BY GARY MEYERHOFF
DARWIN — "It is time both parties stopped playing the game — who can be tougher on refugees?", ALP Senator Trish Crossin told a public meeting on February 5, becoming the latest ALP politician to speak out against inhumane treatment of refugees.
More than 70 people packed the museum theatrette to attend the forum, discussing the safety of children in detention centres.
Refugee solidarity activists from the Freedom Bus, which has been travelling to remote detention centres, told heart-wrenching stories about the conditions within Australia's "concentration camps". Videos with messages from young detainees also emphasised that mandatory detention has got to go.
The public meeting brought together speakers from a range of organisations including the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN), Amnesty International, the Torture and Trauma Survivors Service NT, the Greens and the Socialist Alliance.
Ruth Ratcliffe, the Socialist Alliance candidate for Darwin Lord Mayor, received overwhelming support when she called for Australia's borders to be opened to poor migrants, the detention centres to be closed and the refugees to be freed. Ratcliffe flagged planned May 1 protests as a "huge opportunity for working Australians to protest against government policy".
Tom Stodulka, the NT Anti-Discrimination Commissioner noted that "there are at least 12 groups in this room; it is very important for those groups to work together." NAPCAN NT president Barbera Kelly demanded that "the NT Government make a more public and open stance against detention". Kelly's demands come after ALP Chief Minister Claire Martin ruled out the use of territory-controlled land for a proposed new detention centre, although she made no comment on the use of federal government-owned land in the NT.
The Refugee Action Network was launched at the meeting. RAN will meet at the Darwin Multicultural Council on Wednesday February 13 at 4.30pm.
From Green Left Weekly, February 13, 2002.
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