topic Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here? in Community Spirit

Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

izabsmiling — Wed, 07 May 2014 19:53:50 GMT

New asylum seeker controversy strains Australia-Indonesia relations

Reports that the Australian navy added three passengers to an asylum seeker boat turned back to Indonesia have threatened to further damage already strained relationships

PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 07 May, 2014,

Speaking in the sidelines of an international leaders’ summit on the resort island of Bali, Natalegawa said he had been informed that the three passengers had been added to 18 asylum seekers aboard the returned boat.

Australian National University expert on foreign relations, William Maley, said Australia might have broken its own people-smuggling laws if the additional passengers had been added in Australian waters.

“There may be crucial distinction between, on the one hand, simply pushing back a boat which has appeared at the Australian maritime border, and on the other hand taking people who have been within Australian jurisdiction and placing them on a boat and sending them back,” Maley told Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“Because arguably the latter falls within the definition of people smuggling, and there it might well be that those at sea, and those who have been involved in organising or facilitating that activity – which could of course go right up to the top level of the government – have committed a criminal offence,” he said.

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1506529/new-asylum-seeker-controversy-strains-australia-indonesia-relations

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

fourandsixpants — Wed, 07 May 2014 20:10:17 GMT

....were any of these three extra 'passengers' in possession of a black box or a transponder?

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

spotweldersfriend — Wed, 07 May 2014 20:41:30 GMT

So the Abbott government is doing a bit of people smuggling too eh?

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

izabsmiling — Wed, 07 May 2014 20:44:31 GMT

who knows Paints?

Indonesia is right...it is up to OUR own Government to tell us what is going on.

Since we have been told over and over and over how criiminal people smuggling is and our PM says we are like at war with people smugglers and it is against ours and international law..............can we make a citizens arrest to get 'suspected people smugglers' taken in to the cop shop to answer questions do you think?

We don't comment on 'on-water matters' isn't good enough!

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

izabsmiling — Thu, 08 May 2014 00:24:05 GMT

Exactly those poor people...they are more important than Cattle aren't they?

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

isabellerbookseller — Wed, 07 May 2014 21:03:55 GMT

@paintsew007 wrote:
....were any of these three extra 'passengers' in possession of a black box or a transponder?

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

izabsmiling — Wed, 07 May 2014 22:31:14 GMT

who are what is it that you are worried about?

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

izabsmiling — Wed, 07 May 2014 23:53:13 GMT

edit to remove double post

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

izabsmiling — Wed, 07 May 2014 23:52:33 GMT

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Institute_of_Public_Affairs

PHASE 3 REPORT ON
IMPLEMENTING THE OECD
ANTI-BRIBERY CONVENTION
IN AUSTRALIA

October 2012

Commentary
The lead examiners are seriously concerned that Australia’s overall enforcement of the foreign
bribery offence to date has been extremely low. This report notes certain deficiencies and
makes recommendations to address this concern. The lead examiners, however, welcome
Australia’s first foreign bribery prosecutions, acknowledge Australia’s efforts to remedy the
situation and anticipate these efforts to bear fruit in due course.
The lead examiners recommend that the Working Group monitor Australia’s foreign bribery
enforcement efforts through Australia’s Phase 3 Oral Follow-up Report in 2013 and its
Written Follow-up Report in 2014. This should include, if possible, exploration of the relevant
issues in the Securency/NPA case that could not be discussed in this evaluation because of a
suppression order or on-going investigations.

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

izabsmiling — Thu, 08 May 2014 00:09:13 GMT

Dick Warburton investigated over foreign bribery scandal

Date February 20, 2014

The senior businessman appointed by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to review Australia's renewable energy target has been the subject of a secret internal investigation into his role as a former director of a firm involved in Australia's worst foreign bribery scandal.

The investigation findings were sent earlier this month to the Reserve Bank board and deal with Dick Warburton and his fellow former Note Printing Australia directors' knowledge and handling of Note Printing Australia's sanctions-busting trip to Iraq in 1998.

On Monday, Mr Abbott personally approved the appointment of Mr Warburton to review the nation's renewable energy target, despite serious questions about the role of Mr Warburton and his fellow former NPA directors in overseeing a company that police allege engaged in repeated foreign bribery.

