Malaysian refugee advocate to attend Climate Change Social Change conference

Peter Boyle
August 19, 2011
Issue 
892
News
Angeline Loh/Shannan.

Angeline Loh, who works with the Malaysian human rights groups ALIRAN, will join close to a dozen international guest speakers at the World at a Crossroads, Climate Change Social Change Conference, which will be held at the University of Melbourne over September 30 to October 3.

Loh’s work played a critical role in exposing the horrible plight of the close to 100,000 refugees trapped in Malaysia — where Australia is trying to deport 800 desperate asylum seekers under the Gillard government’s “Malaysia solution”.

In an August 1 article, Loh said the refugee swap deal would undermine the safety of asylum seekers.

She said: “Not only does the Australian government reveal its double standards in its selection of non-party states to the 1951 Refugee Convention, it also appears to treat asylum seekers as commodities it can use to make trade-offs.

“It is seen to be outsourcing the refugee assessment process to countries in the region willing to cooperate in this scheme — with no consideration for the protection of asylum seekers and their human rights.”

The global refugee crisis — 43.7 million people are displaced worldwide according to the United Nations — is expected to worsen as the climate change crisis deepens.

To register for the conference, visit climatechangesocialchange2011.wordpress.com.

The conference is organised by Green Left Weekly, Resistance and the Socialist Alliance.

Sponsored by the Office of Environmental Programs, the University of Melbourne.

Co-sponsors: Friends of the Earth (Melbourne), climateandcapitalism.com, Links International Journal for Socialist Renewal, Labour Party Pakistan, Sydney University Political Economy Society, Socialist Party of Malaysia, Party of the Labouring Masses — Philippines, Australia-Asia Worker Links, Left Unity Adelaide, Climate Emergency Action Network South Australia, Community Radio 3CR and Action Aid International.

Video: What refugees sent back to Malaysia will face. Peter Boyle.

Refugees & migrants
Australia

Comments

Anonymous replied on

When are we going to stop talking about this "red herring" climate change nonsense and start dealing with the real issue which will change the world as we know it as sure as the sun comes up. Peak Oil has come and gone. The effects have not. We running out of oil fast (and other fossil fuels). Thank God some of you say but thats not the point. The point is 5 out of very 6 of us only exist because of oil and our respective Governments are doing nothing simply because the problem is huge they have no idea how to deal with it. It requires a complete rethink of how society and economics will work in the near future.

Anonymous replied on

Our governments are engaging in military operations and invading countries illegally to secure that oil that we rely on so heavily..

Anonymous replied on

The scientific evidence for when, exactly, we will reach peak oil production is uncertain, especially if arctic reserves are now able to be tapped. That in itself, however, is evidence that climate change is happening and is a significant threat. There is far far more. But even so - how do you go about solving peak oil? Reducing our dependancy on fossil fuels in all levels of society, switching to renewable energy & less artificially-dependant agricultural methods? Funnily enough, that's the same thing we have to do to reduce our CO2e emissions and reduce global warming...

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