Prostitution law opposed

DARWIN — On December 1, the Scarlet Alliance, a national sex workers’ rights group, held a World AIDS Day public forum to highlight issues surrounding the unjust and discriminatory sex worker law in the Northern Territory.

The NT Prostitution Regulation Act (2001) requires sex workers employed by agencies to register with the police. Once registered, the record is kept on file for life. Scarlet Alliance president Janelle Fawkes told the forum that there is no other industry regulated by the police.

Alina Thomas from the Sex Worker Outreach Project (SWOP) of the NT Aids and Hepatitis Council told the forum there are many reasons why sex workers in the NT choose not to register with the police, from abuses of confidentiality and privacy to the impact that it could have on future employment prospects.

As a result, said Thomas, the majority of sex workers in the NT work illegally, with potentially serious health and safety risks.

The dangers for sex workers in the NT were highlighted in March by the horrific murder of two sex workers who drowned after being thrown with their legs tied into the crocodile infested Adelaide River. These murders prompted the NT government to announce that it would initiate a review of the prostitution law. Many at the Scarlet Alliance forum expressed surprise when told that organisations representing Darwin’s sex workers had not been consulted by the government’s review.

NT minister for racing, gaming and licensing Sid Sterling told Stateline that recommendations from the review would be released early next year.

Kathy Newnam

Students plan anti-war campaign

SYDNEY — On December 2, 20 student activists attended an organising meeting at Sydney University initiated by Keep Left to campaign against the occupation of Iraq.

The meeting decided to hold an action on January 20 against companies profiting from the war on Iraq, and to endorse the March 20 international day of action against the occupation.

The next meeting will be on January 5 at the University of Technology Sydney Students Association. [To join the email discussion list visit <http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/SAWSyd>. Phone Tim on (02) 9690 1977 or 0413 756 808.]

Tim Doughney

Protest supports Sri Lankans in Baxter

Increasingly desperate to have their cases reopened, 11 Sri Lankan asylum seekers in Baxter immigration detention centre began a hunger strike on November 24, escalating a protest they had been conducting since September 15.

For eight days they were repeatedly hospitalised and suffered weight loss of 4-5kg. Writers group PEN organised a small lunchtime protest outside the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs offices in Sydney on December 2 to highlight the plight of one of the Sri Lankans, PEN member Sarath Amarasinghe. PEN members Tom Keneally, Rosie Scott and Denise Leith then fasted overnight in front of DIMIA in solidarity with Amarasinghe.

On December 4, the Sri Lankans informed their supporters that DIMIA had agreed to re-examine their cases for asylum and forward their applications to immigration minister Amanda Vanstone for reconsideration.

Sarah Stephen

From Green Left Weekly, December 8, 2004.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

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