There has been strong copodtion to the position of the Australian government from a number of important trade unions.
The Maritime Union deplores invasion of a friendly ship in ace tre Paddy Crumlin described the cos one ward Government as inappropriate, inhumane and deserving of international condemnation.
"People smuggling has to be combated." he said. "But the perpetrators are the ones who need to be targeted, not the and crew of a vessel answering ship. Nor pregnant women and children. This is notling less than a cynical reelection gambit - Mr Howard's Falklands War:* "Furthermore the Federal Government has demonstrated breathtaking hypocrisy on the issue," said Mr Crumlin: "Here we have a government that actively solicits foreign shipping and third world labour to carry Australian cargo between Australan ports in our domes. tic transport chain, now saying that to protect our national sovereignty we can not sup Tampa. This is after Australian tain to change course and res. cue people on a sinking ship policy. only days earler.
The NoW abor Couri called on the government to treat the plight of refugees on the Tampa as a humanitarian crisis rather than a political opportunity.
Its Secretary John Robertson aid "People are being incited one seems to give a toss where these people go, as long as they don't come here."
Robertson says it's up to the union movement to stand up Australia extraordinary powers for both the refugees and the to turn back ships in distress.
ACTU President Sharan Norwegian crew of the Tampa, even if this was not a popular Burrow says Senators shoul position. Meamwhile, the Labor be congratulated for their prin. Council has also joined those cipled stand against the retrocondemning the federal gor- spective and draconian legisla ernment's detention of asylum seekers. Robertson said the "Prime Minister John plight of six-year-old Shayan Howard's clumsy and heavy handed treatment of the tion with his family - highlights refugee issue has become an international embarrassment to the inhumanity of the cuttert Australia," Burrow says. "The Government's actions "It is clear that the processes have fallen down, " Robertson in relation to the Tampa threaten to undermine humanisay le need an effective system tarian operations under the International Law of the Sea. that deals with applications quickly and transparently, not "The international movement of asylum-seekers is a world. the system that currenty exist which more resembles a maxi- wide problem and no decent prime minister would abandon mum secunty prison Meanwhile, the Australian people at sea. We need a solution that meets international has supported the Opposition: and Austraian law. The Government's attempts to parties ceasion to block lege lation that would have given override all such legal precedents deserve to be defeated by the Senate."
Burrow says Australian law allows for asylum-seekers to argue their case for refugee At the same time as mounting the strongest possible opposition to the racism of the Australian state in this situation we have to also go on the offensive and demand an open border policy for all those seeking asylum across the world.
The Australian Socialist Alliance issued tre toro wing statement: new depths of cruelty by refus. ing to alow the wor wedd cargo boat MS Tampa to dock at Christmas Island", said Mr lan Rintoul, New South Wales Senate candidate for Australian Socialist Alliance on August 30.. spokesperson for the Sydney Refugee Action Collective, decenbed the 438 asylumseckers as "Victims of Liberal policy on the high seas", acding that 'Howard has become an _ international pariah". Mr Rintoul criticised the government's move to weaken the Australian laws on who constitutes a refugee and the definition of persecution.
"These people are in desperate straits. Many need medical treatment and all deserve a safe haven," Mr Rintoul said.
Fellow Senate candidate Pip Hinman, also national coordinator of Action in Sol danty with Indonesia and East Timor and detained two months ago by the Indonesian police after a raid on an academic conference in Jakarta added: "Labor should hang their heads in shame in talling the Locres racist response."
"Turning asylum-seekers back
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