Protest for Rohingyan Refugees

Rescue the Rohingyan refugees

End Boat Turn Backs

Australia must resettle refugees from Indonesia

Please join us at the intersection of Northbourne Ave and Barry Drive this Friday to call for the immediate rescue of 8000 mostly Rohingyan refugees stranded in the Malacca Straits.

In recent days Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have begun turning back desperate asylum seeker boats carrying mostly Rohingyan refugees fleeing ethnic cleansing in Burma. Reports estimate that 8000 people are currently stranded in the region, with a dire shortage of food and water creating a situation the UN says could become a “massive humanitarian crisis”.

On Sunday Tony Abbott praised the turn backs as “almost certainly absolutely necessary” and was unapologetic of Australia’s pioneering role of leading the policy, one he claims the Government has “taken to preserve safety at sea.”

The fact that these boat turn backs have put 8000 refugees in imminent danger, with reports of up to 200 people already dying as a consequence, proves the Government doesn’t care about deaths at sea, and that Operation Sovereign Borders amounts to little more than a demand for refugees to go die elsewhere.

Join us at 5pm this Friday, 22 May, at the intersection of Northbourne Avenue and Barry Drive to demand the Government immediately send search and rescue boats to save the refugees, end its abhorrent policy of boat turn backs, and lead by example in granting safe haven to those in the region fleeing war and persecution.

As the weather on Friday might make it difficult to light candles, please bring a torch along if you have one. Please help spread the word by inviting your friends to the Facebook event.