Rally for Refugees – close Manus Island!

5 thoughts on “Rally for Refugees – close Manus Island!”

1. Reza Berati was a 23 year old asylum seeker murdered on February 18 2014 on Manus Island in one of Australia refugee detention centres. 77 other asylum seekers were also attacked and wounded. No one has been charged with his murder.

   The Australian Government continues to fail to meet its obligations to protect the human rights of all asylum seekers and refugees who arrive in Australia, regardless of how or where they arrive and whether they arrive with or without a visa.

   [youtube=http://youtu.be/zPWZBA-q5Gw]

   This song references/covers the Bob Dylan song Who killed Davey Moore.

   http://www.philmonsour.com/

   Who Killed Reza Berati?

   Why did he die and who is guilty?

   Not me says the politician
   Who knows closing borders wins elections
   His death we do regret
   But stopping the boats is what we said
   Who comes to this country we will decide
   It is just too bad that young man died
   It wasn’t me that smashed his head
   You can’t blame me now he’s dead

   Who Killed Reza Berati?

   Why did he die and who is guilty?

   Not me said the humble voters
   Australian flag wrapped around his shoulders
   He should have come the proper way
   “Fuck of we’re full” is what we say
   It’s not our fault he was on the run
   If he wasn’t locked up then more would come
   I am sorry that stranger died
   If I knew him I would have cried.

   Who Killed Reza Berati?

   Why did he die and who is guilty?

   Not me said the company chairman
   Whose corporation ran his island prison
   For my stockholders I do my best
   Returning profits that they expect
   I am not responsible for what happen to him
   I am not to blame for every employee’s sin
   Any inquiry you will see
   There are others complicit before it comes to me

   Who Killed Reza Berati?

   Why did he die and who is guilty?

   Not I said the big world leader
   Who prosecutes the “war on terror”
   I am keeping the world safe for you
   It is what leaders are appointed to do
   The refugees that have to flee
   Are not my responsibility
   Don’t point your finger at me
   He was in prison to keep you free

   Who Killed Reza Berati?

   Why did he die who is guilty?

   Not me said the TV presenter
   That politician wrap around their fingers
   I reported how they said he died
   Anyway they won’t let us inside
   I believe in the public’s right to know
   But you can’t take cameras where they can’t go
   I am not responsible for any death
   We report the news with what rates best

   Who Killed Reza Berati?

   Why did he die and who is guilty?

   Not me said the guard from G4s
   They put our security under stress
   It is what I was contracted to do
   Cruel and dirty job for you
   He should have accepted his fate
   Gone back before it was too late
   Don’t say murder don’t say kill
   I was doing my job you pay the bill

   Who Killed Reza Berati?

   Why did he die and who is guilty?

