BaxterNews

Volume 3 Issue March 2005

Discrimination in detention
Introduce EDITOR……

Dear friends

I introduce Editor of Baxter news in this newsletter who didn’t declare name so far. I wrote 17 newsletter disclosing discrimination in detention for about two and half years. I suppose it would have helped to minimise harassment in detention or at least you to know how arbitrary Baxter is. You may not enjoy reading Baxter news because it contended human torture in your country but you may have acknowledged what have been happening in Baxter Detention. Thanks for everyone who help me to write, distribute my newsletters all these years. Your encouraging helped me to reveal truth all the time. Further, I thanks to Sydney PEN writers association for given me a membership as a writer.

Thanks for you all,
Sarath Amarasinghe
Editor

About 2005 Protest.......Whether or not in front of Baxter As you all aware, refugee activist, detainees and public speak about Baxter 2005 protest these days. So far we heard most of your arguments whether or not it is suitable doing protest in front of Baxter. However, detainees are the most suffering part all the years been locked up inside Baxter. I realized it would be great if I could gather of their opinion about the protest. Therefore, I forward herein majority detainees ideas about Baxter protest. I suppose this would help to determine whether or not suitable protesting in front of Baxter. I don’t declare any detainees personal details who gave their idea although this letter has been prepared after being discussed with many long period stayed detainees at Baxter.

Q: Do you know that there is a Easter protest in front of Baxter, how do you feel about it, is it better doing it in front of Baxter or better do somewhere else?

Suppose it is better in front of Baxter, I believe showing Baxter, protesters will shout about human torture inside detention. Then there would have good publicity about all torture inside Baxter detention.

Q: What do you mean of publicity? Has Baxter already got enough publicity of locking up innocent people for longer period?

It is true but more publicity is better. There are lot of Australian has still not understood how badly we are being treated here. Protesters will come here and yield about us, and then more Australian will come to know about us.

Q: Why don’t you think somewhere else is better than here? If I suggest like parliament house.

Last Easter there was a protest in front of Canberra office, in 2003 there was a protest in front of Baxter. So, it doesn’t matter if they protest in here at this time.

Q: Then as many area activists argue, you will get problem like it happened 2003 Easter time.

It is true we had a bit hard time like restricting visits, telephone calls, opportunity of going out from compound, frequent room searches. But it doesn’t mean that they don’t protest here. We have been suffering from all these harassment throughout all the years. What is new? The other thing is, there was a wrong impact of 2003 protest that they are going to break fences and get us out, but this time it is not. If they maintain strategy, well it doesn’t matter if they protest in front of Baxter. We like it.

Q: Can you explain me what is the difference of Easter protest between last time and this time?

In year 2003 protesters published that they come to break fences and take detainees out. We like freedom but we were unhappy that news because although we are out we still illegal immigrant. What we need is political solution. As you know we are political pawns in Australia. But this time protesters announced that they have no idea for any violence. Their protests only political then we are happy.

Q: So, sometime you will get same harassment like last time from the management. Will you be happy about that?

We know we would get same treatment like last time. But you have to understand there is nothing new to us, we every day get same bad treatment in detention like in prison. If protest politically help for our situation, why we can’t sacrifice more harassment for few days? However, either protester comes or not, we have hard time in detention. There is no much difference.

Q: If I say some groups don’t happy of protesting in front of Baxter, what do you say about that?

Don’t think there is particular reason to disagree with protest. This is another group of Australians decision according to their point of views. The way they are going to react also up to them. We can’t say yes or no. We are happy to say whoever works hard against these mandatory policies, we respect to them too. I don’t think Baxter is belonging only to particular group. We welcome all of you and we thank you all who has seen disgrace of this human torture. Further we thank to you all who come and visit and looking after us all the time, we need it. Moreover, we need who blunt and write all about these treatments.

Q: As conclusion what do you have to say?

Am happy to request from friendly protesters show your non violence goal to authorities. If your heart says you need to make sound against human torture in your country blunt against it. Further, without disagreeing giving different views, everybody come to one decision and say to your government release these innocent people without keeping them more in this Baxter jail. Thank you very much; I appreciate you all who talked with me. I don’t mention your name or country. I believe this would be a great message for all of our Friendly supporters.

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