Tony Abbott's first trip to Indonesia was not about Asylum seekers as it should have been especially since there had just been a tradegy in which our response to calls for help was in question.Instead he showed what he is all about by taking selected business chiefs to meet influencial business people in Indonesia.

We have a right to know **bleep** our Government has been and is doing

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

izabsmiling — Thu, 08 May 2014 00:26:58 GMT

http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/joe-hockey-welfare-to-work-and-a-pack-of-**bleep**-lies/

Joe Hockey, Welfare to Work, and a pack of **bleep** lies

16 Dec 2012

If the figures were going up, then what happened to the $500M that was meant to be saved?

The Howard Government wanted it for something else, hence the lie that it wasn’t needed under the WtW program. My source tells me that the Secretary of DEWR, Dr Peter Boxall, was told to take $750M from Newstart and DSP payments as it was needed elsewhere, with no explanation given. This infuriated Boxall (a Howard appointee), who had no option but to find the money, however, could only come up with $500M. My informant attests that this demand came from the top, which could only mean Hockey or even Howard himself.

It was not a political move, although it is easy to assume it might have been given it was an election year. No, it was much more sinister than that.

In February 2007 the US Vice President, Dick Cheney visited Australia and Howard offered more support to the US to help with their war in Iraq. This is what Howard offered:

. . . a strengthening of . . . training effort comprising a dedicated logistics team of roughly 50 personnel, together with about 20 extra Army training instructors to work with the Iraqi Army.

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2013/s3921362.htm
Australia's attitude to big business bribery cops criticism

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

izabsmiling — Thu, 08 May 2014 00:36:45 GMT

Race to block asylum seekers

EXCLUSIVE NICK BUTTERLY CANBERRA The West Australian

May 2, 2014, 2:47 am

Customs officials were last night racing to intercept an asylum-seeker vessel - the first in Australian waters in more than a month.

_The West Australian _ understands Border Protection Command spotted the boat in remote waters between Java and Ashmore Reef yesterday and sent a patrol boat to pick it up.

It was unclear if Customs would take the boat under escort to Australia or try to turn it back to Indonesia.

Since winning power, the coalition has thrown a veil of secrecy over its border protection efforts.

Though the Government says there has not been a single successful asylum voyage to Australia since December, it has refused to give details of how many boats have come to Australian waters but then been turned back or towed back to Indonesia.

There have been six instances in recent months of asylum seekers arriving back in Indonesia aboard big orange lifeboats, claiming they were bundled aboard the boats and pushed back by the Royal Australian Navy.

The Government has confirmed it bought lifeboats for border security operations, but has refused to say what they are specifically for.

The coalition's clandestine policy of pushing asylum boats back to Indonesia has infuriated Jakarta and led to Australian navy vessels accidentally entering Indonesian waters.

This week it was revealed that the Cambodian Government had agreed "in principle" to house asylum seekers intercepted by Australia.

The plan has been condemned by rights groups and international experts who say Cambodia has a terrible record of human rights.

Under the Government's policies, all asylum seekers arriving in Australian waters are sent to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea or the small Pacific nation of Nauru.

Lawyers for detainees on Manus Island this week filed an urgent application for protection for a group of asylum seekers who say they witnessed the death of Iranian Kurd Reza Berati.

Mr Berati was beaten to death during riots at the centre in February when local police and villagers stormed the centre.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/23135655/race-to-block-asylum-seekers/

I must not forget not to shorten certain ids.Apologies Silverfaun.It's all fixed now..

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

izabsmiling — Thu, 08 May 2014 04:53:24 GMT

Australian air force helps stranded 'banana boat' off Bougainville

Posted Fri 2 May 2014, 8:12pm AEST

PHOTO: 15 people were onboard the 7-metre 'banana boat' bound from Nissan Island to Buka Island in Bougainville when the craft suffered engine problems and was left without power.(Australia Defence)

MAP: Papua New Guinea

A Royal Australian Air Force aircraft has helped locate and rescue 15 people who were stranded at sea off Papua New Guinea's Bougainville island.

The seven-metre 'banana boat' went adrift after it lost power while travelling from Nissan Island to Buka Island on April 26.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-02/an-australia-png-banana-boat-rescue/5427714

any connection?

