Michael McKenna; 23/11/09; (3 Items)
Asylum seekers who are refusing to leave a boat in the Indonesian port of Merak claim sickness is sweeping through their ranks, with several taken to hospital at the weekend suffering acute diarrhoea. For more than a month, the 250 Tamil asylum-seekers have staged a sit-in on the wooden fishing boat, refusing to enter Indonesian detention amid threats they would be immediately returned to Sri Lanka. Monsoonal rains lashed the boat at the weekend, worsening conditions on the vessel which has only one toilet and limited shelter for sleeping. Refugee advocates yesterday told The Australian they have been providing medical advice over the telephone to the asylum-seekers, who have staged a sit-in on the boat since they were escorted into harbour on October 11.
Tamil civilians to go free
Amanda Hodge; 23/11/09
More than 130,000 mostly Tamil civilians will be free to move in and out of Sri Lankan refugee camps from next month and will be able to return to their communities by January, the government said at the weekend. The decision comes more than six months after the Sri Lankan military crushed the last vestiges of the rebel Tamil Tigers movement and forcibly interned some 280,000 civilians who had lived under the separatist regime in the north of the country. The Sinhalese-dominated government has faced down months of international pressure to release the civilians and forge a political settlement with its Tamil minority. Last Thursday, visiting UN humanitarian chief John Holmes reiterated calls for Sri Lanka to allow civilians to leave the camps. But in the end, it was domestic politics that forced the government’s hand.
See: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/tamil-civilians-to-go-free/story-e6frg6so-1225801820904
Detainees in island brawl
Brendan Nicholson; 23/11/09
Thirty-seven Afghanis and Sri Lankans have been injured in a massive brawl on Christmas Island involving 150 detainees. Ten of the detainees were taken to the island’s hospital and three of the more seriously hurt were flown to Perth for treatment after the fight on Saturday evening. A small number of staff suffered minor injuries while breaking up the fight, an Immigration Department spokesman said last night. The spokesmen said the department and Australian Federal Police based on the island were investigating. He said it was too soon to say what had triggered the violence. The trouble began about 6.30pm on Saturday and lasted about 30 minutes.
See: http://www.theage.com.au/national/detainees-in-island-brawl-20091122-isub.html
Tags: Australia, Indonesia, Migrants & Refugees, Sri Lanka