|
Returning Sri Lankan asylum seekers a threat to global refugee system - Senator Kerry Nettle |
|
|
|
 Greens Immigration and Multiculturalism Spokesperson, Senator Kerry Nettle, today warned the government that if they attempted to return the Sri Lankan asylum seekers on Christmas Island to Sri Lanka they would be threatening the integrity of the worldwide refugee protection system."The world is watching what Australia is doing on this issue," Senator Nettle said.
"If the government negotiates with the government of Sri Lanka and has these asylum seekers returned, they will send a message to the rest of the world that refugee conventions can be ignored.
"The government needs to reveal who it has been negotiating with about the fate of the asylum seekers.
"The current Sri Lankan Ambassador Janaka Perera is suspected of having committed war crimes against the Tamil community, and is reported as being in contact with Australia about the fate of these asylum seekers.
"Australia should not be seeking to return these men to Sri Lanka. Australian should not be discussing the details of Tamil asylum seekers with any Sri Lankan officials let alone those suspected of committing war crimes.
"Australia should take our responsibilities under the Refugee Convention seriously and bring them to Australia to live in the community whilst their claims for asylum are assessed."
Source: http://www.kerrynettle.org.au/600_media_sub.php?deptItemID=684
|
