Seven members of WACA (Whistleblowers, Activists and Citizens Alliance), who super glued themselves to the railing of the public gallery in the Federal Parliament on the 30th November 2016, will be appearing in the Canberra Supreme Court to face trial by jury beginning Tuesday the 27th March 2018. There will be an opportunity to ask questions of WACA spokespeople with a brief press conference at 8:45am on the opening day outside the court.
Tim Buchannan, Jason Ray, Samantha Hawker, Hannah Grant, Phil Evans, Chamomilla Hill and Sally Hunter are facing charges of “intentionally damaging commonwealth property”, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in jail. The ‘super glue seven’ maintain their innocence in the matter before the court.
WACA spokesperson Sam Castro explained:
“For years we have attempted to make ourselves heard through more conventional means, but we have reached a critical moment in Australia’s history; a moment where our Government policy is now killing people, and young children are suicidal. The indefinite detention of people on Manus Island, Christmas Island and Nauru remains an emergency and a humanitarian crisis. The only thing that has changed, since our protests in 2016, is that the people detained on these offshore camps have endured more abuse and torture”.
Most Australians do not support the offshore detention camps and are appalled that the Government and the Opposition continue to march arm-in-arm in their abuse and torture of asylum seekers. The Australian Parliament remains complicit in the murder, rape, torture and child abuse of refugees and asylum seekers, and both sides of politics continue to violate human rights, through indefinite detention, supporting turnbacks at sea and allowing forced deportations to danger, which in many cases could be considered refoulement under international law.
WACA spokesperson Kat Moore stated:
“It is clear that the Government’s offshore detention policy has failed. Instead we have become world leaders in cruelty, traumatising thousands of people who came to us seeking asylum and safety. We have reached the point, under the authoritarian regime of Home Minister Dutton, where a judge had to rule against the Australian Government to ensure it provides care to a suicidal 10 year old held hostage on Nauru”
The Australian Government’s refugee policy is in direct violation of the UN refugee convention and in violation of the UN Convention on the rights of the child. WACA does not believe Australia should be sitting on the UN Human Rights Committee; we urge the United Nations and the international community to sanction Australia for its cruel and inhumane treatment of refugees and those exercising their human right under international law to seek asylum.
Ms Castro said
“We will continue to protest the Australian Government’s refugee policy until the camps are closed and every single person in the offshore camps is brought to Australia and resettled safely. We refuse to be complicit and cannot remain silent whilst innocent men, women and children are imprisoned and tortured by our Government. We call on the Australian people to rise with us in solidarity with those being held as political prisoners on Manus Island, Christmas Island and Nauru, and demand we take the higher road, a road to freedom, humanity and respect for all peoples on this earth”.
#Justice4Refugees
#BringThemHere
#EvacuateNow
#SanctionAustralia
WACA
