1. On May 7, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak announced the deal which will see 800 asylum seekers who try to make their way to Australia by boat instead taken immediately to Malaysia for processing. In return, Australia will expand its humanitarian intake to resettle an extra 4,000 genuine refugees already residing in Malaysia over four years at a cost of A$292 million (RM928 million)
2. Concerned as to the harmful health effects from radioactive and other toxic waste residues of the proposed Lynas Rare Earth Refinery Project in Gebeng, Pahang. Worse, this projected plant touted as the "largest" rare earth refinery in the world is so close to human habitation.
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No dose of radiation is safe
Why do Aussies’ dirty work?
Survivors then, survivors now
Not in Australia’s backyard
Australians oppose Malaysia boatpeople deal: poll
UN rights chief raps Australia on refugees, racism
'Pull out of asylum deal'
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No dose of radiation is safe
Dr David KL Quek
President
MMA
There should have been greater importance placed on exhaustive public information sharing and engagement, public safety guarantees, environmental impact studies, and prudent if impregnable long-term waste disclosure and disposal management, versus simply, "economic" gain.
No monetary returns of whatever foreign direct investment and its spin-offs can outweigh possible radiation and/or other health risks. Thorium-232 for example has a half-life of some 14 billion years, and gives off alpha particles. This radionuclide residue is recognised as being
extremely hazardous for humans and life forms.
Our remit is why should we add on to the potential hazards when this is man made and almost certainly uncontainable?
http://sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=61109
Why do Aussies’ dirty work?
Diplomatically Speaking
By Dennis Ignatius
duta.thestar@gmail.com
The problem of asylum seekers is indeed a serious one. Malaysia is right to cooperate with other countries to stymie the immoral work of people smugglers and human traffickers. As well, we certainly ought to take our obligations towards genuine refugees far more seriously than we now do.
Becoming a dumping ground for unwanted illegals or doing Australia’s dirty work, however, neither serves our interests nor does justice to asylum seekers.
http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?col=diplomaticallyspeaking&file=%2F2011%2F5%2F12%2Fcolumnists%2Fdiplomaticallyspeaking%2F8663263&sec=Diplomatically+Speaking
Survivors then, survivors now
By Petra Gimbad
poorer communities are compelled to earn income more lucratively through criminal means... Many of us take pride in our rich ancestries by acknowledging, for example, our Arab, Chinese, Javanese or Sri Lankan origins. Part of our pride lies precisely in the knowledge that we descend from the same stock as survivors who made it through war or economic desperation...
If we reflect on our roots, we can reduce much fear and see that persons seeking refuge share much in common with those who came before us. Realising this, we will practise better the hospitality and compassion that we are known for and that is present in our country.
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=60689
Not in Australia’s backyard
Coming hot on the heals of the now stalled plan to build a certain rare earth processing plant in Pahang, Malaysia seems to be accepting a lot of things that Australia does not necessarily want in its own backyard.
After all, transference to Malaysia is only one possible outcome and a chance of being processed will be good enough for many desperate persons. As it is, there are already thousands in Malaysia hoping to resettle in Australia.
If Australia is sincere in wanting to ensure that "transferees will be treated with dignity and respect and in accordance with human rights standards", it should consider that Malaysia too faced controversy over conditions in local immigration detention camps.
More worrying, Australian detention centres have become notorious for increasingly frequent riots, suicides and self-harm attempts, the latest of which occurred last month when protesters burned down a Sydney detention centre. How will Australia compensate if the same occurs in its Malay-sian centre?
If Malaysia’s intention in signing the deal is to improve treatment of asylum seekers, there are many more alternatives than this potentially problematic deal. Malaysia can play a more active role in regional conflict resolution to address the root cause of refugee migration or focus on border security to target people smugglers. We can also consider regularising many of those with legitimate claims already residing here or allow employers to employ refugees while they await resettlement. At least the latter can help us address our labour shortage while giving refugees a way to make a small but important living. Anything would be better than creating the conditions for further rights violations of asylum seekers.
http://sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=60723
Australians oppose Malaysia boatpeople deal: poll
SYDNEY (AFP) – Nearly six in ten Australians oppose the government's plan to send asylum seekers to Malaysia, with many believing it will do little to stop the arrival of boatpeople, a poll showed Monday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110516/wl_asia_afp/australiamalaysiathailandpngimmigration
UN rights chief raps Australia on refugees, racism
By Rob Taylor
CANBERRA | Wed May 25, 2011 12:03pm IST
(Reuters) - The United Nations' top human rights watchdog on Wednesday attacked Australia's tough refugee policies and the treatment of outback Aborigines, saying there was a strong undercurrent of racism in the country.
Long-standing policies of locking up asylum seekers had "cast a shadow over Australia's human rights record", and appeared to be completely arbitrary, U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay said.
While Pillay's criticism may cause Australia some discomfort internationally, it is unlikely to convince Gillard or her conservative political opponents to change tack, given polls showing wide voter concern about border security.
She also criticised an "intervention" policy introduced by the former conservative government and continued by Gillard which places controls on welfare spending for Aborigines to help fight alcohol and child sex abuse in remote outback areas.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/05/25/idINIndia-57263020110525
'Pull out of asylum deal'
> NGOs urge Australia to stop transfer of 800 refugees to Malaysia
by Karen Arukesamy
Five NGOs, namely Tenaganita, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), Malaysian Social Research Institute and Health Equity Initiatives have submitted a memorandum to the Australian High Commission urging it to stop the transfer immediately.
"Without ratifying the United Nations Convention for Refugees, the deal should not go through because sending the 800 refugees here would cause serious human rights violations," Tenaganita head Irene Fernandez told reporters after submitting the memorandum yesterday.
Malaysia is not a signatory of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. On the other hand, Australia has ratified the convention and is obliged to promote and protect the sights of the asylum seekers and refugees.
The Sun Daily, May 26, 2011
