Smits

Uninvited and unheard: Australia’s case of post-Tampa boat arrivals

Jack Smits Project SafeCom Inc.

Abstract In an environment where the national government creates deliberate policies to create a blockade and a silence around the stories of uninvited refugees coming to its shores, human rights advocates have a tough time creating conditions to make the stories heard by the policy makers and the general public alike. However, the Australian experience shows that ‘breaking through the sound barrier of silence’ is possible, using creative collaborations with reporters, the tactics of subversion, smart strategies aimed at those setting reporting standards, and through an engagement with the wider audience of human rights advocates around the nation. In this article, five government-created barriers are identified and ingeniously countered.

Keywords: human rights, refugees, asylum seekers, mandatory detention, Australia

Introduction they would suffer considerable losses In most societies around the world, electors (Morgan, 2001), politicians ramped up the trust their representatives in government to fear of the ‘other’ (Lawrence, 2003), painted represent their interests, and many of these a picture that the country would be countries also subscribe to United Nations ‘swamped by boatpeople’ and designed frameworks for the protection of human policies and strategies to respond to rights of those most vulnerable, including uninvited asylum seeker boat arrivals to those who need to flee from danger and match their rhetoric. persecution: asylum seekers. This article, written by the founder and co- We trust our politicians to adhere to these ordinator of a West-Australian community United Nations frameworks, even in the activist and advocacy group – Project context of often conflicting political agendas SafeCom – established in 2001, looks at the – also in a post 9/11 western world, where response by Australian civil groups in the notions of national security have determined initial period following that 2001 election, up more policies around notions of borders and to 2005, and shows that intelligent, the entry of countries by foreigners. At the systematic and organised human rights same time checks and balances against actions are not necessarily bound by street trespasses against these nationally protests, rallies and pickets, but that by accepted conventions, for example through identifying policies and strategies and their Bills of Rights, need to safeguard society underlying meaning and intent, accurate when our representatives tend to step replies to them can counter them and lead across the line. to their undoing.

Australia is as yet a country without a While politicians imposed a curfew on Charter or Bill of Rights, and in the shadow media access, while they incarcerated of the bombing of the Manhattan Twin asylum seekers in centres that were remote Towers, the 2001 Federal government so they could be kept out of the spotlight of election’s conservative coalition candidates citizens, while they invented sanitized as did just that – they took things just one step well as punitive terminology to describe too far in the eyes of many human rights uninvited asylum seekers and the advocates – and no convention could stop government responses to these entrants, them. Faced with an election that predicted while they attempted to dehumanise these

207 Vol 8 Issue 8.2 September 2009 ISSN 1532-5555 asylum seekers and set out to create a climate of xenophobia about these John Howard had chosen the slogan “We ‘foreigners’, the civil responses of many decide who comes to this country, and the groups and organisations dovetailed circumstances in which they come” for the organically to counter these approaches 10 November election (Marr and Wilkinson, consciously, intelligently, in a targeted way, p. 365). In the frantic August days of the and they produced real and expected drama surrounding the MV Tampa, outcomes. Evidence is provided by backroom negotiations by Australia’s extensive use of narrative from media Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer reports and parliamentary speeches to and the Defence Minister Peter Reith illustrate these outcomes. resulted in its passengers being warehoused in a third country, in a camp on Background the isolated Pacific Ocean Island of Nauru Australia’s dramatic 2001 Federal election (ibid, p. 138, SafeCom, 2008a). campaign fought by former conservative Liberal Party Prime Minister John Howard The Tampa drama near Christmas Island became world news when he during August and the Children Overboard Affair, which 2001, directly from his Office of Prime appeared both to have been orchestrated to Minister and Cabinet, intervened around the win the election by the conservative Liberal- arrival near Australia’s maritime borders of National coalition, sparked a national the Norwegian container ship MV Tampa, outrage, a flurry of publications and it built a which had picked up 438 asylum seekers civil society network of advocates and from a leaky boat – the Palapa – en route activists expressing dissent, organising from Indonesia to Fremantle harbour, near protests, and embarking on one of the most Australia’s Christmas Island (Marr & remarkable advocacy movements in recent Wilkinson, 2002, p. 18). years. Freelance reporter Guy Rundle writes for the Australian in June 2002: Less than two months later – during the last phase of the November 10 election "The plethora of refugee activist campaign, on October 8 – the listing and groups that have formed across the sinking Olong was intercepted by the political spectrum would appear to Australian Navy’s HMAS Adelaide and its be the largest rainbow coalition passengers rescued (ibid, p. 240, SafeCom, since the Vietnam War" (Rundle, 2003b). Based on Navy photographs 2002). showing a passenger holding a baby high in the air and others showing children in the The 2001 events and Howard’s direct water, John Howard’s Ministers alleged that intervention to control, direct, pause or children had been thrown overboard by the prevent actions by the Navy around the asylum seeking passengers. The voracity of Tampa stand-off have been well these allegations was questioned within documented, especially by Marr & Wilkinson days, the issue was soon called the (2002). A deliberate strategy was ‘children overboard affair’, and it would orchestrated to silence the stories of asylum eventually spark a ferocious Senate Inquiry seekers arriving ‘uninvited’ by boat on (Senate Select Committee, 2002). Australian shores.

The rescue of the Olong and subsequent Five factors countered media reporting also revealed direct orders Remote locations from John Howard’s office via the Defence First, all asylum seekers arriving by boat Minister to not take photographs that could were locked up in remote camps in Australia ‘humanise asylum seekers’ (ABC – a camp near Curtin Airbase near the Mediawatch, 2002). Northern Territory’s remote town of Derby

