Refugees on Nauru have produced their own You Tube video to respond to the pro-Cambodia video produced by Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton.
The video completely rejects the Cambodia resettlement proposal and outlines the repressive measures that have been used to try and stifle their protests, since their campaign of non-cooperation began in February, this year.
The video production follows the demonstration on Nauru last Friday when around 200 refugees chanted “Cambodia, never, ever!” (Video available on request.)
Peter Dutton’s video has still not been shown to refugees living outside the detention centre.
Despite an extraordinary effort and large money offers by Immigration officials, there are still only four refugees who have indicated they are willing to go to Cambodia.
It is now clear that the government is desperately approaching asylum seekers in an effort to get people to agree to be transferred to Cambodia.
An Iranian couple, the latest to agree to be transferred, have almost certainly had their refugee determination fast-tracked. They were determined to be refugees only five days ago.
Similarly, the single Iranian man who was approached when he was still an asylum seeker and agreed to go to Cambodia almost two weeks ago, was notified that he had been positively determined to be a refugee also five days ago.
“Peter Dutton’s attempt to perpetrate a fraud against the refugees, has been exposed. Despite his videoed threats, the vast majority of the refugees are not interested in going to Cambodia,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.
“The Australian government has no viable resettlement arrangements for the asylum seekers they have sent to Nauru and Manus Island. Just as with the Howard government, it is only a matter of time before the asylum seekers and refugees will be brought to Australia.”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
