I see, after the terrible riots in the Woomera Detention Camp last
night, that the Australian Government is being told by pscyhologists
that "if you treat people in extreme ways, they will act in extreme
ways", and that the despair these people are living with is affecting
their mental health.
Naturally enough, the government says they're just "criminals".
For those who don't know, these people - asylum seekers from
countries like Iraq and Afghanistan - are held indefinitely in camps
in the middle of the desert, prisons run by a private company run by
an ex-FBI officer, while their visas are considered, a process which
can take years. We're the only country in the world which does this.
There are 290 children at the centre.
I think it's about time we put away the notion that Australia is a
"generous" country.
Alison
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Alison Croggon
Home page
http://www.users.bigpond.com/acroggon/
Masthead
http://au.geocities.com/masthead_2/
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