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

izabsmiling — Thu, 08 May 2014 10:01:29 GMT

Six onshore immigration detention centres to close

Scott Morrison tells newspaper that shutting the sites – slated for the middle of next year – will bring savings of $280m

Thursday 8 May 2014

The closures will cut more than 500 onshore detention places. The decision comes as the government continues to increase the capacity of offshore facilities. Manus Island and Nauru now hold 2450 asylum seekers.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/08/six-onshore-immigration-detention-centres-to-close

:catmad

Catholic Bishops Appalled by Govt Plan to Resettle Asylum Seekers in Cambodia

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
2 May 2014

https://www.sydneycatholic.org/news/latest_news/2014/201452_728.shtml

Lives in limbo for 1300 asylum seekers on Manus Island

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

kilroy_is_here — Fri, 09 May 2014 04:30:53 GMT

Total satisfaction or double your asylum seeks back

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

izabsmiling — Fri, 09 May 2014 07:31:08 GMT

High Court to hear challenge to Manus Island detention centre

By Elizabeth Byrne

Posted Fri 9 May 2014, 5:06am AEST

The High Court will hear a case today challenging the establishment of the Manus Island detention centre.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-09/high-court-to-hear-manus-island-asylum-seeker-appeal/5440374

8 MAY 2014 - 7:56AM

Boat turn-back could 'constitute people smuggling offence'

Federal police will be asked to investigate whether border protection personnel committed a people-smuggling offence while turning back an asylum-seeker boat.

Indonesian navy officers claim Australian authorities added three people to an asylum seeker boat before sending it back to Indonesia in the past week.

Indonesia says, if the reports are true, it would constitute a serious development.

Labor is demanding an explanation from Immigration Minister Scott Morrison, while the Greens want AFP Commissioner Tony Negus to investigate whether an illegal activity was committed.

One of Australia's leading experts on diplomacy, the Australian National University's Professor William Maley, told Brian Thomson, it may not be just Australian law that has been breached.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/05/08/boat-turn-back-could-constitute-people-smuggling-offen...

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

izabsmiling — Wed, 14 May 2014 09:47:21 GMT

PNG may impose quota on refugees from Manus Island

Michael Gordon May 11, 2014

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison’s insistence that Papua New Guinea has agreed to resettle all Manus Island-based asylum seekers found to be refugees has been undermined for the second time in eight weeks.

The confusion comes as the decision to process asylum seekers on Manus is being challenged in the High Court on constitutional and administrative grounds.

While this challenge resumes on Tuesday, a separate High Court challenge to the indefinite detention of the asylum seekers is scheduled for hearing later this week.

Meanwhile, Mr Morrison has signalled in a television interview that he intends to toughen the character test for those seeking refugee status in Australia.

“The character provisions in the Migration Act for people who haven’t got a custodial sentence, frankly, I think, (are) not strong enough - and that’s something I'm turning my attention to,” he told the Bolt Report.

http://m.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/png-may-impose-quota-on-refugees-from-manus-island-20140511-zr9k3.html?skin=dumb-phone

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

spotweldersfriend — Wed, 14 May 2014 09:55:57 GMT

What's the latest on that chap at Manus that Morrison murdered,

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

izabsmiling — Wed, 14 May 2014 10:13:57 GMT

No Justice there Spot

Manus Island refugee still waiting for justice

Saturday, May 10, 2014

By Jay Fletcher

Iranian asylum seeker and aspiring architect Reza Berati was beaten to death inside the Manus Island detention camp more than two months ago, during what former employees of the detention centre described as “inevitable bloodshed”.

Now, the five witnesses who say they can identify those who allegedly kicked, punched and beat the 23-year-old until he succumbed to massive head injuries, have been receiving death threats from local security guards.

Their lawyers have filed urgent requests to the High Court to have the witnesses placed in protective custody in Australia, saying they are “gravely concerned” about the men's safety. But the refugees remain in the Manus camp and are afraid to speak to PNG police. All five were seriously injured during the violence as well. One was shot in the buttock while running away and beaten again. Another was held down and slashed across the throat.