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(Harding, 2001) – which had already been Commonwealth government could declare in operation for this purpose since 1999 – them as detention centres without being and a facility on isolated army land near answerable to the various State Woomera, South Australia (WPR, 2002). governments – did not deter hundreds of activists organising a major protest at the Under new legislation passed following the gates of the Woomera camp in South dramatic standoff of MV Tampa, followed by Australia during the 2002 Easter weekend. riveting court action against the government Attended by many students and young left- – expertly summarised in a paper by Feld leaning activists and also other advocates (2001), it was now also possible to detain alike, the dramatic Easter events put boat arrivals off-shore and in other Woomera and its atrocities on the world countries, even while they had arrived in map through the work of mainstream Australia to seek asylum: Howard’s Australian and international reporters Ministers had quickly negotiated a holding (Reddrop, 2002; BBC, 2002) – including the camp on the remote phosphate island – the sensational escapes by more than 40 nation of Nauru (SafeCom, 2008a) – and a detained asylum seekers on the Easter camp on Manus Island, part of Papua New Sunday (AAP, 2002). Guinea (SafeCom, 2003d). Prior to the Easter protest, the Woomera Almost a decade before the declaration of detention already had rapidly become the these remotely located camps as mainstay of negative reporting about Immigration detention facilities, Australia's Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers 1958 Migration Act (Austlii, 1958) had since the 2001 election. A hunger strike had undergone major changes under the Labor taken place in January 2002 (Guardian, government of Prime Minister Paul Keating 2002), ABC Reporter had been arrested in 1992, when his Immigration Minister while doing her job at the gates when Gerry Hand had introduced the Migration asylum seekers had protested (Marr, 2007), Amendment Act 1992 (Austlii, 1992), and a report in The Age by Penelope making it mandatory to detain anyone Debelle had told the story of self-abuse arriving by boat seeking asylum – having amongst asylum seekers (Debelle, 2002): entered the country without a valid visa – until their protection claims would be fully Almost every day, asylum seekers completed. inside the Woomera detention centre cut and slash their bodies, drink Further adjustments of the Migration Act shampoo or try to hang themselves. had provided enough flexibility about the But mostly they are ignored. mandatory detention of asylum seekers, so there was no need in 2001 to pass special Another creative response to the isolationist legislation to declare the prison camps in approach by the Howard government was a remote locations, because, as a report flurry of activity around Australia of the states (HREOC, 2004, p. 1): purchase and supply of ‘illegal’ mobile telephones (Office, 2002) initially for those Since 1994 the Minister has had the detained in the Curtin detention centre, power to declare any place in the those at Woomera, and later, after the community a place of 'detention', closure of Woomera, at the Baxter detention including a hotel, hospital, foster centre. Given the experience of the Curtin house or family home. detention centre during 1999 and 2000, where many asylum seekers had been held The remoteness of the camps in Australia – incommunicado for many months¹ a all of them located on properties owned by creative solution was called for. the Australian Defence Department, so the

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John von Doussa QC, for the Human Rights baby’s nappy by a proud young mum, they and Equal Opportunities Commission, went inside hidden in the innards of birthday concludes in a 2005 Report into complaints cakes, chickens and hams, brought as about this treatment at the Curtin Detention presents for asylum ‘friends’ of advocates facility: (Office, 2002).

As a result of my inquiry I have An early initiative developed in Melbourne in found that acts or practices of the 2002 came from the hand of Julian Burnside Commonwealth, namely placing QC and his partner, Kate Durham. Kate some of the complainants in writes on her website: separation detention for periods of between three and eight months, I decided on two projects to set up were inconsistent with or contrary to “Spare Rooms for Refugees.com”; a the human rights of those detainees web based register of people so as provided for in Article 10(1) of the concerned that they would offer their ICCPR (von Doussa, 2005). spare rooms temporarily to refugees who were being unceremoniously Consequently, providing ‘underground’ dumped from our camps. (It works.) communications through pre-paid mobiles And that while the wire fences were was an essential step in overcoming the being erected on Nauru, I would try remoteness of detention centres. to contact the detainee in an effort to sponsor refugees. I did manage to In 2002, I played with Coca-Cola cans, get letters in, and I contacted a altered by Engineering students at a Perth migration agent and lawyer. Letters University, which had been adapted to store and faxes went back and forth. mobile phones and battery chargers (Cans Mohammed Mahdi was my of Coke, 2002). These students had been invaluable source. I learned of the alerted by advocates and non-aligned conditions there, we gathered the activists to the situation in the Curtin names and needs of detainees, and detention centre since 2000 where detained I would bully people in Canberra on asylum seekers could not make any private their behalves. I was now receiving phone calls – a situation which was also bundles of letters (Durham, 2002). developed in the Woomera detention centre since 2001 – and they decided to change The collection of letters from detention things for the better. The Coke cans had centres eventually became one of the first tops with a hidden invisible screw thread, so publications spawned as a result of the they could be opened and closed without Tampa stand-off. From Nothing to Zero, any visible sign of the alterations. The cans published with the assistance of Lonely also had a double wall. In the cavity Planet Publishing (SafeCom, 2002a) sold between the outer and inner wall, an alcohol fast and furious, also from Project solution provided the illusion of its SafeCom’s website. “contents”: when shaken, the cans would audibly show its ‘sloshing contents of liquid’. The letters from detention were also finding A small mobile phone would fit inside, and a place with Actors for Refugees, with the cans would be propelled across the whose help Citizen X, the play by Don fence at otherwise peaceful protests Mamouney, was finding its own voice. The organised by activists (Office, 2002). stark script, solely made up from often highly emotive, but direct quotations from The coke cans were not the only way for many letters, became a humbling mobile phones to ‘travel inside the gates’. experience for probably several thousands Mobiles have been supplied hidden in a of people in the nationwide audience, as its

210 Smits theatre seasons in several cities around Morning Herald on November 8, 2001 Australia unfolded. Project SafeCom was (Leys, 2001): part of the Western Australian screenings at Fremantle’s Deckchair Theatre with an The Royal Australian Navy is facing information stall for its two week season, a crisis in its ranks as a result of its and we talked with many people, who activities in dealing with asylum shared that they were deeply moved by the seekers, according to a defence experience, as they browsed for more policy analyst. The executive information and purchased books on leaving director of the Australian Defence the theatre (Mamouney, 2002). Association, Michael O'Connor, told the Herald the service stood to lose Do not humanise many members who had become Second, a directive was issued to the Navy demoralised. during a rescue of the Olong, codenamed SIEV4, to not release photographs that "I think early resignations from would ‘humanise asylum seekers’. Craig sailors is a likely outcome from these Skehan, Defence Correspondent for the actions," he said. "It goes against Sydney Morning Herald, states: their sense of humanity." Mr O'Connor's comments are in We were being told it was all to response to allegations made by a protect the asylum seekers but we senior Navy consultant psychiatrist, were also hearing from Defence PR Duncan Wallace, who in a letter to that they were not to take newspapers described the actions humanising photographs… (ABC as "morally wrong and despicable". Mediawatch, 2002) It is still unclear what action the Labor Senator John Faulkner, in an address Navy may take against Dr Wallace - to the Fabian Society in Melbourne on 23 a psychiatrist at Sydney's St July 2003 at the conclusion of the Senate Vincent's Hospital who this week Inquiry into the Children Overboard Affair, returned from 30 days aboard HMAS put it like this: Arunta, where he experienced the situation with the boat people first The response to boat people or hand. asylum seekers was the main focus of the Howard Government in the A Navy spokesman said the matter lead up to the last federal election. was being investigated to determine The Government's strategy was if Dr Wallace had breached rules on based on politicising the asylum commenting to the media. Those seeker issue for electoral advantage. instructions state that personnel are It wasn't just the Tampa episode, or not to make comments "which could the bald faced lies about children place in doubt their political being thrown overboard, it was a impartiality or acceptance of the systematic campaign to engender obligation to implement the policy of public fear about asylum seekers the elected government". Mr and the need to protect our borders O'Connor said Dr Wallace could against them at all costs (Faulkner, face a court-martial, although that 2003). could embarrass the Navy.