   Reply

2. The Hon. Tony Abbott, MP
   Prime Minister
   Parliament House
   CANBERRA ACT 2600.
   2 March 2014
   Dear Prime Minister,
   This letter reflects the concerns of Australian academics whose areas of expertise include refugee law; political science; international law; history; psychiatry; psychology; education; social work; criminology; economics; business studies; sociology; social policy; nursing; philosophy; literature; the humanities; medicine; legal studies; journalism studies; sociology; childhood studies; public health, science; community welfare; health care; architecture; music, environmental sciences and human rights.
   We believe that the current approach to dealing with asylum seekers arriving by boat, especially off-shore detention and claims determination, is seriously flawed and unsustainable.
   It breaches Australia’s international legal obligations, including its obligations as a party to the Refugee Convention. It demonstrably harms the physical and psychological health of detainees.
   Furthermore, it seriously undermines the status and good name of Australia as an international citizen.
   We call on the Australian government to close the detention centres on Manus Island and in Nauru immediately.
   Yours sincerely,
   Academics from Australian tertiary institutions. (Signatories overleaf)
   Page 2 of 19
    Professor Philomena Murray, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor Anne Pedersen, Murdoch University
    Dr Caroline Fleay, Curtin University
    Associate Professor Savitri Taylor, La Trobe University
    Dr Linda Bartolomei, University of New South Wales
    Dr Dave McDonald, The University of Melbourne
    Dr. Diane Gosden, Australian Catholic University
    Dr. Lesley J. Pruitt, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Scott Flower, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Amy Nethery, Deakin University
    Dr Barbara Keys, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Leanne Weber, Monash University
    Diana Johns, RMIT University
    Dr Jikon Lai, The University of Melbourne
    Adjunct Associate Professor Susan Feldman, Monash University
    Brett Baker, The University of Melbourne
    Professor John Murphy, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Andrea Schalley, Griffith University
    Dr John Howard, University of New South Wales
    Jack H Smit, Edith Cowan University
    Dr. David Palmer, Flinders University
    Dr. Sean W. Burges, The Australian National University
    Professor Deirdre Coleman, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Michelle Duffy, Federation University Australia
    Professor Stephanie Trigg, The University of Melbourne
    Professor Shahram Akbarzadeh, Deakin University
    Dr Lea Campbell, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Karen Jones, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Michael Sullivan, Flinders University
    Jenna Price, University of Technology, Sydney
   Page 3 of 19
    Dr Celia Thompson, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Azadeh Dasyari, Monash University
    Dr June Factor, The University of Melbourne
    Professor Peter Morgan, The University of Sydney
    Professor Christina Twomey, Monash University
    Adjunct Professor Brian Griffiths, Curtin University
    Professor Jane Kenway, Monash University
    Dr. Grace Moore, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Jadranka Petrovic, Monash University
    Dr Kylie Baxter, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Maree Pardy, The University of Melbourne
    Anna Hood, The University of Melbourne
    Professor John Tobin, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Catherine Kevin, Flinders University
    Dr. Susana Eisenchlas, Griffith University.
    Prof Ilana Snyder, Monash University
    Associate Professor Christopher Cordner, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor Lee Ann Basser, La Trobe University
    Professor R. S. White, The University of Western Australia
    Professor Peter Otto, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Natalia Hanley, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor Peter Christoff, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Mary Leahy, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Matthew P Fitzpatrick, Flinders University
    Dr Christiane Weller, Monash University
    Dr Laura Schroeter, University of Melbourne
    Dr Juliet Flesch, University of Melbourne
    Andrea van Dommelen, The University of Sydney
    Victoria Benz, University of New South Wales
    Dr Tom Heenan, Monash University
   Page 4 of 19
    Adjunct Professor David Hollinsworth, University of the Sunshine Coast
    Professor Susanne Schech, Flinders University
    Dr Paul Stanhope, The University of Sydney
    Professor Kanishka Jayasuriya, University of Adelaide
    Professor David Runia, The University of Melbourne
    Professor Colette Browning, Monash University
    Professor Linda Briskman, Swinburne University of Technology
    Professor Paul Patton, University of New South Wales
    Associate Professor Judith Keene, The University of Sydney
    Dr James Phillips, University of New South Wales
    Professor Stephen Hetherington, The University of New South Wales
    Paghona Peggy Kerdo, La Trobe University
    Dr Rebecca L Barlow, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Lisa Ford, The University of New South Wales
    Dr Suzanne Rice, The University of Melbourne.
    Professor Sharon Pickering, Monash University
    Rebecca Powell, Monash University
    Dr John Tomlinson, Queensland University of Technology
    Associate Professor Kyoung-Hee Yu, University of New South Wales
    Dr Danielle Chubb, Deakin University
    Dr. Debra Manning, Federation University
