Woomera visa deal ends hunger strike
By Terry Plane, Matthew Spencer and Barclay Crawford
31jan02
The Australian
THE 16-day Woomera hunger strike has ended and immigration detainees have unstitched their lips after members of a federal government advisory body negotiated a resumption of visa processing for Afghan asylum-seekers.
The three government advisers and leading refugee advocate Frank Brennan brokered the agreement at the remote South Australian centre yesterday, while calling for drastic changes in the handling of detainees.
The decision to end the hunger strike came at a mass meeting of detainees in the centre's main compound at 2.20pm, when detainees applauded proposals put to them by a committee of their representatives, who had been negotiating with the Immigration Detention Advisory Group.
Fighting tears, IDAG acting chairman Ray Funnell said afterwards that it had been a "very emotional moment".
It was the third visit to the centre by IDAG members in just over a week.
It is understood the breakthrough resulted from a frank discussion between Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock and IDAG members last Thursday.
Mr Ruddock said yesterday the end to the hunger strike was neither a government victory nor a backdown.
"I don't think it's appropriate to claim victory; these are human issues in which governments have limited room to move," he said.
"Nobody should divine from this in relation to other the breakthrough in talks resulted from a frank discussion between Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock and IDAG members last Thursday.
Mr Ruddock said yesterday the end to the hunger strike was neither a government victory nor a backdown.
"I don't think it's appropriate to claim victory; these are human issues in which governments have limited room to move," he said.
"Nobody should divine from this in relation to other situations in other detention centres that we are going to, in any way, compromise in making lawful decisions or in relation to the operational issues (at) the detention centres," Mr Ruddock said.
Air Marshal Funnell and Fr Brennan rejected the Prime Minister's portrayal of the hunger strike as "blackmail". "It's not blackmail," Fr Brennan said. "It's an absolutely last-ditch stand by people who feel they're completely out of the loop."
Air Marshal Funnell negotiated an end to the hunger strike, lip-stitching and a suicide pact among nine Afghani boys in return for the resumption of visa processing yesterday.
"We had to preserve the integrity of the Australian immigration process," Air Marshal Funnell said.
"All that we have promised them (detainees) is that they will be treated fairly. We did not ask them to end the hunger strike. They, of their own volition, did so."
Air Marshal Funnell said there remained issues to be worked through at Woomera and IDAG representatives would visit again next week.
The breakthrough followed indications this week by Mr Ruddock that Woomera may be used in future only for deportees, and another centre, tentatively named Baxter, may be opened near Port Augusta.
Religious leaders have written to the UN in the wake of the Woomera crisis, during which more than 240 detainees were refusing food and many harmed themselves. The Uniting and Catholic churches together with the Islamic Council of Victoria have written to Mary Robinson, the UN's Commissioner for Human Rights, asking her to visit Woomera and other detention centres around the country.
In the letter, the leaders describe Woomera as a "concentration camp" and accuse the federal Government of violating human rights.
"The Australian Government has systematically sought to undermine public sympathy for refugees seeking asylum, demonising and representing them to the public as 'illegals' and 'queue-jumpers,"' the letter claims.