Protest for Kashmiri self-determination
CANBERRA — Members of Canberra's Pakistani community rallied on February 5 in Garema Place to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day. They demanded a referendum in occupied Kashmir to decide the territory's future.
Kashmir was annexed by force by India, in violation of the principles of partition accepted by both India and Pakistan in 1947. The occupation has continued for more than half a century in contravention of numerous UN resolutions. More than 70,000 Kashmiri people have lost their lives since 1989, when 700,000 Indian troops were deployed to crush the armed resistance to the occupation.
Iqbal Khan, a Kashmiri refugee, described how oppression in Kashmir had begun under British occupation. In 1856, the British colonialists sold Kashmir and its inhabitants to Maharaja Gulab Singh. From this time on, Kashmiris' right to self-determination has been ignored.
"We expect from the UN at least what it did for East Timor", said Khan.
The protesters marched to the Indian high commission and presented a petition which demanded a substantial reduction in the troops deployed in Kashmir; access for human rights groups; repeal of laws which deny justice to Kashmiris; an amnesty for those in custody; a guarantee of freedom of expression; and cooperation with the UN in implementing UN resolutions on Kashmir.
Nick Everett
UC students reject fees
CANBERRA — A group of students confronted the University of Canberra Council when it met to discuss undergraduate student fees on February 6.
Organised by the UC Students Association, the protesters marched to the meeting chanting "Education for all, not just the rich!", and remained while the fees item was debated.
UC vice-chancellor Roger Dean proposed the creation of undergraduate places for domestic students funded through the FEE-HELP loans scheme. This allows students to repay the loan through the taxation system in the same manner as HECS, but with an additional 20% administration charge. The scheme was introduced as part of the federal government's higher education "reform" package.
While a number of council members argued the case against the changes, a majority were in favour, and the motion put by Dean was passed.
James Caulfield
'The bigger picture is horrifying'
DARWIN — On February 2, 50 people attended a public forum addressed by Australian human rights commissioner Sev Ozdowski. The meeting was organised by the Refugee Action Network.
Ozdowski's report on the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's inquiry into children held in immigration detention centres will soon be released. In preparing the report, he visited all of the detention centres in Australia. However, the federal government refused access to the detention centres on Nauru and PNG's Manus Island.
The inquiry received around 350 submissions including from former Australasian Correctional Management staff, and revealed damning facts about mandatory detention. For example, the longest time a child has been detained is 5.4 years and the average time children are detained is 619 days.
Ozdowski also spoke about the impact of temporary protection visas on young people, revealing that many choose to work rather than attend school, in order to save money for what they view as their inevitable deportation.
During the meeting, a woman who had worked as a detention centre guard said the inquiry would never have heard about some of the worst abuses. Ozdowski replied that, "in the bigger picture, it doesn't matter, because the bigger picture is horrifying".
[Information on the inquiry can be obtained on the HREOC web site: <http://www.humanrights.gov.au>.]
Owain Lewis-Jones
IWD: Wages and welfare, not warfare!
HOBART — At its first meeting, held on February 3, the Hobart International Women's Day rally-organising collective decided to make "Wages and welfare, not warfare!" the theme of this year's IWD rally, to be held on March 13.
Noting that average women's earnings have shrunk to only 66% of men's, collective members were eager to profile the barriers to working women achieving equal pay and full workforce participation — such as enterprise bargaining, casualisation of jobs and lack of access to paid parental leave and affordable childcare. The collective will campaign for restoration of funding for public education and healthcare, as well as women's services.
The rally will make the links between the profits-first agenda of Coalition and Labor governments, which have gutted programs aimed at alleviating women's poverty and violence against women, while pouring money into the unjust invasion and occupation of Iraq, and mandatory detention of refugees.
Collective meetings are being held at the Hobart Women's Health Centre, 25 Lefroy St, North Hobart, every Tuesday at 7pm. Contact Anthea, (03) 6234 6397, for more information.
Kamala Emanuel
Student avoids deportation
HOBART — Munyaradzi "Munya" Chiraramiro, a student at the University of Tasmania threatened with deportation to Zimbabwe over a visa error, has won a bridging visa until February 20. He can now leave the country voluntarily, which will make it easier for him to return to Australia to complete his studies.
Munya was forced to pay a $10,000 bond for his bridging visa. He will also be required to pay outstanding university fees before returning on a student visa. Friends of Munya have raised $3000, and will hold a fundraising concert in Hobart on February 9 to help cover these costs, including a $3000 bill for his detention. Munya's lawyer does not believe he should have to pay this.
Shua Garfield
From Green Left Weekly, February 11, 2004.
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