    Professor Greg Restall, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Ceridwen Spark, Australian National University
    Associate Professor Mark Baker, Monash University
    Dr Maria Giannacopoulos, Flinders University
    Dr Liam Grealy, The University of Sydney
    Associate Professor Julie Stephens, Victoria University
    Dr Gillian Bowen, Monash University
    Professor John Polesel, The University of Melbourne
   Page 5 of 19
    Associate Professor, Helen Dickinson, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Catie Gressier, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor John Rundell, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor Louise D’Arcens, University of Wollongong
    Dr. Robert Sinnerbrink, Macquarie University
    Professor Sandy Gifford, Swinburne University of Technology
    Associate Professor Sophie Arkoudis, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Emma Kowal, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Peter Robinson, Swinburne University of Technology
    Associate Professor David Lockwood, Flinders University
    Professor Jeanette Kennett, Macquarie University
    Professor Emeritus Joseph A. Camilleri, La Trobe University
    Professor Tim Rowse, University of Western Sydney
    Professor Peter McPhee, The University of Melbourne
    Professor Phillip Deery, Victoria University
    Professor Dennis Altman, La Trobe University
    Professor Emerita Marian Quartly, Monash University
    Sandra Symons, University of Technology, Sydney
    Marcela Garrett, The University of New South Wales
    Professor Katie Holmes, La Trobe University
    Professor David Garrioch, Monash University
    Dr. Antonio J Traverso, Curtin University
    Professor Andrew Lynch, University of Western Australia
    Terese Henning, University of Tasmania
    Barbara Trauer, The University of Melbourne
    Professor Andrea Gaynor, The University of Western Australia
    Dr Giordano Nanni, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor Anthony J. Langlois, Flinders University
    Dr Juliet Rogers, The University of Melbourne
   Page 6 of 19
    Associate Professor Michael Leach, Swinburne University of Technology
    Professor Lyn Yates, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Julie Kimber, Swinburne University
    Professor Glenda Sluga, University of Sydney
    Associate Professor Andrew Bonnell, University of Queensland
    Professor Stephanie Hemelryk Donald, The University of New South Wales
    Professor Pookong Kee, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Nikos Thomacos, Monash University.
    Associate Professor Winnifred R. Louis, The University of Queensland
    Dr Keith Miller, Flinders University
    Dr Emma Henderson, La Trobe University
    Dr Dean Lusher, Swinburne University of Technology
    Dr David Zyngier, Monash University
    Professor Elena Marchetti, University of Wollongong
    Dr Fran Gale, University of Western Sydney
    Professor Susan J Paxton, La Trobe University
    Associate Professor Ellie Vasta, Macquarie University
    Dr. Bina Fernandez, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Taylor Spence, Monash University
    Professor P.N. (Raja) Junankar, University of New South Wales
    Dr Chi Baik, The University of Melbourne
    Dr. Barbara Kelly, The University of Melbourne
    Kyli Hedrick, Victoria University
    Dr Christine Agius, Swinburne University of Technology
    Lesley Carnus, University of Sydney
    Associate Professor Stuart Rosewarne, The University of Sydney
    Professor Bob Pease, Deakin University
    Dr Clemence Due, The University of Adelaide
   Page 7 of 19
    Dr Laurie Berg, University of Technology, Sydney
    Professor David Lemmings, The University of Adelaide
    Professor Brian Costar, Swinburne University of Technology
    Dr Banu Senay, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Efrosini Deligianni, The University of New South Wales
    Dr Ron Hoenig, University of South Australia
    Dr Louisa Willoughby, Monash University
    Professor Greg Marston, Queensland University of Technology
    Dr Melanie Baak, University of South Australia
    Dr Miriam Faine, Monash University
    Dr Daniel Halliday, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Emmaline Bexley, The University of Melbourne
    Katherine Fallah, University of Technology Sydney
    Professor Rachel Fensham, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Scott Hanson-Easey, The University of Adelaide
    Irene Baghoomians, Lecturer, University of Sydney
    Dr Zora Simic, University of New South Wales
    Dr Sharlene Nipperess, Deakin University
    Dr Laura Grenfell, University of Adelaide
    Emerita Professsor Chilla Bulbeck, The University of Adelaide
    Dr Ken Macnab, University of Sydney
    Dr Ole Koksvik, Monash University
    Dr Samantha Balaton-Chrimes, Deakin University
    Dr Joanna Howe, University of Adelaide
    Dr Jemima Mowbray, Macquarie University
    Dr Patricia Fronek, Griffith University
    Associate Professor Frank Bongiorno, The Australian National University
    Dr Nicole Matthews, Macquarie University
    Dr. Alexandra McCormick, University of Sydney
   Page 8 of 19
    Dr Arathi Sriprakash, University of Sydney
    Dr Becky Batagol, Monash University
    Dr Charlotte Peevers, University of Technology Sydney
    Jean Hopman, Victoria University
    Professor Paul A. Komesaroff, Monash University
    Adjunct Professor Verity Burgmann, Monash University
    Dr Lisa Hartley, Curtin University
    Associate Professor Kama Maclean, University of New South Wales
    Sara Dehm, The University of Melbourne
    Sophie Rigney, The University of Melbourne
    Professor Ghassan Hage, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Selma Macfarlane, Deakin University
