November 20, 2009 – 11:52 am
Another reminder of how genuine refugees are treated in our region
In amongst all the media and political frenzy regarding the Tamil asylum seekers http://www.blacktownsun.com.au/news/world/world/general/indonesia-backs-down-on-merak-boat-people/1681997.aspx refusing to get off some boats in Indonesia, a much greater and more problematic stand-off has been occurring in Thailand.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/11/2009111845646765272.html
160 Hmong people, originally from Laos, have been kept in a detention [...]
November 19, 2009 – 12:30 pm
One of the most telling aspects of the terrible injustices involved in the death in police custody of Palm Islandman Mulrunji Doomagee is that, five years on, there has been no public investigation and report into the roles of various police played in investigating the events leading up to, during and following the death.
It now seems [...]
November 16, 2009 – 11:30 pm
Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote here about an interesting project which sought to use the internet to engage with people of all beliefs from around the world in developing a Charter for Compassion. The process took over a year and included some key ethical and spiritual leaders at some of the pivotal stages. [...]
November 13, 2009 – 2:23 pm
Malcolm Turnbull has announced his party will readopt a form of temporary protection visas for refugees who arrive in boats. Quite why refugees who arrive in planes and later claim asylum get treated differently was never explained in the past and remains unexplained now.
Even more inexplicable is why the temporary protection visa (TPV) would be [...]
November 11, 2009 – 11:33 am
It is hard to keep track of the varying views regarding the economic feasibility and energy potential of the different modes for generating electricity. There seem to be so many different views about what can and can’t work.
Professor Barry Brook, http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26330976-5006301,00.html a well respected climate change scientist at the University of Adelaide’writes today that “Nuclear [...]
November 10, 2009 – 11:06 am
I usually try to avoid blogging in an overly partisan party political way (as opposed to expressing an opinion about specific issues). However, given the interest some have expressed in my decision to throw in my lot as a House of Representatives candidate for the Greens after having spent twenty years with a different political [...]
November 8, 2009 – 8:49 pm
While the asylum seeker debate continues here, it is worth looking at approaches taken to refugees in other ‘developed’ countries. Italy continues to set the pace when it comes to rich continues blatantly breaching human rights laws and putting refugees lives at risk. They have reached an agreement with Libya – a nation with an [...]
November 5, 2009 – 5:22 am
The environmental problems of using palm oil for biodiesel fuel and other products has been recognised for more than a few years. Less attention has been given to the widespread use of palm oil in food products. Widespread deforestation to expand plantations for palm oil has been occurring in countries to our north such as Malaysia [...]
November 3, 2009 – 4:09 am
Can we fix it? No we can’t.
So according to the operator of the oil rig which been leaking 400 barrels of oil into the Timor Sea every day for the last ten weeks, the http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9BNDESG0.htm rig is now “engulfed in a massive blaze and is at risk of total collapse”.
The chief financial officer of PTTEP, [...]
October 30, 2009 – 2:28 pm
Comments about Tamil asylum seekers by the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia, Mr Senaka Walgampaya, provide a strong reason why the asylum seekers should not be returned to Sri Lanka. Is also makes it almost certain they will meet the criteria of Refugee Convention, even if they didn’t before.
Mr Walgampaya, who speaks of course [...]
