V I G I L 'Four years too long: Close the camps, Bring them here'
When : Wednesday 19 July
Time: 4.30 - 6pm
Where : St Johns Hall, Page st, Moruya
Candles & Curry and rice will be available by donation.
+ Music, and a special slide show about current conditions in the camps & the deteriorating situation on Manus will be shown.
A raffle of 2 works by a local woodworker and a mosaic artist will also raise funds.
Why the Vigil in the Eurobodalla & all around Australia?
On 19 July, it will be four years since the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that people arriving by boat to seek asylum in Australia would be detained in the Manus Island and Nauru centres and never allowed to settle here.
It has been four years in which people seeking asylum have been held against their will, been subjected to terrible mental and physical stress and, in some cases, lost their lives – either murdered by guards or through medical neglect.
The Manus Island and Nauru centres have been condemned by the UNHCR, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, the Australian Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International and many other humanitarian and human rights organisations. 19 July is a shameful anniversary.
Scores of actions are planned around the country on that day on the theme of 'Four years too long: Close the camps, Bring them here', including: vigils, peak-hour protests, convergences on politicians’ offices, public meetings, silent gatherings, speak-outs, prayer gatherings, public displays of graphics materials, and more.
Please attend the vigil so we can show the people in detention that many Australians DO care. If you can’t come - please spread the word - write a letter to the editor or a letter to the PM.
Background
As many of you know, offshore detention on Nauru has resulted in much suffering; with women and children still needing our protection. Many of you will have supported Barb Lewis' brilliant local IWD event for Women on Nauru, earlier this year and seen the collective power of coming together to assist refugees in need.
A rapidly deteriorating emergency situation is now unfolding on Manus.
Recently there have been machete attacks on refugees, bashings and police brutality. Human Rights abuses are now increasing alarmingly as Australia withdraws from Manus on October 31.
Heavy coercion is now being exerted by ABF to force men to 'repatriate' back to harm. We are observing a real increase in the number of deportations, which are of course illegal under the Refugee Convention and International Law.
The men on Manus are going hungry. Their camp accommodation is being knocked down around them. The shop where they buy food is closing down.
The gym, a vital outlet for those detained for 4 years without hope, has been closed. Case workers are saying good bye.
Medical services are under threat and there is no clear idea of what will happen to seriously ill detainees being treated or hospitalised in Port Moresby, once Australia's contracts cease.
There is no announcement about what will happen to the all the men remaining on Manus when Australia pulls out.
What has RAC Eurobodalla been doing?
How can you help protect lives?
The Manus Emergency Fund was created by our local RAC group in April, in response to an urgent SOS from Manus. MEF has so far raised nearly $16,000 to assist men with emergency legal and medical costs.
The fund has already assisted in stopping a number of deportations.
MEF is currently the emergency fighting fund responding immediately to the urgent legal and medical emergencies occurring on Manus and PNG, by providing immediate legal representation to the men with a lawyer based on the ground. Men directly instruct their lawyer.
Donations are urgently required as more deportation notices are served and meted out on the most vulnerable men first.
These men have never had their claims for refugee properly processed by PNG, and the UNHRC Refugee Agency says that they should not be deported.
We must not lose more lives.
Please show your support for those suffering offshore & Join us, take action or donate to Manus Emergency Fund . Refugee Action Collective Eurobodalla