    Heather Anderson, University of South Australia
    Associate Professor Belinda Smith, University of Sydney
    Professor Pat Drake, Victoria University
    Paul Duffill, University of Sydney
    Marc Trabsky, La Trobe University
    Dr Joanna Kyriakakis, Lecturer, Monash University
    Dr Marg Liddell, RMIT University
    Professor Gillian Cowlishaw, University of Sydney.
    Associate Professor Ustinia Dolgopol, Flinders University
    Associate Professor Katherine Biber, University of Technology Sydney
    Dr Yasmine Musharbash, University of Sydney
    Associate Professor Estela Valverde, Macquarie University
    Professor Rebecca Millar, University of Sydney
    Emeritus Professor Andrew Milner, Monash University
    Dr Matt Killingsworth, University of Tasmania
    Professor Alberto G. Gomes, La Trobe University
    Dr. Keiko Tamura, Australian National University
    Associate Professor Shane Homan, Monash University
   Page 9 of 19
    Associate professor Shane Homan, Monash University
    Oishik Sircar, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Vanette McLennan, Griffith University
    Dr Ruth Balint, University of New South Wales
    Professor Una Ryan, Murdoch University
    Dr Caroline Lenette, Griffith University
    Associate Professor JaneMaree Maher, Monash University
    Dr Christina Ho, University of Technology, Sydney
    Dr Donna Weston, Griffith University
    Associate Professor Grace Karskens, University of New South Wales
    Professor Fiona Haines, University of Melbourne
    Dr Sana Nakata, The University of Melbourne
    Prof Charles Zika, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Paul Gruba, The University of Melbourne
    Professor Denise Cuthbert, RMIT University
    Associate Professor Nik Taylor, Flinders University
    Dr Lucy Fiske, University of Technology, Sydney
    Associate Professor Danielle Celermajer, University of Sydney
    Dr Peter Burdon, The University of Adelaide.
    Professor Anthony R. Welch, University of Sydney
    Dr Erica Millar, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Karen Block, The University of Melbourne
    Prof. Greg Noble, University of Western Sydney
    Professor Desmond Manderson, Australian National University
    Associate Professor Clare Newton, The University of Melbourne
    Adjunct Professor Belinda Probert, La Trobe University
    Margot Nash, University of Technology Sydney
    Dr. George Vasilev, La Trobe University
    Dr Jennifer Balint, The University of Melbourne
    Dr. Elizabeth Kaziro, University of New South Wales
   Page 10 of 19
    Professor Heather Goodall, University of Technology Sydney
    Associate Professor Anne Junor, University of New South Wales
    Associate Professor John O’Brien, University of Sydney
    Nicky Dulfer, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Amy Shields Dobson, Monash University
    Professor Suvendrini Perera, Curtin University
    Professor Gloria Davies, Monash University
    Dr Brianne Hastie, University of South Australia
    Dr. Sara Niner, Monash University
    Associate Professor David Hamer, The University of Sydney
    Associate Professor Mary Heath, Flinders University
    Dr. Jasmine-Kim Westendorf, La Trobe University
    Dr Benjamin Habib, La Trobe University
    Dr Günter Minnerup, University of New South Wales
    Monique Cormier, The University of Melbourne
    Dr. Sriram Shankar, University of Western Sydney
    Dr John R Morss, Deakin University
    Dr Mamta Chowdhury, University of Western Sydney
    Associate Professor Scott McQuire, The University of Melbourne
    Professor Sarah Joseph, Monash University
    Adjunct Associate Professor Linsey Howie, La Trobe University
    Dr Gwenda Tavan, La Trobe University
    Dr Bianca Hester, University of Sydney
    Dr. Heather Fraser, Flinders University
    Cynthia Cowling, Monash University
    Dr Angela Barns, Curtin University
    Iris Ambrose, La Trobe University
    AProf Jo Lindsay, Monash University
    Dr Jordy Silverstein, The University of Melbourne
    Professor Emeritus Geoff Harcourt, University of Adelaide
   Page 11 of 19
    Cosima McRae, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Ben Silverstein, La Trobe University
    Adjunct Professor Iain Walker, University of Western Australia
    Professor Robyn Eckersley, The University of Melbourne
    Beth Goldblatt, University of New South Wales
    Dr Chris Laming, Federation University.
    Professor Philippa Maddern, University of Western Australia
    Connie Kellett, The University of Melbourne
    Emeritus Professor Ben Boer, The University of Sydney
    Dr Jane Sims, Monash University
    Associate Professor Jane Haggis, Flinders University
    Dr Jacqueline Mowbray, University of Sydney
    Kirrily Manning, Curtin University
    Associate Professor Tom Morton, University of Technology Sydney
    Dr Julie Evans, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Rachael McDonald, Monash University
    Professor Graham Seal, Curtin University
    Dr Teresa Iacono, La Trobe University
    Emeritus Professor Judith Brett, La Trobe University
    Professor Robert Pascoe, Victoria University
    Dr Collette Snowden, University of South Australia
    Garry Woodard, Senior Fellow, The University of Melbourne
    Professor John Langmore, The University of Melbourne
    Professor Andrew Walter, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Sue Hoffman, Murdoch University
    Dr Susan Rushworth, Swinburne University of Technology
    Bassina Farbenblum, University of New South Wales
    Maria Elander, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Heli Askola, Monash University
   Page 12 of 19
    Adjunct Associate Professor Heather Strang, Australian National University