Howard’s direct orders and intervention into The anger, trauma and dissent in the Navy the Australian Navy came not without a following the Children Overboard Affair and price. Nick Leys reports in the Sydney the subsequent Senate Inquiry into “A

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Certain Maritime Incident” had a direct said he had no doubt that if the action result, probably from within their own photos had been released before the circles, for Project SafeCom as well: within election, "there would have been hours of Senator Faulkner’s 2003 speech at much greater sympathy towards the Fabian Society, almost two dozen Navy asylum seekers". photos of the Olong rescue arrived at my desktop by email from an anonymous He accused the government of source (SafeCom, 2003b). deliberately preventing the Defence Department from releasing the It was a scoop which helped consolidate for images. Project SafeCom the notion that working with reporters and selected journalists was "The government was intent on one of the most powerful ways of giving perpetuating the myth, for political voice to the circumstances of asylum advantage, that asylum seekers seekers who were silenced by policy design were callous and cruel towards their and intent, because the photos and our kids," he said. comments countering Howard’s approach could now be widely distributed through the The photographs show mothers in mainstream media, while for years headscarves and their husbands afterwards, the website page with those holding babies and sitting in family photographs became one of the most groups with young children draped in frequently accessed pages on our website. towels and drinking glasses of milk Victoria Laurie, in the Weekend Australian, supplied by naval officers. reported comments by Senator Faulkner and Project SafeCom a few days later, The asylum-seekers became a focal following the press alert. The article was point in the 2001 election campaign accompanied by three of the photographs when pictures of children allegedly from the collection: thrown in the water by their parents, were released days before the Photographs of happy children being federal poll. cuddled and cared for by relieved asylum-seeker parents have At the time, Immigration Minister emerged, more than 18 months after Philip Ruddock described the the same parents were wrongly refugees' actions as a disturbing and accused of throwing their children premeditated act. John Howard said overboard. they were "a sorry reflection on their attitudes of mind." Six [sic] photographs, posted on the internet yesterday, show tired but The Australian's Nathalie O'Brien attentive parents on the deck of broke the story that the children HMAS Adelaide soon after they overboard incident never happened. were rescued in October 2001 by The story days before the election navy personnel after their vessel, forced the government release video carrying 187 people, sank off the of the episode and later sparked a Australian coast. The Opposition Senate inquiry. said yesterday the release of the photographs before the election The new softer images of the could have changed public attitudes asylum-seekers were posted on a to asylum seekers. Labor Senator website by West Australian refugee John Faulkner, who sat on the advocate Jack Smit, who said he children overboard Senate inquiry,

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had received them from an advocates' list (Griffiths, 2004) is helpful in anonymous source. clarifying the Australian legal situation:

He claimed the images had been Under the Migration Act, it is not an withheld from the public to offence to enter Australia without a dehumanise the asylum-seekers, visa. It is not even an offence to live despite the release of the now well- in Australia without a visa. known digital photographs - apparently taken at the same time Instead, the law gives the by a navy officer - showing children government the right to detain and in the water. "This is the same deport you, but you do not have to camera, the same (series of) be first convicted of an offence by a pictures that went to John Howard, court. If you don't have a valid visa, so why didn't they show the other the legislation describes -- I repeat ones to Australians?" Mr Smit said describes -- you as an "unlawful (Laurie, 2003). non-citizen", but while your described "status" is unlawful, you Punitive terminology and ‘illegals’ have committed no offence. Third, the code-naming by Operation Relex, a sub-section of the Navy tasked to The law states that "a non-citizen intercept asylum boats off the north coast of must not travel to Australia without a Australia, of the boats as “SIEV’s” or visa that is in effect", but there is no Suspected Illegal Entry Vessels, a coding offence in doing this. The act of maintained right up till the time of writing – bringing a non-citizen to Australia eight years later – routinely established the without a visa can be an offence ... intended language used all around the so airlines (and people with rickety country, although it’s a serious misnomer. boats) are targeted. It’s not illegal to enter Australian waters or territory without permission or without a The key to understanding all this is visa, and the term “suspected” establishes a that immigration is mostly controlled presumed illegality and reinforces the via administrative law and intended notion which was integral to John administrative detention. This is Howard’s approach to boat arrivals. incredibly regressive in terms of the most basic democratic rights ... Under the terms of the 1951 United Nations indeed it's back to the legal Convention relating to the Status of structures of the middle ages. Refugees (UN, 2008) and the 1967 Protocol (ibid), safe and open access to Convention One response to the newly created countries to seek safety from persecution language by the ruling conservative political from home countries for any individual, with party deserves special mention. The or without identity papers, and whatever the campaign, initiated by Project SafeCom, to mode of arrival may be, is meant to be set some standards for media reporting guaranteed. It is neither ‘illegal’ nor around asylum seekers and the use of the ‘unlawful’ to access a country that has term ‘illegal’, while ongoing, became a signed the UN Refugees Convention. In remarkable success. addition, in Australia there is no law that affirms any notion of this ‘illegality’. For those media outlets which were intent on supporting the Howard government’s A note by Phil Griffiths of Australian hardline position, continuous references to a National University on a human rights presumed ‘illegality’ of the actions of asylum seekers who had arriving by boats

