For the first time, a number of Indo-Chinese organisations will participate in the World Refugee Day rally in Melbourne.
More than 100 organisations are supporting the World Refugee Day March and Rally on Sunday 17 June, 12 noon at Parliament House. After speakers, the rally will leave Parliament House at 1pm to march to Fitzroy Town Hall where the rally will link up with the Emerge multicultural festival. Speakers will be at both ends of the march.
Refugee Advocacy Network spokesperson, Sue Bolton, welcomed the involvement of the Indochinese community.
More than 90,000 Indo-Chinese refugees came to Australia in the 10 years after the end of the Vietnam war. Most of the early Vietnamese and Cambodian asylum seekers came by boat.
“Indo-Chinese refugees living in Australia today share a common history with asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Iran and other countries who have arrived in Australia by boat.
“If using the services of a people smuggler and getting on a boat are the only options you have in order to get safety and security, then that is what you do. Often, it was aunties and uncles in Vietnamese villages who helped smuggle people out of Vietnam and Cambodia.
“Australians accepted that the Indo-Chinese refugees had a right to flee their situation and seek a safe and secure life in Australia. It is no different for Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka, Hazara refugees from Afghanistan, Iranians, Rohinga refugees from Burma and others who have come here by boat.
“It wasn’t until Australia developed an Orderly Departure scheme with Vietnam that refugees stopped arriving by boat. Australia could do the same today. It could radically increase the number of refugees who are resettled from Indonesia and Malasysia.
Refugee Advocacy Network spokesperson, Brigid Arthur said that the rally marks the 20th anniversary of the cruel policy of mandatory detention of asylum seekers.
“The crisis in Australia’s detention centres continues to escalate. The 2012 World Refugee Rally is calling for an end to the policy of mandatory detention. This policy victimises people who have committed no crime. People have a right to seek asylum,” said Arthur.
Speakers at the rally are:
Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Senator
Godrey Yoganathan, Tamil refugee
Jessie Taylor, human rights lawyer
Yustin Papuana Motte, Act for Peace Refugee Ambassador & West Papuan refugee
John Gulzari, Act for Peace Refugee Ambassador & Hazara refugee
Louise Connor, state secretary Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance
Some speakers are available for media interviews.
Media enquiries:
Sue Bolton 0413 377 978
Brigid Arthur 0408 101 134
Endorsements include:
Act for Peace –National Council of Churches
African Think Tank;
Asian Television Australia Association of Victoria Inc.
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre;
Asylum Seeker Welcome Centre;
Australia Asia Worker Links;
Australia-Burma Society Inc
Australian Democrats
Australian Education Union
Australian Greens Victoria
Australian Jewish Democratic Society;
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union
Australian Mental Health Human Rights and Law Reform Coalition
Australian Nursing Federation
Australian Refugee Association – Ballarat Circle of Friends 93;
Australian Services Union – Private services branch;
Australian Syrian Association
Australian Vietnamese Women Association
Australia Western Sahara Association;
Ballarat Trades & Labor Council
Brigidine Asylum Seeker Project;
Cambodian Association of Victoria
Cambodian Chinese Friendship Association
Cambodian Association Youth Group
Cambodian Buddhist Association of Vic
Cambodian Buddhist Centre
Cambodian Elderly Citizens Association
Cambodian Women Group
Catholic Office for Justice & Peace;
CEPU Communications Division, Victorian Branch;
CEPU – Postal & Telecommunications branch;
CFMEU – construction division
CFMEU – mining & energy division
Chin Lien Chinese Association of Victoria Inc.
Chinese Community Council of Australia (Vic Chapter)
Chinese Poets and Authors Society of Victoria Inc
Chung Shan Buddhist Association of Victoria Inc
Community & Public Sector Union (Victorian government employee;
Community Radio 3CR;
Communist Party of Australia
Eastern Art & Cultural Association Inc
Edmund Rice Aslyum Seeker Project;
Electrical Trades Union
Eritrean Australians for Peace & Justice;
Eritrean Solidarity in Australia;
Fitzroy Learning Network;
Friends of the Earth;
Federation of Australian Muslim Students & Youth (FAMSY);
Federation of Indo-China Ethnic Chinese Associations in Victoria
Freedom Socialist Party,
Geelong Refugee Action and Information Network (GRAIN);
Geelong Trades Hall;
Gippsland Trades & Labour Council
Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand;
Green Left Weekly;
Hotham Mission
Humanitarian Crisis Hub;
Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania
Indo-China Ethnic Chinese Association of Victoria Inc
Jews for Refugees
Jewish Labour Bund;
Justice and International Mission Unit, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, Uniting Church in Australia;
Khmer Community of Victoria
Khmer Education Centre
Khmer Fine Arts Centre
Khmer Language Program – Radio 3ZZZ
Kurdish Association of Victoria
La Trobe University RAC;
Labor 4 Refugees;
Liberty Victoria;
Lin Yi Lion Dance Team Inc
Loophole Community Centre
Maritime Union of Australia
Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance
Melbourne Catholic Migrant & Refugee Office;
Melbourne TriDung (CheeYung)Alumni Association Inc
Melbourne ethnic community radio 3ZZZ;
Melbourne University RAC;
Monash Environment & Social Justice Collective
Monash Student Association
Monash University RAC;
Nam Kwok Cantonese Opera Group Inc.
National Tertiary Education Union
National Union of Workers
North East Melbourne Chinese Association
Office of Justice and Peace, Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne
Ogaden Youth and Students Union of Melbourne (OYSU)
Peace Brigades International – Australia
Prahran Chinese Elderly Citizens Association of Victoria Inc.
Prahran Chinese Women Association of Victoria Inc.
Queenscliff Rural Australians for Refugees,
Radical Women,
Refugee Action Collective;
Refugee Advocacy Group (Geelong);
Revolutionary Socialist Party;
Richmond Chinese Elderly Welfare Association Inc
RISE (Refugees
Rise for Refugees (Melbourne University);
Shamama Association;
Socialist Alliance,
Socialist Alternative,
Socialist Party
Solidarity,
Springvale Asian Business Association Inc. (SABA)
Springvale Ethnic Chinese Elderly Caring Friendship Association
Springvale Ethnic Chinese School
Ta’s Martial Art Academy
Teo Chew Chinese Association
Textile, Clothing & Footwear Union;
Thamila Coordinating Council – Australasia (TCC);
The Tue Thanh (Viet Du) Alumni Association
United Voice;
Urban Neighbours of Hope (UNOH)
Victorian Home School Network
Vietnamese Community in Australia – Victoria chapter
Victorian Council of Churches;
Victorian Trades Hall Council;
Victorian West Papuan Community
Wah Chin Sports Club of Melbourne Australia Inc.
Wat Buddharangsy Temple
Wat Khmer Temple Melbourne