Sarah Stephen
On April 2, protesters will rally around Australia in support of a free and independent West Papua, and to demand immediate asylum for the 43 West Papuans who remain on Christmas Island awaiting the outcome of their applications.
Speakers at the rally will include Tim O'Connor from AidWatch, Greens Senator Kerry Nettle, Anne Noonan from the Australia West Papua Association, and a student activist recently returned from a visit to the Indonesian island of Lombok, where a group of refugees who tried to reach Australia in 2001 still languish.
Jointly organised by the Greens, Australia-West Papua Association and Refugee Action Coalition, the rally in Sydney will take place in Hyde Park North at noon. Rallies will also take place on April 2 in Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane (see page 23 for details).
The Australian government has made much of the fact that the department of immigration has processed most protection visa applications in the last eight months, within the new benchmark of 90 days. April 11 will mark 90 days since the 43 West Papuan asylum seekers landed on Australian soil and requested asylum.
Immigration minister Amanda Vanstone argues that the Christmas Island detention centre is purpose-built for asylum seekers arriving by boat, yet on March 9 the government had to evacuate 10 asylum seekers from the island to Perth for medical reasons.
From Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly, March 22, 2006.
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