of justice.
Download Student Walkout poster here
While you take action in this matter, get involved in eX-detainees? led campaigns
We should not wait until one more refugee is murdered, tortured or refouled by Australia.
*This event will take place on stolen Kulin Nations Land. As eX-detainees, in Australia, we acknowledge that the land we seek protection on is the land of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples whose sovereignty was never ceded. ‘Always was, always will be Aboriginal land?
RISE eX-detainee Members.