http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200412/s1268378.htm]
Last Update: Sunday, December 19, 2004. 7:28am (AEDT)
Andrew Bartlett is on hunger strike.
Bartlett pledges support for Baxter detainees
Australian Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett says he will remain on a hunger strike as long as detainees at the Baxter detention centre in South Australia's north do.
Several of the hunger strikers, including those on the roof of the centre, have ended their strike, although refugee support groups say the protest is continuing inside.
The Queensland Senator, who will drink water but not eat, says he is protesting about the conditions for asylum seekers in Baxter.
"I'd also like to encourage the detainees to retain some hope," he said.
"I don't encourage detainees to go on hunger strikes.
"I've always encouraged them in the past not to do that, to pursue other means and I continue to encourage them not to do that but to indicate to them that we'll continue to support them."
Meanwhile, Senator Bartlett says the Federal Government's treatment of the Bakhtiyari family has been unjust and a disgrace.
Immigration officials arrived unannounced at the Adelaide home of Mrs Bakhtiyari and her six children early yesterday morning and moved them to secure housing at Port Augusta.
The Government has not said wether they will be deported, but says it had become untenable to allow them to continue to live in the eastern suburbs home.
"The Government and the department act close to Christmas, act in the night, act on the weekends and attempt to try and get away with what they're doing with less scrutiny," Senator Bartlett said.
"Part of my job is to highlight what they're doing and ensure there is scrutiny of incredibly callous an inhumane acts."
The detention centre here continues to be a weeping sore. The damage, the pain, the emotion, the confusion have been ongoing. The federal government keeps telling us they are in control. We continue to wrestle with what to do with illegal immigrants, legal immigrants on the waiting lists, refugees. We don't understand why it takes so long for officials to work out whether someone is a legitimate refugee or not. We have had difficulties with people smugglers and we have been trying to stop that . Bit like the German radio play Das Schiff Esperanza by Fred von Hoerschelmann. It's uncanny. The whole situation keeps flaring up because at no stage have we discussed this properly and thoroughly. Consequently the treatment of these people becomes very draconian. Nobody explains anything and no one is going through a proper process as far as we can see. Most of us are immigrants here. We all have our stories. Some came over on "assisted passage"; some were sent as convicts; some chose to migrate here; some came out through refugee camps in Yugoslavia. Australia has people from many countries where they could no longer live. Why these detainees are different is beyond us and yes, we are not stupid, we accept some people ar a big risk and we don't know who they might be, but come on....you have WMD; you have satellites; you have hackware and spyware. You even bug the UN. Shouldn't be that hard to track 'em down, these evil beings. The latest family to stir our compassions and emotions is the Bakhtiyari family.
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