Refugee vilification: it's time for Kevin Andrews to resign

Project SafeCom Inc.
P.O. Box 364
Narrogin
Western Australia 6312
Phone: 0417 090 130
Web: https://www.safecom.org.au/

Refugee vilification: it's time for Kevin Andrews to resign

Media Release
Wednesday October 3, 2007 8:00am WST
For Immediate Release
No Embargoes

"Today would be the most opportune time for Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews to resign, with a picket being staged on his doorstep. A letter writing campaign to the Minister is underway and an online petition has been actioned by A Just Australia in NSW, and a protest picket is being organised by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne in front of the Minister's own office in Doncaster," WA Human Rights group Project SafeCom said this morning.

"This cold stone-hearted man, who has as his brief to be open to the requirements of the UN Convention and to support Australia's intake of those refugees around the globe who are most in need of protection, has the audacity to ramp up the race card over Sudanese refugees - under the smoke screen of 'marketing' the supposed success of his Citizenship test through the media - by stopping Australia's intake of African refugees, while he refuses entry into Australia of 72 fully approved Sri Lankan refugees he holds imprisoned on Nauru," spokesman Jack H Smit said.

"Kevin Andrews has not produced any statistics that have shown he has due cause for his actions relating to the Sudanese, because there are no such statistics, while the ink is barely dry of his nasty decision to approve the Sri Lankans on Nauru as genuine refugees, while in the same breath forbidding them resettlement in our country.

"And in the context of the recent turmoil around the struggle of the Burmese in their own country, the Minister has also been silent as a mouse about the seven Burmese Rohingya who have been on Nauru for almost 14 months after having sought Australia's help, sailing into our waters via Ashmore Reef last year August.

"Kevin Andrews is the bureaucratic Orwellian figure who acts out with perfect mirror-like qualities what's coming from Australia's Prime Miniature's mind in the Ministerial portfolio that's supposed to be one that opens our country's door with compassion and a passionate heart. The Minister lacks that heart, and he should resign," Mr Smit concluded.

Resources:

Petition online Refugees detained on Nauru: http://www.petitiononline.com/nauru/

Protest in front of Kevin Andrews' Office, Doncaster: http://justfreedom.org.au/?p=80

A Just Australia's letter writing campaign: http://www.ajustaustralia.com/thingsyoucando_writealetter.php

Jack H Smit
Project SafeCom Inc.
[phone number posted]

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