Justice for the Refugees at Merak
Friday 12th Feb, 5pm, Brisbane Square (top of the mall)
Organised by the Refugee Action Collective,

It's been over a 100 days since Kevin Rudd's phone call had the Merak Tamil asylum seekers intercepted on their way to Australia and returned to Indonesia. This has already cause one death, besides untold pain and grief to the children, women and men lingering there in constant uncertainty and sickness. The Australian Government continues to ignore its responsibility and bribe Indonesia to intercept boats and detain asylum seekers while over 109 Tamils at Merak who have UNHCR refugee cards remain stranded on the boat. Indonesia authorities are steeping up pressure on the 250 asylum seekers in Merak and have restricted access to the port. There is now no direct medical support for the group. The Australian government has recognized that the Oceanic Viking refugees cannot be returned to Sri Lanka. The Australian government is just as responsible for the Merak asylum seekers. It should ensure their complete protection from the Sri Lankan government and bring them to Australia.
Speakers Include:
Ian Rintoul
Long time refugee rights activist recentlly returned from visitng refugees at Merak

Andrew Bartlet
Long time Queensland Senator and social justice activist

Fr Pan Jordan
Catholic Priest and member of the Tamil community, recently returned from Sri Lankan internment camps.