Yet this has not been the first challenge PNG police have encountered while investigating the alleged murder. Lawyer Ruth Hudson said previous attempts by police to get access to the witnesses have been “routinely thwarted” by staff. G4S guards, both Australians and locals, have refused to cooperate with local investigations.

Two Australians also emerged as suspects in the death, but have since returned to Australia. Requests to have them extradited to PNG have been ignored. The Australian Federal Police have been speaking to the guards, but have also neglected to cooperate with the local investigations.

Of the five official inquiries into conditions in the Manus Island camp and the human rights of the asylum seekers, two that were being headed up by Justice David Cannings were stonewalled in PNG's domestic courts — with Australian backing. Jay Williams, the barrister who obtained the original affidavits detailing the brutal assault on Berati, was forcibly deported from Manus Island in March.

But more allegations keep coming. The Australian Senate inquiry into the violence has received a submission from whistleblower Liz Thompson, who was working as a migration agent for the immigration department when the violence occurred.

The submission included more witness accounts that said Berati and others were beaten with a baseball bat, and named a Salvation Army worker, “Joshua”, as its carrier. A postmortem assessment of Berati's body in February suggested he had suffered injuries caused by “a heavy [piece of] timber or wood or some such object”.

Thompson wrote in the submission that the violence was ultimately the design of the Australian government: “It is my belief that DIBP [Department of Immigration and Border Protection] manufactured an atmosphere of extreme hostility, suspicion and tension through its actions in the weeks leading up to February 16th and displayed utter disregard for the welfare of injured and traumatised asylum seekers and frontline staff such as interpreters in the immediate aftermath.”

Asylum seekers said in a petition to Prime Minister Tony Abbott that they have been “under military attack that caused us to lose one of our friends forever after more than seven months of suffering from continuous pressure and humiliation in this prison”. The petition requests that they be sent to Indonesia.

The lawyers of the five murder witnesses have also submitted a separate habeas corpus writ on behalf of more than 350 detainees on Manus Island that alleges human rights violations and international crimes against humanity by the Australian and Papua New Guinean governments, and immigration minister Scott Morrison.

Former employees of the Manus detention camp told ABC's Four Corners they knew a violent outbreak was inevitable. Steve Kilburn said: “I'd say that within a week of arriving on Manus Island I formed the opinion … that there is only one possible outcome here, and that is bloodshed …

“We couldn't guarantee the safety of those people, and we still can't.”

Another witness told the program: “The reality is that if somebody from outside wants to come in and do harm to those people, there's not a lot we can do to stop it, especially if they're armed, or en masse.”

Four Corners reporter Geoff Thompson said there were three “pressure points” in the centre: the different ethnicities of asylum seekers forced to live in cramped, stressful conditions; the presence of PNG locals living near the fences of the centre; and the uncertainty faced by the asylum seekers.

Indeed, the peaceful protests within the centre's compound began after a meeting revealed to asylum seekers that PNG had no plan to resettle them as refugees. They faced repatriation to their home countries, or a life sentence in detention.

If charges are ever laid against anyone for the terrifying bloodshed that took place in the Australian-run detention centre, it will be in spite of Australia's apparent wish to sweep it under the rug.

Morrison's admission to Four Corners that, despite his “aspiration”, the Australian government cannot actually ensure the safety of asylum seekers sent to the offshore detention centres shows that even the violent murder of someone who only asked for a safer and better life is no impetus to reverse this appalling regime.

In fact, the Manus Island and Nauru detention centres are being expanded as six onshore detention centres are being closed. The expected closures of the Northern immigration detention centre, the Darwin Airport Lodge, Inverbrackie in South Australia,

Curtin detention centre in Western Australia and two sites on Christmas Island would apparently save $280 million.

Small change compared with the more than $1 billion contract Transfield holds to run the offshore nightmare camps.

https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/56394

Re: Asylum Seeker and People Smuggling.What's going on here?

nero_bolt — Wed, 14 May 2014 10:18:33 GMT

Thats from the green left weekly.... says it all now doesnt it....

Just remember no boats and no ILLEGAL’S since the 19th of December...... Good isnt it... See contrary to what the green left bleated constantly that it couldn’t be done, stopping the boats they were wrong, it could be and it is