WORD FROM THE AUSSIE IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTERS
Children have their mouths stitched shut
Author: News Staff
Four Woomera detainees attempted to injure themselves recently, the Australian Department of Immigration has confirmed. Three adults and one child had been moved to the detention center's medical facility for treatment, a Department of Immigration spokesman said. No information was being given at this stage on the type of injury or form of treatment.
More than 200 detainees have staged a hunger strike at Woomera, including 50 who have stitches in their lips, in protest against the time it is taking for their visa applications to be processed.
Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock yesterday agreed to remove five children from the center to protect them from having their lips sewn together by angry adult asylum seekers. He said investigations were under way into whether another seven children at Woomera were at risk from adult detainees protesting over conditions and the processing delays.
The five children, aged 14 and under who were in Woomera without their parents, were likely to be placed in foster and emergency care in Adelaide, Mr Ruddock said.
Meanwhile, protests spread to Melbourne's Maribyrnong Detention Centre, where about 25 detainees had refused to eat or drink. The spokesman said it had been an otherwise quiet night at Woomera following a turbulent 24 hours during which detainees swallowed cocktails composed of shampoo and detergent, the act caused one senior Australian government adviser to quit his position.
Neville Roach, chairman of the Council for Multicultural Australia, resigned and, on leaving, offered a warning that racism and prejudice was being forced to the surface in the community by the Government's vilification of asylum seekers.
South Australia's Human Services Minister Dean Brown has condemned the mutilation of children for political protest, following reports that two children had their lips sewn together against their will. His department had received child abuse notifications connected with seven children at the holding center.
"I'm absolutely disgusted. Children shouldn't ever ever have that type of mutilation inflicted on them," Brown told the media.
Meanwhile, prominent scientist Dr Tim Flannery said in his recent Australia Day address to the nation that a lack of planning had led to the current unrest in detention centers. "It takes away from us a certain pride that we have in being Australian, it leaves our reputation damaged overseas and it's the result of poor planning... I think it's one of the most deeply distressing things I've seen in recent years."
Go to Internet News for additional information. The opinions in this article are not necessarily those of SPICIN.