213 Vol 8 Issue 8.2 September 2009 ISSN 1532-5555 unannounced, proved a tough issue to compliance with reporting standards, tackle. carrying her reporters’ identification card. Sydney Morning Herald investigative Perth-based human rights advocate Ross reporter David Marr says: Copeland gave a hint at a direction, and with his idea, derived from the UK Press On Australia Day 2002, the Council’s responses to media reporting in Woomera detention centre was in the UK (Hall, 2004), we set up a campaign turmoil, with inmates on hunger for Project SafeCom, urging all our strikes, rioting and sewing their lips. supporters and website visitors to send a A large number of press stood about complaint to the reporter as well as the in the desert that night watching. editor of newspaper and other print media When ABC journalist Natalie Larkins found to practice the ‘illegal line’, and send questioned a police direction to fall copies of their complaint to the Australian back 200 metres from the camp Press Council (SafeCom, 2004a). perimeter, she was arrested. Other journalists and photographers were Eventually this action, supported by threatened with arrest if they did not hundreds of advocates around the country, move (Marr, 2007). several of them clearly unaware that the original call to action came from Project There was a considerable cost to the SafeCom, resulted in a complaint against nation’s press freedom ranking as a result the Sydney Morning Herald being sustained of the restrictions imposed on the media by a New South Wales advocate, and and of this arrest (SafeCom 2004a). As subsequently being upheld in a Council reported by Australian Associated Press in Ruling and Adjudication (Press Council, the Sydney Morning Herald in 2004: 2004). We now had a standard by which to measure those who used the tag ‘illegal’ to Australia has ranked dismally in a denote asylum seekers, but even in 2009, global index on media freedom Australia’s national broadsheet The released by Paris-based watchdog Australian dapperly continued its resistance Reporters Without Borders (RSF). against the path endorsed by the Australian Australia could only manage 41st Press Council and others, in a scathing position in RSF's third annual index editorial, contrasting starkly against the of press freedom, lagging behind national editorial guidelines of Australia’s some former Eastern bloc nations, broadcaster, the ABC (The Australian, including Hungary (28), Czech 2009). Republic (19) and Poland (32).

Barring Reporters Regional neighbour New Zealand Fourth, visits to those locked up in the placed a respectable ninth and was camps were, and still are, rigidly restricted one of only three nations outside for the media. No cameras are allowed to Europe to rank in the top 20. But be brought in by visitors, and no media Australia's lowly ranking came as no representatives are allowed on visits without surprise after it came under fire in being invited by those locked up themselves the RSF's 2004 annual report as ‘identified friends’. A stark example of released earlier this year. Howard’s success in directing the public service, in this case the Federal Police, was In particular, the watchdog criticised the January 2002 arrest of ABC Reporter Australia's policies restricting press Natalie Larkins at the fence of the Woomera access to refugees. It said in the detention centre, while she was reporting on report that the Australian a protest by asylum seekers – and in full government "continued to prevent

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journalists from covering the policy of turning away boats carrying situation of refugees held in camps asylum seekers, with only 28 per on Australian territory or in cent strongly disagreeing or neighbouring countries". disagreeing (Dodson, 2005).

The report pointed to the January The difficulties with the media, their 2002 arrest of ABC TV reporter pandering to government policy, or where Natalie Larkins, who was carted off they could not show solid foundations that and charged with trespassing on would lead them to pre-emptively take in a commonwealth property while trying partisan position around the UN Refugee to report on 300 hunger striking Convention and the International refugees at the Woomera Detention Declaration of Human Rights, against which Centre in South Australia (AAP, they surely should have mirrored Australia’s 2004). politicians, dictated that we needed to work with selected reporters, current affairs Xenophobia programs and their editors, and with The fifth factor was not part of government documentary makers contracted by policy, but it resided in Australian society Australia’s media outlets. itself. With his hardline policy, designed to win what looked like an unwinnable election Some of the stories highlighted below are in 2001, John Howard had shrewdly examples of successful collaborations with plugged into an attitudinal substream of these reporters and media outlets. what later would be called the ‘Fear of the Other’ by Labor MHR and Member for From the media into Parliament: four Fremantle Dr Carmen Lawrence (Lawrence case sketches 2003). This meant that those who wanted to Mohammed Saleh bring the voices of asylum seekers to the The death of Syrian asylum seeker attention of policy makers also had to Mohammed Saleh in a Perth hospital after contend with public opinion. having been locked up in an isolation cell in the Port Hedland detention centre’s Juliet In an environment where these advocates Block for weeks on end, may well be one of found themselves in a minority, they also the starkest examples of what happens if would find several media outlets unwilling to the messages of asylum seekers go give due attention to the nationally unheard. sanctioned policies and strategies of a punitive nature, that were resulting in mental Mr Saleh had reported to his Perth doctor damage inside the bastion of border that he did not deserve to live, because he protection and the treatment of asylum felt he was no more than a dog. seekers. Murray Goot, as cited by Gosden (2006), wrote that polls in 2001 showed that ABC Radio PM’s David Weber reported: around 77% of the public ‘applauded’ John Howard with his hardline approach to Mohammed Saleh was admitted to asylum seekers. Even around the time of Hollywood Hospital in Perth, for the next 2004 Federal election, a poll, treatment for depression. The according to Sydney Morning Herald psychiatrist who treated Mr Saleh reporter Louise Dodson, suggests: was Brendan Jansen. He said Mr Saleh had a post-traumatic stress While the study did not test ideas on disorder, related to torture and detention, it found 54.4 per cent of trauma at the hands of Syrian those polled either strongly agreed authorities. or agreed with the Government's

