4 November, 2003 11:06 PM
A boat load of asylum seekers were seen approaching Melville Island (a small island North of Darwin Australia) earlier today.
How does our government respond? The following is an excerpt from The Age newspaper.
Thousands of islands in Australia's north have been cut off the map for migration purposes in a dramatic response to the arrival of boat people on an island near Darwin.
The federal government called an urgent executive council meeting this afternoon to pass the regulations to remove the islands from the migration zone, which retrospectively came into affect from midnight.
Last year they did a similar thing with 3000 islands off the northern coast of Australia also.
I'm ashamed of my country tonight. We boast about being one of the 'most livable countries' in the world - the 'lucky country' - a multicultural nation. And yet when a group of desperate people attempt to find sanctuary here we move our borders so that they can be turned around and rejected on a technicality.
Comments
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I'm ashamed of Australia too.
Princesa » 6 November, 2003 11:27 AM
People are supposed to help and support other people. Australian trademark used to be just that. Now everything has changed.
It takes so little to do so much. But people of the western culture are affraid not to appear weak. It was not long time ago that greatness was in conquering others and building empires on their backs!
Now we know we can do better. It is our turn now to help people we (we as Westerners) once oppressed.
"...as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." (Mandela).
Could we sit down and eat and watch someone suffering or starving if they were just a step away from us? Aussies, wisen up. People need us. It is time to be human and act as such.
"These are the days of the open hand
They might just be the last
Look around now
These are the days of the beggars and the choosers
This is the year of the hungry man
Whose place is in the past
Hand in hand with ignorance
And legitimate excuses
The rich declare themselves poor
And most of us are not sure
If we have too much
But we'll take our chances
'Cause God's stopped keeping score
I guess somewhere along the way
He must have let us all out to play
Turned his back and all God's children
Crept out the back door
And it's hard to love
There's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope
When there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above
Say it's much too much too late
Well maybe we should all be praying for time
These are the days of the empty hand
Oh you hold on to what you can
And charity is a coat you wear twice a year
This is the year of the guilty man
Your television takes a stand
And you find that what was over there is over here
So you scream from behind your door
Say what's mine is mine and not yours
I may have too much but I'll take my chances
'Cause God's stopped keeping score
And you cling to the things they sold you
Did you cover your eyes when they told you
That he can't come back
'Cause he has no children to come back for
It's hard to love there's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope when there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above say it's much too late
So maybe we should all be praying for time" (George Michael)
Damir Kalajdzic (sponsor of two beatiful kids in South Africa)
Damir Kalajdzic » 7 November, 2003 11:16 PM
Hello
My Neme is Qazi Abdullah From Pakistan now time i am free and i am very poor i want suport from u and i want coe to ur contry plz who is suport to me?
» 17 August, 2004 7:24 PM
It is something that is always inconclusive with this issue to let in and turn away there is no answer to this problem because everyone is not good and everyone is not bad sadly there is no true answer
» 1 March, 2005 7:15 PM
I've applied for a migration visa to Australia - now I'm wondering if that was a good idea... :)
Michelle » 5 November, 2003 5:16 PM