    Dr James Rowe, RMIT University
    Dr Odette Kelada, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor Joan Wardrop, Curtin University
    Dr Karen Crawley, Griffith University
    Dr Gavin J.D. Smith, The Australian National University
    Professor Carolyn Cartier, University of Technology, Sydney
    Emeritus Professor, Barbara Kamler, Deakin University
    Dr Antonia Hendrick, Curtin University
    Associate Professor Farida Fozdar, The University of Western Australia
    Brian Spittles, Murdoch University
    Dr Emma Larking, The Australian National University
    Dr Anastasia Powell, RMIT University
    Dr Rachael McDonald, Monash University.
    Catriona de Bruin, Monash University
    Katrina Stats, University of Adelaide
    Cate Read, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Stephanie Downes, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Mark Nicholls, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor Nicholas Brown, Australian National University
    Prof Pascaline Winand, Monash University
    Dr. Damir Mitric, Swinburne University
    Dr Anne McNevin, Monash University
    Emeritus Professor John Nieuwenhuysen, Monash University
    Kira Clarke, The University of Melbourne
    Peter Clarke, RMIT University
    Dr Nesam McMillan, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Katharine McGregor, The University of Melbourne
   Page 13 of 19
    Dr Nadeem Malik, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Graham Willett, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor Andrew J. May, The University of Melbourne
    Dr. Juanita Fernando, Monash University
    Associate Professor Verna Blewett, Central Queensland University
    Dr Kate Cregan, Monash University
    Dr Tanja Dreher, University of Wollongong
    Dr. Sue Baile, University of Western Australia
    Emma Lawrence, Curtin University
    Dr Lisa O’Brien, Monash University
    Dr Priya Chacko, University of Adelaide.
    Dr Judith Burton, Queensland University of Technology
    Dr Peter Denney, Griffith University
    Dr Julie King, Queensland University of Technology
    Associate Professor Mark Brough, Queensland University of Technology
    Prof Katherine White, Queensland University of Technology
    Christopher Pepping, Griffith University
    Dr. Angela Morgan, Griffith University
    Dr Naomi Priest, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Arthur Poropat, Griffith University
    Dr Joshua Barnes, University of Sydney
    Associate Professor Farida Fozdar, The University of Western Australia
    Dr Elizabeth Rechniewski, University of Sydney
    Dr Pooja Sawrikar, Griffith University
    Ms Robyn Sampson, Swinburne University of Technology
    Dr Matthew Millar, Macquarie University
    Dr Andrew Singleton, Monash University
    Dr Andreas Loewe, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music
   Page 14 of 19
    Dr Mike Heald, The University of Melbourne
    Dr. Grant Caldwell, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Fincina Hopgood, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Fran Martin, The University of Melbourne
    Anthea Vogl, University of Technology, Sydney
    Dr Robert Hassan, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor Denise Varney, The University of Melbourne
    Dr. Timothy Laurie, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Bridget Vincent, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Beth Driscoll, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Bagryana Popov, La Trobe University
    Angus Frith, The University of Melbourne
    Anny Mokotow, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Colleen McGloin, University of Wollongong
    Floris van Ogtrop, University of Sydney
    Dr Andrew Whelan, University of Wollongong
    Dr Chris Nash, Monash University
    Dr Elizabeth Beadle, Griffith University
    Dr Tom Cliff, The Australian National University
    Professor Tom Griffiths, Australian National University
    Professor Paul James, University of Western Sydney
    Anaïs Gérard, The University of Melbourne
    Dr. Rose Parfitt, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor John Minns, Australian National University
    Dr Belinda Liddell, University of New South Wales
    Professor Wendy Bacon, University of Technology, Sydney
    Felicity Brown, University of Queensland.
    Professor Barbara Creed, The University of Melbourne
    Peter Mares, Swinburne University of Technology
    Adjunct Associate Professor Judith Grbich, Griffith University.
   Page 15 of 19
    Professor Jeanette Hoorn, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Mark Ragg, University of Sydney
    Dr Catherine Kovesi, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor Bruce Buchan, Griffith University
    Associate Professor Lisa Gibbs, The University of Melbourne
    John King, Adjunct Professor, La Trobe University
    Benjamin Nicoll, The University of Melbourne
    Kristie Matthews, Monash University
    Hugh Davies, La Trobe University
    Dr Fotina Hardy, Queensland University of Technology
    Dr Melanie Davern, The University of Melbourne
    Eleanor Glenn, University of Technology, Sydney
    Dr Tahna Pettman, The University of Melbourne
    Sarina Kilham, University of Technology Sydney.
    Professor Billie Giles-Corti, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Siavash Bandarian-Balooch, Griffith University
    Dr Elisabeth Hanscombe, Swinburne University of Technology
    Dr. Annika Lems, Swinburne University of Technology
    Dr Cressida Limon, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Ken Setiawan, Australian Catholic University
    Adjunct Professor June Kane, Swinburne University of Technology
    Claire Boulange, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Elisabeth Hanscombe, Swinburne University of Technology