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Dr Jansen believed it would be punishment and therefore, illegal detrimental to Mr Saleh's health, (ABC RN, 2002). particularly his mental health, if he was sent back to Syria. Dr Jansen While there clearly had been media reports tendered a report to the coroner. PM about his death and the inquest before this has seen that report. Mr Saleh's time (ABC RN, 2002, Wynhausen, 2002), symptoms included sleeping Mr Saleh’s story became widely known difficulties, weight loss, feelings of around Australia after I received a phone fear and guilt, and suicidal call from a Perth-based 17-year old, Sophie tendencies. His thoughts contained, McNeill. She identified herself as someone what Dr Jansen described, as who had attended a Project SafeCom Film nihilistic themes. event at the Film and TV Institute in January 2003 (SafeCom, 2003a), and told me that At one point, Mr Saleh feared that SBS Insight had given her permission to the interpreter, which had been make a television documentary about the provided for him, was Syrian. Dr death of Mr Saleh. We met for a coffee in Jansen said this resonated with Fremantle, and later spent an afternoon previous traumatic incidents, and a around Project SafeCom’s computer, and I general deterioration in his mental gave her all my relevant contacts and a state. Mr Saleh was hearing a voice considerable wad of primary source which told him he must die, that he documents around the coronary inquest into was an animal, and that he did not his death. deserve to live (ABC PM, 2002). Sophie McNeill’s documentary went to air His story stands in the context of what could under the title ‘Mohammed and Juliet, A well be described as the ‘primal scream’ Modern Tragedy’ on 8 May 2003 (SBS frequently heard from protesting asylum Insight, 2003), and it earned her the MEAA seekers at the razor wire fences of their 2003 Student Journalist of the Year Award, detention centres: “We are human, we are Best Newcomer at the 2003 West Australian not animals”, and their claims that they felt Media Awards and Best Emerging Director like they were being treated as animals by at the 2003 West Australian Screen Awards the guards. The process of dehumanisation (SBS Dateline, 2009). designed and intended by John Howard was becoming successful, and in terms of During the time Mr Saleh was held in mental illness, it may well be possible to isolation in the notorious Juliet Block in the make the case that the treatment of asylum Port Hedland detention centre for 13 days, a seekers – treating them like dogs and parliamentary delegation had visited the animals – was fully internalised by Mr Port Hedland facility, and were discouraged Saleh, who would eventually die from the – if not gently blocked – by the detention indignity suffered by him at the hand of centre operator from ‘going upstairs’ and guards, and ultimately by John Howard. then ‘discovering’ the dirty, dark isolation cells where Mr Saleh would soon find ABC Radio National’s Breakfast reported himself. that: Retired Labor MP Colin Hollis, the Deputy Mohammed Saleh's family argued Chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee the illness, which culminated in his on Human Rights, told McNeill: death, had been contributed to by his isolation in Juliet Block and that We were told "Well, why did you we this was a form of collective want to go upstairs" and the officials actually argued with us and tried to

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persuade us not to go upstairs. It Australia’s national broadcaster, the ABC, was dark. It stank. There were, I was now reporting nationally on October 17 don't know how many cells and 2002: that's because they had iron doors, locked doors and behind these The Department of Immigration says people - behind these doors were it is holding talks with the Indonesian people looking at us with the most Government on allowing the man to pitiful, sorrowful look I have ever visit Bali to make funeral seen in my life (SBS Insight, 2003). arrangements for his wife.

While Juliet Block by the time of the making Refugee advocate Jack Smit says of McNeill’s documentary had already been the man was severely distressed by closed, the television screening would the news. "Word came to him trigger additional vigorous questions in directly from Bali after the Parliament about the circumstances of his Department of Immigration supplied death, and about the fact that files relating him with a mobile phone to call the to Juliet Block were missing from the hospital regularly in Bali," Mr Smit detention centre operator Australasian said. Correctional Management (Hansard, 2004). Project SafeCom screened the "Yesterday word came through that documentary at a weekend forum at the as a result of 60 per cent burns to University of Western Australia, ‘The Cost, her body, she passed away." (ABC, the Carnage and The Bill’ (SafeCom, 2002) 2003c), where we also heard from Elisabeth Lacey, the lawyer who had acted as the The amplification of the story to a national instructing solicitor at the inquest into Mr level was now setting the scene for many Saleh’s death. others to build the story, investigate the circumstances of his two children in Mr Sammaki Indonesia and pressure the Howard The 12 October 2002 Bali bombings had government over the ensuing refusal to also resulted in the death of Endang, the unite the children with their father. wife of an asylum seeker locked up in the Woomera detention centre. The story first It was also Project SafeCom that “outed” came to light through the work of Sarah John Howard in public as having met the Stephen, who at the time wrote about two children at the Bali bombings immigration and refugee issues for the small commemoration a year later, via an email left-wing magazine Green Left Weekly alert about the meeting to its thousands of (SafeCom, 2008). supporters. This alert and the subsequent actions taken by our supporters, led to Sarah Stephen was the first and only questions in Parliament within 48 hours by reporter to tell her readers about the death the then Labor Opposition leader Simon of Ebrahim's Indonesian wife. I spoke to Ms Crean, in turn leading to photo evidence of Stephen and 'amplified' her report through a the PM’s encounter being produced in The media note to the 200+ media outlets and Senate and in the Sydney Morning Herald. reporters in our database, and interviews Three weeks later these events would lead with Australian media followed the next day: to Ebrahim and his children being granted the story was now becoming some real permanent protection in Australia as news for the mainstream press (SafeCom, refugees (SafeCom, 2008b). 2002b).

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Last Manus Man Any person who wishes to read In July 2003 Australians were told by the about those routine cruelties would Minister for Immigration that the Pacific be well advised to have a look at two Solution Lombrum Processing Centre on articles on the web site magazine Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, was no called New Matilda: one by Julian longer operational. But Australia’s Burnside called 'Honesty matters: Immigration officials left one asylum seeker the ethics of daily life' and one called – Aladdin Sisalem – behind on the Island. 'Talking about Cornelia' by Jack Nobody knew about his case or story, but Smit. They are both in the most Sarah Stephen of Green Left Weekly knew recent edition of New Matilda at something nobody else did. She broke the newmatilda.com. I do not want to go story, but no reporter picked it up: the through them at length, but I would mainstream media do not read Green Left commend to any member of this Weekly. House and anyone listening a careful examination of those articles. In this case, once again, it was possible to “amplify” the story about Mr Sisalem, written We have reacted with horror to the by Ms Stephen for the Green Left Weekly circumstances that Cornelia Rau magazine by issuing a media release on went through---an Australian, just August 19, 2003, and ensure that the main like us---but her experience was broadsheets and media outlets would pick repeated many times by other up the story and run with it. Fairfax reporter persons, and we did not react with for the Age, Andra Jackson, who later would such horror to those cases. Some of break the story about Australian citizen the things that have been happening Cornelia Rau, who was unlawfully behind those razor wire and incarcerated in the Baxter detention centre, electrified fences are akin to the kind took up the story with dedication (SafeCom, of things that we would be critical of 2003d). if they happened elsewhere in the world---akin to the kinds of things Cornelia Rau that we saw at Abu Ghraib on our In the beginning of 2005, the Howard television screens. That is not to say government’s confidence in its hardline and that everybody in the system is evil; punitive detention policies received a our unwillingness to open our eyes serious blow with the discovery that we had to what is being done in our name is locked up a mentally ill but otherwise fully evil (Hansard, 2005). qualified Australian citizen in the Red One isolation compound of the Baxter detention Changing the guard: Labor in power centre. The conservative Liberal/National Howard government was soundly defeated at the A statement issued by detainees at the 2007 Federal election, and with Howard’s Baxter detention centre, in response to her demise came also the turning of the pages, treatment and following the ‘discovery’ of slowly and hesitantly but nonetheless her case, was accepted for publication by significantly, in the treatment of the online magazine New Matilda unannounced boat-faring asylum seekers (SafeCom, 2005). In response to its and the praxis of the Immigration publication, Duncan Kerr MP, the Labor (at Department. that time Opposition) Federal Member for Denison in Tasmania, commented on the The new Immigration Minister Chris Evans, published statement in the House of although reluctant in initiating radical Representatives of Canberra’s Parliament: structural and legal reforms, has established an attitudinal reform on many levels, starting

