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| An issue too hot to handle | |
Your ABC is reports that asylum seekers in
the late 1990s were granted refugee status on the basis
of being religiously
persecuted for belonging to the now outlawed organization Jemia Islamia (JI). This makes a mockery not only of Australia's membership of
the UNHCR's 1951 refugee convention. On the one hand Australia is persecuting
people for belonging to JI (sending someone to prison would normally be
considered persecution), but on the other hand Australia has an obligation to accept
people who are persecuted because of their belonging to JI? So Australia has an obligation to accept people who she will immediately
imprison as soon as they report the reason for their refugee application? Does
that mean that if someone enters Australia on a visitor's visa, and then admits
belonging to JI, that they automatically get refugee status on their way to prison? How much longer will the 1951 convention signatories continue the charade of
adhering to an unworkable, outdated and illogical treaty? This pretty much vindicates John (we-will-fight-them-on-the-beaches)
Howard's Tampa tantrum before the last election, and Johhny's political credibility is
probably high enough to wipe the smirk off Peter (leader-in-waiting) Costello's
face. Meanwhile Simon (i-can-defend-the-motherland-too) Crean is too busy
defending
efforts to undermine his leadership to even comment. And Carmen
(open-the-borders) Lawrence is lying lower than a grass-snake. That's OK, lying
is something Carmen (I-don't-remember-saying-that) Lawrence is good at.
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