Two of Australia’s most brilliant musicans, JEFF LANG and partner ALISON FERRIER, will be the star performers on SUNDAY to highlight the plight of the refugees indefinitely detained because of secret ASIO assessments.
The main feature of the day will be the international debut of the new song for Tamil detainee, Selva, who stitched his lips and began a hunger strike last week. Officially, he is not a negative ASIO case but he has suffered a similar experience, being detained for 37 months awaiting a decision on his future by the Immigration Minister. Most of the ASIO negative refugees have been held for between three and four years.
Lang, a 2012 ARIA winner and an internationally-recognised singer-songwriter-guitarist, and the multi-talented Ferrier, will perform “Song For Selva” and other protest songs, outside the MITA detention centre, Camp Rd, Broadmeadows, from 1 p.m.
Selva and all the other refugees, including 30 locked away indefinitely because of negative ASIO assessments, will be able to hear the songs from their cell blocks, and gain some small comfort from knowing that there is a growing band of Australians determined to see them freed, and treated with respect and humanity.
Lang and Ferrier will be joined by other performers as well as several speakers, who will highlight the cruel, inhumane government policy that has kept more than 50 refugees with negative ASIO reports locked away in Australian detention centres for as long as four years.
“Song For Selva” has been written, produced and sung by Melbourne performer Les Thomas, a member of a musicans’ group — These Machines Cut Razor Wire — that opposes mandatory detention and the use of asylum seekers as political scapegoats.
It is hoped the CD will be available soon.
FREE ASIO REFUGEES: ” SONG FOR SELVA” DAY
WHEN: 1pm, Sunday, April 7.
WHERE: MITA Detention Centre, Camp Rd, Broadmeadows,
WHY: To Free The Refugees.