218 Smits with the abolition of the so-called ‘Pacific reform of the status of unannounced boat- Solution’ (SafeCom 2008a) where asylum faring asylum seekers, and thorough seekers are warehoused in camps in other legislative reforms are not likely: it was countries than Australia, the abolition of the Labor during the 1990’s that introduced the cruel ‘Temporary Protection Visas’ which mandatory detention of what Australia calls had, during the Howard years, excluded the ‘unlawful arrivals’. right to family reunion of immediate family members, including spouse and children, Conclusion and which compelled a re-proving of When the humane treatment and the refugee claims after three years (SafeCom maintenance of universally defined human 2008c). rights of vulnerable groups in a society are undermined by politicians, civil groups can Evans also reversed the onus on ongoing be successful in undertaking actions that incarceration so Immigration Department have an impact, first through the media, and officials now will have to show cause for from there, into the realm of the national someone to be held in detention camps or parliament, eventually contributing to policy facilities beyond the initial period of health changes. and identity checks. But I wrote, following his announcement of the changes at a The Australian experience following events lecture at Australian National University around the arrival by boat and detention of (SafeCom 2009b): asylum seekers in 2001 shows that if civil human rights activists and advocates clearly Regrettably, while these changes in define what the case is, and then, based on approach to detention are this precise diagnosis and assessment, substantial, and on some level develop tools of action, using a represent even a retreat from collaboration with those in the media who Labor's intent with its mandatory will report with them and for them, while detention as introduced in 1992, linking with advocates and activists around Labor maintains its "underclass" of the country, measurable outcomes can be unannounced boat arrivals, the attainable. changes do not touch the massive 4,600 island excision zone, and This paper has shown that civil advocates while they suggest a mothballing of and activists can, and have, responded the Christmas Island detention directly, deliberately, and successfully to centre, the keys for this John politicians’ strategies and policies designed Howard Asylum Gulag will be to silence the voices of uninvited boat available at a moment's notice. arrivals. Activists have replied with unique actions of giving voices to refugees in the A few months later, those keys to the form of mobile phones covertly provided, Christmas Island Gulag – the super-secure, while supply was prohibited. A broad state-of-the-art and microwave-controlled network of advocates and activists bridged maximum security immigration detention the “tyranny of distance” by travelling the facility, designed and built at a $460,000 thousands of miles to be part of civil cost by the Howard government – indeed protests in the remote areas of Australia turned the keys for this ghastly, 800-bed, where detention camps were located. Using remotely located detention centre for reporters and documentary makers – who asylum seekers arriving unannounced by themselves were barred from freely boat (SafeCom 2009a). accessing detained asylum seekers – advocates and activists were successful in As yet, there has been no change to becoming intermediaries, getting case legislation to start on a path of permanent stories reported on radio, television and in

219 Vol 8 Issue 8.2 September 2009 ISSN 1532-5555 newsprint media. The publication of these http://www.abc.net.au/pm/stories/s66 case stories in the media has led in turn to 2346.htm actions being taken or being forced on ABC RN (2002). ABC Radio National Federal parliamentarians and policy Breakfast, ‘Port Headland [sic] makers. Using the national broadcasting Coroner’, 10 October 2002. Available regulator, advocates, using email and online, accessed 23 May 2009, at internet networks, were successful in http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/brkfast/ countering the punitive language used by stories/s697685.htm their politicians and the media to describe Austlii (1958). Migration Act 1958. the status of asylum seekers by taking the Commonwealth Consolidated Acts. media to task when necessary. Available online, accessed July 1, 2009, at Corresponding author: Jack Smits, http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/ Project SafeCom Inc, PO Box 364, consol_act/ma1958118/ Narrogin, Western Australia 6312. Austlii (1992). Migration Amendment Act Email: [email protected] 1992. Commonwealth Numbered Acts. Available online, accessed July References 1, 2009, at AAP (2002). Australian Associated Press, http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/ AAPImage, search result, 92 Photos num_act/maa1992198/ Woomera Protest. Available online, Australian, The (2009). ‘Recycled platitudes accessed June 9 2009, at make poor debate: The Left does not http://snurl.com/jstgc. have a monopoly on conscience’. AAP (2004). ‘Index slams Australia's media Editorial, The Australian April 29, freedom’, in Sydney Morning Herald, 2009. Copy available online at the October 27, 2004. Available online, Project SafeCom website at accessed May 23, 2009, at http://www.safecom.org.au/vilepeople http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/ smugglers.htm#rightwingpandering 10/27/1098667794574.html See also, following the Editorial, the ABC Mediawatch (2002). ‘Tampering With reporting standards of the ABC, as Defence PR’, 22 April 2002. A outlined in a Memo to ABC staff. discussion of the media coverage of BBC (2002). 'Australia braces for Woomera the Tampa rescue in the light of an protest'. BBC News Asia Pacific 28 almost total blackout ordered by the March 2002. Available online, Prime Minister John Howard. accessed June 9 2009, at Available online, accessed 24 May http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia- 2009, at pacific/1898829.stm http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/st Cans of Coke (2002). A visit to an unnamed ories/220402_s2.htm Perth University's engineering ABC (2002). ‘Woomera detainee's wife laboratory. Identity and location of killed in Bali’, ABC Online News, advocates and activists as well as Thursday, October 17 2002. Available dates have been kept private for online, accessed 23 May 2009, at security reasons. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitem Debelle, P. (2002). ‘Blowing the whistle on s/200210/s703743.htm hidden suffering in Woomera’. The ABC PM (2002). ‘Inquiry into asylum Age, April 24. Available online, seeker's death’. ABC Radio PM - accessed July 1, 2009, at Thursday, 29 August, 2002, Reporter: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20 David Weber. Transcript available 02/04/23/1019441244295.html online, accessed 24 May 2009, at Dodson, L. (2005). ‘Immigration levels sufficient, poll finds’. Sydney Morning

