Australia's
"PACIFIC SOLUTION" www.refugeeaction.org/inside/pacific_solution.htm
is no solution to be proud of. Australia
is exploiting the dependency of developing nations such as
PNG and Naaru to solve their "refugee problem".
The Pacific Solution involves diverting people found seeking
refuge in Australian waters to Pacific Island countries such
as Naaru and PNG.
Australia is the only developed nation that puts women and
children seeking refuge into detention camps while they wait
for their claims to be processed. In some cases this has taken
over a year. The fact that this is all done overseas is a
tactick of the Howard Government to avoid scrutiny by the
Australian people over the human rights violations of those
seeking refuge.
Almost
450 asylum seekers, including more than 100 children, are still
being held on the island of Nauru as part of the Federal Government's
'Pacific solution'. According to the Howard Government, most
of the detainees are in good physical and mental health. But
Dr Maarten Dormaar, the former head psychiatrist at the two
Nauru detention camps, tells a very different story. Late last
year he quit his job, unable to continue working in what he
described as "a psychiatrist's nightmare" ... The
7.30 Report, ABC Television, 15 May 2003. Reporter: Nick
McKenzie. www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2003/s855996.htm
