"Not Malaysia, Not Nauru": Refugee Rights Rally, Brisbane 布里斯班难民人权集会

We need to welcome refugees. No to Malaysia. No to Nauru. No to offshore processing!

In late August 2001, John Howard and the Australian government refused 438 refugees, who had been rescued by freighter ship Tampa, access to Australia. Instead the asylum seekers were sent to Nauru, a tiny island, where they languished for months and years afterwards. Howard used this incident to whip up racism and to further strip refugees of their rights.

Today we see Labor and the Liberals competing to deny the rights of refugees, and attempt to dump them in other countries. Labor wanted Malaysia, the Liberals Nauru. Now that the so-called “panel of experts” has recommended re-opening the hell-holes of Nauru and Manus Island, this has become the immediate prospect for hundreds, maybe thousands, of unfortunate traumatized and vulnerable human beings.

by Refugee Action Collective Queensland

Rally for Refugee Rights, George Street. 2012. Nikon D5000.

大马和澳洲不久前签署的难民合约说明“Those (refugees) sent to Malaysia will be given rights to work, health care and education”，但我觉得大家都深感怀疑，这个承诺是否会实现。如今听说此合约谈不成，但是澳洲人民还是努力反对把收留难民的责任推卸给别的国家。

Speech, Brisbane Square. 2012.

Audience, Brisbane Square. 2012.

虽然这场集会不是很关马来西亚的事，我还是去目睹当地人的反对方式。声势和大马选举前夕的集会没什么差别，但是主讲人的背景比较多样化（不像大马一党讲完）——有来自反对党的，宗教团体的，还有前难民。

Witness, Brisbane Square. 2012.

我要强调手机在现今时事的角色：很多第一手“新闻”都是目击者本身的录影，上传到 social media 宣传给大家看。我相信这位女士的录影很快便成为 Facebook 上 share 来 share 去、like 来 like 去的片段。我相信大马人民已经深深地体会到网络的便利，也许相信网络的人已经比相信报章的人多了。

March to the detention centre, Adelaide Street. 2012.

看见警察护航，不禁让大马人民低头叹气。之前在马来西亚的静坐示威，一开始也不见得比澳洲人乱，都是和气地游行。为什么当家领袖就是要捣乱？

一行人步向难民拘留所，一面喊着口号。路边没有参与的市民很平静地观看，这就是布里斯班的其中一个星期日。