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Villawood protesters claim victory

Kerry Smith, Sydney

25 August 2007

A four-day rooftop protest by three detainees at Sydney’s Villawood Immigration Detention Centre ended peacefully on August 21. The three detainees — New Zealand men Montana Kelly, 27, and Bruce Ngaromo, 32, and 30-year-old Vietnamese man Van Nguyen — scaled the roof in protest at the cancellation of some visiting and excursion rights after a detainee failed to return from day leave.

TVNZ reported that the “Villawood Three were preparing for another long night on the roof when news came that immigration officials were backing down. ‘It was a victory’, says Ngaromoa.

“A spokeswoman for Australia’s immigration minister had gone on record saying there would be no negotiations on conditions inside the centre until the men came down. ‘The issues that we’ve asked … they’re going to address those tomorrow morning’, says Ngaromoa …

“The three have served jail time in Australia and they face deportation as a result. While they fight against that, they will continue to be detained at the centre where the Australian government charges each inmate $125 a night. The inmates run up a debt they must pay back if they are deported and ever want to return.”