ABBOTT GOVERNMENT COMPLICIT IN ROHINGYAN PERSECUTION

The Australian Government’s refusal to act over the horrific Rohingyan humanitarian crisis makes them complicit in the mistreatment of the world’s most persecuted people.

“Rohingyans in Myanmar are effectively being subjected to ethnic cleansing,” Director of Advocacy Serina McDuff said today.

“The fate of Rohingyans who have attempted to flee this persecution is equally horrific.

“Thousands have been held to ransom by people traffickers in bamboo cages in the jungles of Thailand and Malaysia, beaten and starved until their families pay for their return – or until they die.

“Now stories are emerging of people being held by people smugglers at sea for months at a time in floating torture camps, with the dead simply tossed overboard.

“Others have been abandoned by the traffickers and remain adrift at sea.  Likely to be without food or water, time is quickly running out for them.

“The Abbott Government’s refusal to help makes them complicit with the people smugglers and with Myanmar’s ruling regime which sanctions cruelty against Rohingyans.

“For months now Tony Abbott and his cronies have peddled the line that they care so much about refugee’s lives that they’ll do anything to stop them dying at sea. They’ve made a big fuss about ‘smashing the people smugglers’ business model’.

“But their willingness to turn a blind eye to the tragedy in our region sends a clear signal that they are fine with the state-sanctioned persecution of Rohingyans.

“It signals to murderous traffickers that they can carry on with their brutal, wholesale kidnapping of vulnerable people.

“It’s time that the media and the community called the Government out on its blatant hypocrisy.

“Some questions the Government needs to answer:

• What diplomatic efforts have they made to encourage an end to the persecution of Rohingyans in Myanmar?
• What have they done to help prevent the brutal trafficking of Rohingyans and ensure options for their safety in the region?
• How long have they known about the floating torture camps that have been on the water since at least February this year?

“We call on the Government to urgently support search and rescue operations for people stranded at sea, to help ensure safe passage and protection for Rohingyan refugees and to help with their resettlement.”

“A failure to act is undeniable proof the Government doesn’t care about people dying at sea and they don’t care about solving the issue of refugees in our region.”

Media inquiries: Mary Fall 0407 683 664