Chinese Man Deportation Feared Imminent

Urgent - Grave Concerns Chinese Man Deportation Tomorrow

The Australian government intends to remove this man "DP" to China tomorrow despite a UN human Rights Committee request to stay this removal pending their investigation.

This man has been in Australia for 10 years, 4 years in detention. His visa has been cancelled on the basis of an unsigned, undated Chinese Arrest warrant which would be dismissed in an Australian court.

* No identity confirmation

While the name on this warrant is the same as that of DP, the man held in the Australian detention centre, there is no corresponding data matching such as date of birth, address, occupation, educational level to prove that this man with a family name in the fourth most common name group amongst over one billion people, is the same man. An internal memo from the immigration department says of the conflicting address information - "Not an exact match, but clearly in the neighbourhood". The Chinese Interpol "fail to give a date of birth for the man they are seeking."

* No execution assurance received

In public correspondence, the Immigration department states that they have received assurances that this man will not be executed upon return. In an internal memo, "DIMA in Confidence" memo, dated 17 March 2006, an officer in the Removals Support Section DIAC Canberra writes "We have not been involved with the Chinese Embassy to secure an assurance that Mr Qi would be subject to the death penalty on his return and 'were not aware that was an issue.' "

* No extradition treaty

Australia has no extradition treaty with China precisely because we do not trust their judicial system which is corrupt and arbitrary yet we are prepared to send DP back to a so-called assurance that he will not be executed. DP is a Catholic from a Catholic family and as religious persecution is rife in China, he was subject to the brutality of this persecution which precipitated his family getting him out of China. He arrived in Australia and was granted a business visa. The department has since 'lost his entry documents', removing the possibility of further identification with the Chinese exit information.

* No confirmation of crime

The department is preparing to send DP back to possible execution when there is no evidence that DP is the man wanted by the Chinese government for a serious crime. DP is highly respected by all who have met him, fellow detainees, visitors and guards alike. He has used his English skills to support and assist the Chinese detainees in Baxter, many of whom had no English and no interpreters were available. Those who know him cannot reconcile the man they have known for 4 years with the information that he is supposed to be a criminal.

Until now Australia has respected the requests of the United Nations Human Rights Committee albeit sometimes belatedly. On the last occasion a man was brought back from Dubai when pressed by the UN because of fears that he would be executed upon arrival in his country of origin.

* Breach of Conventions

"To send this man to China against the UN request would place Australia in breach of the International Conventions and put us alongside those human rights violating countries who have no standing and respect in the world community" says Pamela Curr of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC). "Does this government want to go into an election with blood on its hands?"

ENDS

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