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Herald, March 25, 2005. Available Friday December 31, 2004. Available online, accessed 23 May 2009, at online, accessed 23 May 2009, at http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/200 03/24/1111525296078.html 4/dec/31/pressandpublishing.immigra Durham, K., (2002). ‘On burning out - tionasylumandrefugees House rules and human rights’. Page Hansard, (2004). Commonwealth of on Kate Durham's website. Accessed Australia, Parliamentary Debates, 24 May 2009, available at House of Representatives. Official http://www.katedurham.com/01_cms/ Hansard No. 2, 2004. Tuesday, 17 details.asp?k_id=2 February 2004. Online available as Faulkner, J. (2003). ‘A Certain Maritime PDF File, accessed 23 May 2009, at Incident - the aftermath’. Speech at http://www.aph.gov.au/HANSARD/rep the Fabian Society, 23 July 2003. s/dailys/dr170204.pdf Archived by Project SafeCom at Hansard, (2005). House of Representatives, ‘Aftermath of the CMI Inquiry’, Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2004-2005, available online, accessed May 23 Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2004-2005, 2009, at Appropriation (Parliamentary http://www.safecom.org.au/disruption. Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2004-2005, htm Second Reading Speech, Monday, 7 Feld, F. (2001). The Tampa Case: Seeking March 2005. Available online, Refuge in Domestic Law. Australian accessed 23 May 2009, (cropped and Journal of Human Rights, [2002] replaced URL) at http://snurl.com/ilsbl AJHR 11. Available online, accessed Harding, R. (2001). 'Conditions in Curtin July 1, 2009, at Detention Centre', an extract of a http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ speech following an inspection visit to AJHR/2002/11.html the Curtin Immigration Detention Guardian, The (2002). ‘Woomera hunger facility by Western Australia's strike ends’. The Guardian online, Inspector of Custodial Services. UK, 30 January 2002. Available Available online, accessed June 7, online, accessed July 1, 2009, at 2009, at the Refugee Action http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/ja Committee website at n/30/immigration.immigrationandpubli http://www.refugeeaction.org/inside/c cservices urtin.htm Gosden, D., (2006). ‘What if no one had HREOC, (2004). 'A last resort?' Report of spoken out against this policy? The the National Inquiry into Children in Rise of Asylum Seeker and Refugee Immigration Detention. Detention Advocacy in Australia.’ Centre for Policy and Children. Accessed online Refugee Research, School of Social July 1, 2009, available at Work, University of New South http://snurl.com/ons5v Full report Wales. Sydney. Available online, available at accessed 23 May 2009, at the Project http://www.humanrights.gov.au/huma SafeCom website at n_rights/children_detention_report/ http://www.safecom.org.au/gosden20 Laurie, V., (2003). ‘Censored smiles of kids 06.htm 'overboard'’, in The Weekend Griffiths, P., (2004). Ausnews list message Australian, 26-27 July 2003 page 6 - of Sunday August 1, 2004. Available The Nation. Original location no online, accessed 23 May 2009, at longer available, archived at Project http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ausne SafeCom, The Unthrown Kids, ws/message/5981 Available online, accessed May 23 Hall, S. (2004). ‘Newspapers flout ruling on 2009, at asylum seekers’, in The Guardian,

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http://www.safecom.org.au/kids- http://www.roymorgan.com/news/poll overboard.htm s/2001/3461 Lawrence, C., (2003). ‘Fear and Denial in Office, (2002). Office Communications Public Policy’. Transcript of an between Project SafeCom and address to the Australian various advocates and activists Psychological Society (APS) Sydney during 2002 and 2003. Identity and Branch on 19 June 2003. Copy location of advocates and activists as available on the Project SafeCom well as telephone conversation dates website online, accessed 23 May have been kept private for security 2009, at reasons. http://www.safecom.org.au/lawrence0 Press Council, (2004). Australian Press 2.htm Council adjudication (1242), available Leys, N., (2001) ‘Demoralised sailors to online, accessed May 23, 2009, at dump Navy, says analyst’, in Sydney http://www.presscouncil.org.au/pcsite/ Morning Herald, Thursday, November adj/1242.html 8, 2001. Formerly at URL: and Adjudication No. 1260 http://old.smh.com.au/news/0111/08/ (adjudicated October 2004; re-issued national/national3.html (no longer December 2004), available online, available). Archived at Project accessed May 23, 2009, at SafeCom, The Unthrown Kids, http://www.presscouncil.org.au/pcsite/ Available online, accessed May 23 adj/1260.html 2009, at See also http://www.safecom.org.au/kids- http://www.presscouncil.org.au/pcsite/ overboard.htm activities/guides/guide262.html Mamouney, D., (2002). ‘Citizen X: Letters Reddrop, Tony, (2002). National Library of from detention, the human stories Australia, Photographs of Woomera behind the politics’. Script provided by Detention Centre protest Easter the author. Available at the Project 2002. Available online, accessed SafeCom website, accessed 24 May June 9 2009, at 2009, at http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3408987 http://www.safecom.org.au/citizenx.ht Rundle, G., (2002). in The Australian, 19 m June 2002 page 13, as cited in Marr, D. and Wilkinson, M., (2003). Dark Project SafeCom Newsletter Vol 1 Victory. Sydney, Allen and Unwin number 2, November 2002. Available Marr, D., (2007). ‘Careful, he might hear online, accessed May 23 2009, at you’. Sydney Morning Herald June 2, http://www.safecom.org.au/newsletter 2007. Available online, accessed May 112002.htm 23 2009, at SafeCom, Project, (2002a). Online order http://www.smh.com.au/news/national page for the book From Nothing to /careful-he-might-hear- Zero, Letters from Refugees in you/2007/06/01/1180205513603.html Australia's Detention Centres. Lonely and archived at Project SafeCom. Planet Publishing, 2003. Available, Available online, accessed May 23 accessed 24 May 2009, at 2009, at http://www.safecom.org.au/nothingtoz http://www.safecom.org.au/marr- ero.htm freedom-of-speech.htm SafeCom, Project, (2002b). ‘Detainee’s wife Morgan, Roy , (2001). Poll Finding No. dies after blast’. AAP Report from 3461, 30 Oct 2001: Federal Poll: news.com.au, stored as an image file Beazley Debate Win Sees Labor on the Project SafeCom website, at Back in the Race. Available online, http://www.safecom.org.au/files/aap- accessed June 21, 2009, at balistory171002.jpg