    Adjunct Professor Ian W Duncanson, Griffith University
    Associate Professor Agnes Dodds, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Kerrie Foxwell-Norton Griffith University
    Judith Anderson, Curtin University
    Dr Anthony Lawrence, Griffith University
    Dr Sally Robinson, Southern Cross University
    Professor Wendy Rogers, Macquarie University
   Page 16 of 19
    Associate Professor Patricia Wise, Griffith University
    Associate Professor Thomas Reiner, Monash University
    Dr Mark Chappell, Griffith University
    Dr Kathryn Smithies, The University of Melbourne
    Jenny Bargen, University of Sydney
    Associate Professor Sally Young, The University of Melbourne
    Gillian Hewitson, University of Sydney
    Anna Spencer, Queensland University of Technology
    Una Stone, RMIT University
    Associate Professor Alan Morris, University of Technology, Sydney
    Lesley McGregor, Queensland University of Technology
    Professor Geremie R Barmé, The Australian National University
    Dr Phil Crane, Queensland University of Technology
    Dr. Andrea Reupert, Monash University
    Prof. Anita Chan, University of Technology Sydney
    Dr Heather Green, Lecturer, Griffith University
    Dr Elliroma Gardiner, Griffith University
    Associate Professor Liz Jones Griffith University
    Judith Pabian, The Australian National University
    Dr. Michelle Hood, Griffith University
    Professor Nicholas Smith, Macquarie University
    Professor Andrew Kipnis, The Australian National University
    Professor Klaus Neumann, Swinburne University of Technology
    Dr Caroline Donovan, Griffith University
    Shae Johnson, The University of Melbourne
    Professor Paula Brough, Griffith University
    Dr Ying Qian, Australian National University
    Lochlan Morrissey, Griffith University
    Dr Meighen Katz, University of Melbourne
    Christina David, RMIT University
   Page 17 of 19
    Dr Analise O’Donovan, Griffith University
    Dr Georgina Heydon, RMIT University
    Professor Penny Russell, University of Sydney
    Dr Glenda Andrews, Griffith University
    Professor Bing Ling, the University of Sydney
    Dr Mel Hyde, Griffith University
    Dr Judith McNeill, University of New England
    Professor Vaughan J Carr, University of New South Wales
    Dr Tim Thornton, Swinburne University of Technology
    Dr Tad Tietze, University of New South Wales
    David Primose, University of Sydney
    Associate Professor Anita Harris, Monash University
    Dr Roni Demirbag, The University of Sydney
    Dr Peter Ross, University of New South Wales
    Dr James Parker, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Kim Spurway, University of New South Wales
    Dr Chantal Bourgault du Coudray, The University of Western Australia
    Prof Gillian Wigglesworth, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Alexis Harley, La Trobe University
    Melissa Sweet, University of Canberra
    Professor Anne Graham Southern Cross University
    Dr Kate Purcell, University of New South Wales
    Dr Sanja Milivojevic, University of New South Wales
    Dr Alexandra S Wawryk, The University of Adelaide
    Professor Brian Howe, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor Gawaine Powell Davies, University of New South Wales
    Dr Antje Missbach, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Eddie Paterson, The University of Melbourne
   Page 18 of 19
    Dr Katherine Firth, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Larissa Sandy, Flinders University.
    Lilly Brown, The University of Melbourne
    Dr David McInnis, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Amy Brown, The University of Melbourne
    Marie Aronsson, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Veronica Volkoff, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor Judy Cashmore, University of Sydney
    Associate Professor Tilman A Ruff, The University of Melbourne
    Dr. Susan Bank, University of Sydney
    Professor Ken Gelder, The University of Melbourne
    Associate Professor Chris Healy, The University of Melbourne
    Brendan Grigg, Flinders University
    Dr. Steven R. Welch, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Donnah Anderson, Southern Cross University
    Dr Cheryl Waters, University of Technology Sydney
    Dr Valerie Levy, University of Technology Sydney
    Professor Gini Lee, The University of Melbourne
    Professor Stephen Knight, The University of Melbourne
    Professor Stuart Rees, University of Sydney
    Dr Nell Musgrove, Australian Catholic University
    Dr James R Levy, University of New South Wales
    Dr Simon Lumsden, University of New South Wales
    Professor Kim Dovey, The University of Melbourne
    Professor Stephanie Hemelryk Donald, University of New South Wales
    Professor Dirk Moses, University of Sydney
    Adjunct Professor Colin Richardson, University of Sydney
    Dr Ian McGregor, University of Technology Sydney
    Michael V. White, Monash University
    Edward Mariyani-Squire, University of Western Sydney
   Page 19 of 19
    Oliver Levingston, University of Sydney
    Phil Griffiths, University of Southern Queensland
    Dr Helen Hall, Monash University
    Professor Raewyn Connell, University of Sydney
    Dr Maria O’Sullivan, Monash University
    Emeritus Professor Richard Broome, La Trobe University
    Dr Sally Gardner, Deakin University
    Dr Carolyn D’Cruz, La Trobe University
    Dr Patrick Wolfe, La Trobe University
    Professor Donald L. Bates, The University of Melbourne
    Dr Catharine Simmons, Southern Cross University.
   Sent by:
   Prof. Philomena Murray
   School of Social and Political Sciences
   The University of Melbourne
   Victoria 3010.

