Refugee Advocates Coach Self-Harm

[icyfroth]

A former offshore processing official says refugee advocates are encouraging asylum seekers in Australia's immigration detention centres to self harm so the advocates can use the incidents for their own political agenda.

Greg Lake told Mailonline a handful of 'extreme' refugee campaigners coached 'ringleaders' in detention centres who stood over more vulnerable asylum seekers, forcing them to sew their lips together, make suicide attempts and harm themselves to gain publicity for the advocates' cause.

'Then these advocates are ready with a media release to promote their cause,' he said, 'they often know about the incident before the minister or the department does and that's because they organised it.'

He said the practice was confined to a minority of advocates, but that it was 'despicable'.

Entire Article Here

Mr Lake is a former Department of Immigration regional manager who once worked in Nauru detention centre. He resigned in December 2012 and has since been critical of both sides in the immigration and asylum seeker debate.

Greg Lake said the actions of the extremist refugee advocates were 'at odds with their mandate'.

[punch*drunk]

Cant say I'm surprised about that.

[aps1080]

Nor can I. We know they stoop to low levels to push their agendas.

Just like the refugee advocates make sure the boat people had mobile phones, all the relevant phone numbers etc

so they could call before they sunk or sabotaged the boat they were on.

[j*oono]

Yes, Greg Lake tweeted to me this morning.  I just don't happen to agree with him.

[aps1080]

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@j*oono wrote:

Yes, Greg Lake tweeted to me this morning.  I just don't happen to agree with him.

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Why, because it doesn't fit your Agenda ?

What is your evidence to say this isn't occurring as I have heard this before

from people who work in the centres.

[j*oono]

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jan/15/manus-island-asylum-seeker-reportedly-swallows...

[j*oono]

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/video/2015/jan/14/manus-island-hunger-strike-rare-secret-r...

[aps1080]

Joono

That's doesn't say who is behind them, who put them up to it.

It just shows the acts themselves.

"'We are human beings ... We are begging you, help us' "

They are being helped ????

The should have stayed at home then because they are turning down opportunities to live in

another country but they say no to that so you can't win.

[j*oono]

He does seem to have backed down a little bit now and repeats that it's only a very small handful of advocates and the majority are very good.

Which makes it quite ridiculous that Sharri Markson would get on tv and give that vacuous interview stating that the refugees are being encouraged to self harm for media purposes.

[aps1080]

Joono

The problem is, that very small number ruins it for other advocates and the refugees themselves.

It also taints the 'professionalism' of the others.