| Home > Asia Pacific | |
More protests at detention centre
Australian Associated Press - September 22, 2010
The eight men climbed onto the roof of Stage 2 at the west Sydney detention centre about 9.30am (AEST) today, Jamal Daoud of the Social Justice Network has told AAP. The men's exact demands are unknown.
Meanwhile, eleven men who ended a 30-hour standoff on the roof at the centre yesterday have been placed in isolation, despite assurances they would not be punished, Mr Daoud says. "This is the worst form of punishment, where they have no contact with their friends and don't know what is going on," he said.
"They have been put in isolation despite being assured by authorities this would not happen. This will weaken their confidence and the Chinese (asylum seekers') confidence in the authorities to do as they have promised."
The eleven men – nine Sri Lankan Tamils, one Iraqi and one Iranian – climbed onto the roof on Monday afternoon in protest after the death of 36-year-old Fijian national Josefa Raluni earlier that day.
Mr Raluni, who was due to be deported, killed himself at the centre on Monday morning.
The men eventually agreed to come down on Tuesday evening after they received assurances their cases would be looked into by representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Meanwhile, a group of Iranian and Kurdish asylum seekers are staging a hunger strike in protest against their possible deportation.
Refugee advocates say two of the 16 men were hospitalised on Tuesday afternoon, four days after they stopped eating in response to fears they would be sent home.
Mr Daoud said on Wednesday that the men remained very weak and advocates were still very concerned for their health.
See also:
 |