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3. Liz Thompson explains why she is not speaking at the Close Manus rally on Saturday

   I am not speaking at the Close Manus rally on Saturday, organised by RAC [Refugee Action Collective]. Without thinking, I agreed to do it, thinking there could be no harm. But in fact the reaction to me speaking on Dateline has made me reconsider.

   I need to clarify my own position. Firstly, while I am grateful for the support I have received and acknowledge that people are expressing solidarity for a variety of admirable reasons, there is something deeply discomforting about the adulation and the focus on me as a ‘whistleblower’ that speaks to whose voice is amplified in this particular moment.

   This moment is the culmination of months of protests on Manus Island. It is a moment when we are reminded where the movement in this movement is. That nothing moves without directions from within the camps, or from asylum seekers and border crossers in the community. Now is not a time to be recuperating action from within the camps into this moment of national unity or salving the national conscience by saying “not in my name”. I suppose what I would like to put forward is – for pity’s sake, not in their name!! These guys have their lives on the line, we can do better. A vigil is fine, a respectful way to mourn Reza, but we need to start thinking about effective action that does something other than reproduce our own milieus as if that reproduction could possibly close the camps.

   I don’t honestly believe that a rally such as the RAC rally does anything other than further entrench a self-appointed “refugee movement” which is no such thing. I have become increasingly concerned about the self-promoting, NGO-proliferating arm of the “refugee movement”, the lack of self-reflection on the amount of space taken up by white people saying “not in my name”. These rallies serve to reinforce and reorganise a white refugee movement that speaks on behalf of others.

   This is a movement that has managed to erase the leadership of those within detention from the history of resistance to mandatory detention and deterrence experiments. When we celebrate the “victories” of woomera, Baxter, we don’t even think to invite those who survived behind the wire – the hunger strikers, protestors, deportation resisters, those who did jail time in solidarity with those inside. That our position is to invite those people to our gatherings speaks volumes. Our excuse? We don’t even remember their names, though their accounts of detention have been published. Instead we photograph ourselves, we celebrate our role in saving and helping. We erase the idea of solidarity and refuse to take direction from within the camps. When communications are shut down within the camps, it doesn’t mean we should fill the space with ourselves. The demand has been put: help us get out of here, support our active resistance, our refusal to suffer quietly despite the extreme violence, the total lack of legal protections. Yes, those in detention are extremely vulnerable – yet they protest, hunger strike, resist and they know better than anyone what the cost will be.

   “Not in our name” is a self-referential slogan, it speaks about us, not about those behind the wire. Wendy Bacon’s piece naming the refugee movement as ASRC and RAC is misleading, inaccurate, erasing those who resist in the camps. The movement is inside the camps, the leadership has always come from there, despite our active attempts to erase this history. The movement is in Mike, Oscar, Foxtrot, Delta and the other compounds in Manus Island. It is on Nauru, where the camp was destroyed. It is on CI, where the hunger strike is. It is in the community in Australia and the camps here. Where is the invitation to the delegates, the resisters and those who brought down Woomera and Baxter from within last time, some of whom are pretty easy to find with a phone call to @RISErefugee. They are always an afterthought in this branch of the “movement”, one that uses rallies to build itself, to fight for national representation for its ideas, rather than a rejection of nationalist logic integral to an anti-camps position with any integrity.

   This is said with only admiration for Aran M and the Kurdish community speakers due to speak on Saturday. It is not a criticism of the particular speakers but rather the default to celebrity white speakers from whom we hear all the time and whose positions we know – suggestive of that logic of self-replication.

   If you want to close the camps, think about what you can do where you are that will be effective. That does not mean another rally. We all know that won’t close the camps, or stop wars.I believe it means boycott, divestment and withdrawal, like the Biennale boycott, like targeting all aspects of the supply chain of the camps. Think about where your super is invested, the well-meaning people you know who work in detention, the things you can do that are about solidarity with resistance in the camps, not about building organisations that speak on their behalf without their permission and only using them as photo ops.