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SafeCom, Project, (2003a). ‘Australia's http://www.safecom.org.au/illegals.ht Pacific Solution: BBC movie’. An m event at the Fremantle Film and TV SafeCom, Project, (2005). ‘Talking about Institute on Friday 24 January, 2003. 'Anna' Cornelia’. A statement by Program and description archived Baxter detainees about Cornelia Rau and available online, accessed May in Red One Compound. Originally 23, 2009, at published in the New Matilda online http://www.safecom.org.au/fti- magazine. The magazine's website fundraiser.htm upgrade saw the text layout seriously SafeCom, Project, (2003b). ‘The Unthrown 'injured', but a copy of the contribution Kids’. Available online, accessed May is also stored online at the Project 23 2009, at SafeCom website online, accessed http://www.safecom.org.au/kids- 23 May 2009, at this location: overboard.htm http://www.safecom.org.au/cornelia- SafeCom, Project, (2003c). ‘The Cost, the rau.htm Carnage and The Bill - a weekend SafeCom, Project, (2008a). 'The End of symposium on asylum seeker Howard's cynical Pacific Solution'. policies, issues and implications’. Available online, accessed June 8, Perth, 27-28 September 2003. 2009, at Program available online, accessed http://www.safecom.org.au/no-more- 23 May 2009, at nauru.htm http://safecom.org.au/symposium03.h SafeCom, Project, (2008b). ‘About the Bali tm bombings and a refugee family’. A SafeCom, Project, (2003d). Horror on review of Project SafeCom’s role in Manus Island, the story of Aladdin making the story of Ebrahim Sisalem. Available online, accessed Sammaki, the death of his wife 24 May 2009, at the Project SafeCom Endang, and the eventual reunion website at with his children and the granting of http://www.safecom.org.au/sisalem.ht his permanent protection visa. Online m . See also the Media Release of available, accessed 23 May 2009 at August 19, 2003, at http://www.safecom.org.au/acoombs. http://www.safecom.org.au/news- htm 1908-2003.htm. SafeCom, Project, (2008c). Australia ends SafeCom, Project, (2004a). ‘Australia's its Temporary Refugee Protection 2004 Report Card on Press Freedom Visa Cruelties. Created 17 May 2008. looks concerning’. At the Project Available online, accessed June 25, SafeCom Blog, a collection of some 2009, at media reports and summary report of http://www.safecom.org.au/end-of- Reporters sans Frontieres. Available tpvs.htm online, accessed 24 May 2009, at SafeCom, Project, (2009a). Kevin Rudd http://www.safecom.org.au/2004/10/a Opens John Howard's Gulag. ustralias-2004-report-card-on- Available online, accessed June 8, press.htm 2009, at SafeCom, Project, (2004b). ‘Catching http://www.safecom.org.au/thegulago Illegals Down Under’. A citizens’ pens.htm complaints campaign against the use SafeCom, Project, (2009b). 'Chris Evans of phrases and references alluding to announces mandatory detention ‘illegality’ of seeking asylum in changes: Is this Labor's D-Day or are Australia by arriving in boats and the changes just "smoke and unannounced. Available online, mirrors"?' Lecture at Australian accessed 23 May 2009, at National University by the Rudd

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government's Immigration Minister available, accessed 23 May 2009 at Senator Chris Evans. Copy located at http://www.greenleft.org.au/2003/535/ the Project SafeCom website, 30417 accessed 24 May 2009, at UN. (2008). The 1951 United Nations http://www.safecom.org.au/detention- Convention relating to the Status of changes.htm Refugees. UNHCR, the UN Refugee SBS Dateline, (2009). ‘Profile of SBS Agency. Available online, accessed Dateline Reporter Sophie McNeill’. July 1, 2009, at SBS Dateline. Available online, http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49da0e4 accessed 23 May 2009, at 66.html http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/report von Doussa, J. (2005). ‘HREOC Report No er/about/id/12/n/Sophie-McNeill 28, Report of an inquiry into SBS Insight, (2003). Text transcript of the complaints by immigration detainees television documentary ‘Mohammed concerning their detention at the and Juliet, a modern tragedy’, Sophie Curtin Immigration Reception and McNeill, SBS Dateline. Copy archived Processing Centre’. Available online, at the Project SafeCom website, accessed 24 May 2009, at available online, accessed June 6, http://www.humanrights.gov.au/legal/ 2009, at HREOCA_reports/hrc_report_28.htm http://www.safecom.org.au/mohamm WPR (2002) 'Wait in Fright'. From World ed-saleh.htm Press Review April 2002 (VOL. 49, Senate Select Committee. (2002). Select No. 4). Available online, accessed Committee for an inquiry into a June 9 2009, at certain maritime incident - an inquiry http://www.worldpress.org/asia/0402s into "the so-called ‘children mh.htm overboard’ incident" as tabled on 23 Wynhausen, E., (2002) ‘A deadly shock to October 2002. Available online, our system’. Republished from The accessed June 8, 2009, at Weekend Australian, October 12, 2002, pp. http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/Commi 1 and 2, at Reportage. Available online, ttee/maritime_incident_ctte/ accessed 23 May 2009, at Stephen, S. (2002). ‘No compassion for one http://www.reportage.uts.edu.au/news- Bali bombing victim’, April 23, 2003, detail.cfm?ItemId=13703 in Green Left Weekly. Online allowed any phone calls to relatives in their Endnotes: home countries, were not allowed any contact with lawyers, or with advocates or ¹ Office Communications between Project friends or anyone else outside the detention SafeCom and some advocates: advocates centre. They did not receive any allege that Immigration Department officers communication as to their status or asylum at the Curtin Immigration Detention facility claim application progress during this conducted unregulated 'pre-screenings' or period. They were held incommunicado in their own design and execution, and those the starkest way imaginable. Identity and who, according to these officers, 'would location of advocates as well as telephone never be allowed in Australia' were kept in a conversation dates have been kept private separate compound for 11 months. These for security reasons. asylum seekers, during this period, were not

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