Today I went to do some shopping in a local shopping mall, and while there, stopped for a coffee and donut. Before getting my snack I dropped into one of the book stores and bought the February 13th edition of "the Bulletin" magazine to peruse while having my coffee.
I almost choked when I read an item on page 12 dealing with newly arrived people, asylum seekers actually, who were being treated for typhus at illegal immigrant camps at Curtin, near Derby, Western Australia, and at Woomera, in South Australia.
The item then goes on to state that because there had been a second riot in a week at Western Australian camps, the Immigration Minister, Philip Ruddock said that detention centre staff could get wider powers to quell violence. So far, so good, I thought.
Then the crunch statement hit me. "He said asylum seekers had only themselves to blame for a looming crackdown that may involve greater use of injected sedatives."
Greater use of injected sedatives? Does this mean that they are already being used on those who have fled their countries, normally under horrific conditions, and have sought asylum in Australia are being injected with sedatives? Why? By whom? How long has this criminal activity been going on? And who is ultimately responsible for this invasion of basic human rights taking place, when it is obviously part of the knowledge of the country's politicians?
What makes any government on this planet think it has the right to sedate by injection, one would assume forcibly, any person within its boundaries? Why would I assume it is a forced injection? Picture yourself being in their situation and being asked if you and your family would like a sedative injection, and then saying yes - yeah, right! Is this not a violation of the United Nations charter or the Statement on Human Rights as proposed by that world body, and to which I believe Australia is a signatory? What did I miss?
I am not naive enough to think that caring for a large amount of unasked asylum seekers is an easy task. I can only imagine the work this entails. The drain on resources, on food, shelter, medical attention, and education resources must be difficult for any government to cope with. But that does not give that government the right to inject those same asylum seekers with sedatives, especially if it is against their own personal wishes.
Come on Australia. You tout yourself as the land that people aspire to go to. With that on the agenda of the government itself, I doubt that you can possibly hold your head up high in that regard any longer.
Just my musings...
Mac
