Diberdayakan oleh Blogger.

'Major disturbance' and fires at Christmas Island detention centre

Inmates have lit fires at Australia's Christmas Island detention centre in a "major disturbance" that is yet to be resolved, say government officials.
The immigration department confirmed in a statement that guards had been withdrawn for "safety reasons".
Medical, educational and sporting facilities have been damaged.
The statement denied a "large-scale riot" was taking place but said the situation at the centre for refugees and asylum seekers was "tense".
The Christmas Island centre also houses New Zealanders facing deportation from Australia.
Inmate's death 'sparked riot'
The unrest is believed to have started after inmates became suspicious about the death of an Iranian Kurd named Fazel Chegeni, who escaped from the facility on Saturday.
Mr Chegeni's body was found at the bottom of a cliff one day later, the Department of Immigration said. A report on his death was being prepared for the coroner.
"The protest action began when a small group of Iranian detainees took part in a peaceful protest following the escape from, and death outside the centre, of a detainee on Sunday," the statement said.
"While peaceful protest is permissible, other detainees took advantage of the situation to engage in property damage and general unrest."
Ian Rintoul, of the Refugee Action Coalition group, told the Sydney Morning Herald that Mr Chegeni was "suffering the effects of long-term arbitrary detention".
"He had told other detainees that he could no longer stand being in detention and just wanted 'to go outside'," he said.

'Fires everywhere'

ABC News quoted a 25-year-old detainee, Matej Cuperka, who said he feared for his safety.
"They are starting fires everywhere … they have broken into the canteen, into the property area," Mr Cuperka, was quoted as saying earlier.
"There are cars full of officers driving around the complex. They are just having a look through the window, but nobody is helping us."
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the Christmas Island centre was "in meltdown".
"I have spoken with people who are locked up in the centre and they say that there is widespread unrest and fires across the facility," Ms Hanson-Young said.
"With all Serco guards being removed from the centre late last night, the people who are locked up there are being left to fend for themselves."
Ms Hanson-Young said she was concerned that asylum seekers had been locked up with other detainees, putting them "at risk".
"The government was warned repeatedly about the increasingly toxic situation on Christmas Island but, regrettably, those warnings were ignored," she said.

Controversial policy

Australia sends intercepted asylum seekers to Christmas Island, a remote outpost 2,650km (1,650 miles) north-west of Perth and 380km south of Java in Indonesia.
Others are sent to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and Nauru in the South Pacific.
The government says the journey the asylum seekers make by sea to reach Australia is dangerous and controlled by criminal gangs and they have a duty to stop it. Critics say opposition to asylum is often racially motivated and is damaging Australia's reputation.
Its policy was branded a "disaster" by Human Rights Watch's Australia director in July. The group also raised concern over conditions at the Manus camp.
Last February, an Iranian man was killed during a riot at the camp on Manus. The trial of a Salvation Army worker and a camp guard accused over his murder restarts later this month.
The number of New Zealanders held on Christmas Island has increased since Canberra began cancelling visas of those with criminal records.

Tidak ada komentar:

Posting Komentar

 
Please Enable JavaScript!
Mohon Aktifkan Javascript![ Enable JavaScript ]