Human right advocates fear DIMA's "Duck Shooting"

-------- Original Message -------- Subject: MEDIA RELEASE: Human right advocates fear Opening DIMA's Deportation Season Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2006 12:13:33 +0900 From: Project SafeCom To: media@safecom.org

*MEDIA RELEASE: Human right advocates fear Opening DIMA's "Duck Shooting" Deportation Season

"Human rights advocates in touch with detained asylum seekers speak from experience when they express their fears, knowing that when the Christmas break nears each year, that "The Department's Duck Shooting Season" is on once again," WA Rights group said this morning.

"We're waiting for more details, but following the fact that people are starting to jump off the roof at Baxter, you can almost put your clock to it, and know, that within the context that the Minister for Immigration has 300 417 intervention cases laying on her desk waiting to be cleared, she will once again use sleaze, manipulation and spin and the fact that lawyers, migration agents and advocates are taking their Christmas break to approve mass deportations," spokesman Jack H Smit said.

"This government, as we know, knows no mercy and knows no compassion, and using the new DIMA Chief spin machinery-operator Sandy Logan, will no doubt be successful in deluding most reporters and journalists that all is as it should be."

"There are Africans as well as Falun Gong adherents locked away in the Baxter refugee horror jail; and a Government Of Compassion would not lock them up nor deport them," Mr Smit said, "and it's no wonder, that with the approaching High Tide of Christmas detainees get desperate and try to kill themselves, pre-empting their deportation to Danger."

*ABC NEWS ONLINE Friday, December 8, 2006. 1:06pm (AEDT)

Two detainees and a security guard from the Baxter detention centre in South Australia have been taken to hospital with minor injuries after the detainees jumped off the roof.

The Immigration Department says one detainee jumped from the roof of a transportable building while being spoken to by staff.

He was taken to Baxter's medical centre and was later taken to hospital.

The Department says later a man jumped from the roof of an accommodation building, but was caught by a security officer.

Both men were also taken to hospital.

Rob Tolsen from the ambulance service says none of the injuries are life threatening.

"They treated and stabilised two patients and transported them through to the Port Augusta Hospital," he said.

"Later, about half an hour later, we received a call for a third person who had sustained some injuries and we attended the Baxter detention centre again and transported that person through to the Port Augusta Hospital also."

Police are investigating the incidents.

The Department says the situation is under control and the centre is calm.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200612/s1807241.htm

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