   I owe my political understanding of all of this to the delegates and resisters from Woomera, Baxter, Curtin, to the deportees back in Afghanistan, the international students, the survivors of the camps, @angrytamilwoman, @jayani77, @sanmativerma, @riserefugee, the enormous body of work of @Mitropoulos_A, the intellectual and physical labour of men and women of colour in this movement. Yet despite over ten years of working with people like this, I still make mistakes like not thinking about the amount of space I am taking up, like saying yes to another rally I know serves no useful purpose.

   Step back, think about the space you are taking up or helping others to fill. Thanks again for all of the support, which I know speaks to a desire to do something effective about the camps. There is much to be learned by all of us about how this is to be done in a way that is real and effective.

   – Liz Thompson has worked as a migration agent. She recently left work at the Manus Island detention centre. You can watch the Dateline report on this here.

   Reply

4. Mark from Refugee Action Collective (Brisbane) speaks out against the riot by Australian & PNG security police on Manus Island that killed one refugee and seriously wounded 13 others. This speech was made on 28 Feb 2014 in Queens Park Brisbane.
   [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNjTNUsBjqE]

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5. Manus Island a ‘war zone’ on night of unrest, video footage reveals
   http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/01/manus-island-a-war-zone-on-night-of-unrest-video-footage-reveals

   Exclusive: At a makeshift hospital, the injured are brought in, one after another. At one point a staff member shouts out: ‘gunshot wound’

   Chilling footage has emerged of “war zone”-like scenes during last week’s unrest at the Manus Island detention centre, showing dozens of asylum seekers – most unconscious or semiconscious and many with serious injuries – receiving treatment from frantic staff tending to them by torchlight.

   The video, obtained by Guardian Australia, was filmed at the makeshift hospital created on a concrete wharf next to the floating accommodation block used by Australian detention centre staff. It is the first footage to be seen from the disturbance that left one man, Reza Barati, dead, one shot, and dozens wounded, 13 seriously.

   The footage, shot in the early hours of Tuesday, after G4S personnel “lost control” of their local riot squads and Papua New Guinea police were observed in violent altercations with asylum seekers, shows the injured brought in on a ute, one after another. The events occur in near darkness, with only a soft green light, torches and headlamps from the vehicles illuminating the makeshift hospital.

   Some asylum seekers being treated at the scene can be heard groaning in pain. At one point a staff member shouts out the words “gunshot wound” and a body is rushed through.

   No asylum seekers can be seen at any point resisting staff, and one witness told Guardian Australia that at least one patient was observed with a plastic handcuff on one hand during the night.

   “It was like a war zone,” a witness to the filmed events told Guardian Australia. “People were covered in blood – so many people came in half an hour.”

   The footage was filmed between 12.41am and 1.06am on Tuesday. Almost immediately afterwards, witnesses say, all staff on the floating accommodation block, Hotel Bibby, were asked to help, whether or not they had medical training. At this point the number of casualties increased. “The medics were short of staff. It was chaotic,” a witness said.

   The wounded asylum seekers were separated into three areas: an assessment area, a critical area and a non-critical area, according to the witness.

   At 12:58am one asylum seeker, a tall, muscular, young man can be seen being brought in for assessment and then moved instantly off for further treatment. His body is limp, hanging off the end of the stretcher. Guardian Australia has contacted a family member of Reza Barati, who said they could not identify the young man in the image.

   “People were moaning, ‘Papu, Papu’ – meaning local people,” said the witness to the filmed events.

   Frantic staff can be heard during the continual arrivals. One shouts to a group seemingly running with a body, “walking guys, walking”. Pools of liquid can be seen on the concrete. Blood and bruising is visible on many of the patients. A line of unused chairs rests in the assessment area, but all patients are treated on camp beds or blue mattresses.

   On 18 February, the day after the unrest began, Guardian Australia reported witness accounts of the scenes at the staff accommodation block. One contractor told Guardian Australia: “They were just makeshift beds. Transferees were carried in on sheets. Blood everywhere, crying. There were 30 or 40 clients down there. We had gunshot wounds, some with head injuries.”

   The contractor took notes on what patients told her. One Iranian said: “I did nothing, I wasn’t involved in the protests, I was in my room, being good, trying to sleep. They came in my room … they dragged me out of my bed and beat me. They had huge rocks in their hands and they hit my head and my body with them.”

   An interpreter working for the Immigration Department, Azita Bokan, also said she saw asylum seekers with “massive head injuries” at the makeshift hospital and said she saw one patient with a slashed throat.

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