Dr. Jennifer Wilson is right on when she asks 'So why does Kevin Rudd, a Christian and devotee of Bonhoeffer, continue to pander to these irrational and inhumane attitudes? Are we to be governed by the paranoid insistences of the wilfully ignorant and racially abusive because our leader doesn’t have the guts to take a stand and face them down?'

Sri Lankan regime has mastered the art of hoodwinking the outside world for its inhuman treatment to Tamils. Its a democracy by ethnicity with a corrupt judiciary system. But, the political tools of 'democracy and sovereignty' are widely used (Thanks to the consultants contracted by Sri Lanka).

The human abuses on Tamil minority is unimaginable. Sri Lanka is now mentoring Burma on a war without witness. Zimbabwe expelled an UN official today. There is a change in tone from the Sudan's Al-Bashir in line with Rajapakses.

Silence of civilized world is boon for Sri Lanka. UN is a dismal failure in protecting the vulnerables.

many mine workers live in far harsher conditions than Baxter and Woomera. Unfortunately in this country the bigger tantrum you throw the more you are listened to. It must have something to do with our juvenile
left wing media. Look at the special attention David Hicks got. Mr Rudd has created a mess by his sheer hypocrisy in pretending that his Government is somehow more compassionate than the previous. Now he will revert to Mr Howards policies with a more compassionate spin. So so funny if it wasn't for the beggars on the boats.

Rudd should be concentrating on how to keep illegals out of Australia and not worrying about 'humane' solutions for people who think that they can come here just because they wish to.

The current crop on our customs vessel are the responsibilty of Indonesia as they were rescued in Indonesian waters.

There's a lot of blah from the bleeding-heart Left about refugees when it comes to international law, but only when it suits them. If things are so bad in Sri Lanka, detention while waiting to be processed shouldn't be much of a problem for the illegals.

This issue is simply proving Rudd's consistant moral bankruptcy.

Does anyone really expect him to be able to rise above his continual populist spin?

It is all he knows.

The bloke even denies currently women and children refugees in Indonesia are kept behind razor wire!

Surely the best solution is to announce to the reluctant disembarkers that the Oceanic Viking is about to weigh anchor and set a course for Colombo.

This matter has become a real hodgepodge of tit and tat politics from both sides of the Chamber. Rudd's detention policies don't seem to differ much from the previous policies under John Howard.

It is purported than many of these asylum seekers have been living in Indonesia for some years so I am not sure why Australia has taken full responsibility when most are Indonesian citizens or residents. They are not fleeing from imminent danger from genocide or civil war.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/sri-lankans-admit-living-in-indonesia-20091031-hqtm.html

The sad thing is that many of those remaining in Sri Lanka in camps are potential and genuine refugees, many of whom cannot afford either plane fare or the $US15,000 fee for a leaky boat.

That aside, Mr Rudd cannot continue to play the "tough but fair" game on border protection. Being fair means faster processing both of regular immigration applicants and of asylum seekers to assess whether refugee status is warranted including security, health and identity checks.

Funny because according to your article I must be the poor deluded individual that has never met an asylum seeker.

However, I wonder if your ilk have ever left the comfort of the Eastern Suburbs and whether your experience is based in reality or from propognada campaigns?, sharing your vast knowledge bank with other well insulated peoples from Fluffyworld.

Kevin Rudd has a lot to consider. Ah if his decisions were so easy as you suggest, would he not go through with it?

Sri Lanka closes doors to the West and opens them to Eurasian powers because they offered to help in their war on terror. In the west we are seen to help the LTTE by providing refugee to the fundraisers that fund the war. We are seen to believe their propoganda. So Kevin Rudd cannot be seen to offend Sri Lanka in case such accusations are false. They cannot be seen to accuse the asylum seeker of being a terrorist less they decide to repay us for outing them. They really need UNHCR to process refugee claims because our criteria is so relaxed we may let in many related to terrorist with associated risk.

The West is playing a political game, as they did with Iraq. Next they will suspect, but without proof, that Sri Lanka has WMD and nuclear capability. All because India screwed up and they took their eye off the ball and allowed Iran, Russia and China to exploit a political opportunity to secure a strategic port. So they use the same old accusations that MAY be true. Who knows, we offended Sri Lanka enough for them not to be bothered by what we want or say.

I don't see how it is so irrational, national security is on so many more complex levels than you seem to be able to grasp. I did think that they should have ended the siege earlier but in hindsight they knew that the people were speaking Indonesian so maybe plenty smarter than we give credit for.

Thanks Dr. Jennifer Wilson. Mr. David Feith puts it very clearly with a strong statement 'Why the tough talk now, when observed silence over the mass carnage in Sri Lanka.'

Another wonderful piece on the current affairs. Hope humanity will prevail over economic greedness.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/contributors/tamils-horrific-treatment-makes-them-desperate-to-leave-20091030-ho18.html?posted=sucessful

Also on detention centres, they were cleared as ok I thought. Most claims were false, not 100% sure. However, according to the Fluffyworlders our Detentions Centre staff, medical Staff and Canteen staff have committed massive crimes against humanity. Also our Navy should be brought before the UN for gross abuse of human rights. You see whenever you support one side you accuse the other of very serious crimes and appears this is done without any proof too often and too readily to be believed anymore. I remember outrage when we never rescued a fictional ship.

I arrived in Australia post war. We were housed in Nissan Huts in the middle of nowhere. Complete with mice, zero entertainment and horrid food. It was hot in the little metal shacks. Freedom of movement, well if you had money to buy a car probably you could go somewhere but usually could only afford for Dad to go job hunting on the train. My family suffered an illness and spent 10 years repaying the medical debt.Many were stuck in this environment for months, some for years. So many Australians have been through hardship. We know those from Fluffyworld THINK they know better, but we really do know.

So if we open our border to share in the millions we could only offer them the same. Basic needs, no health, camps and squalor, like Europe and the US. Before we had so many social benefits did not matter so much. I have a neighbour with no hot water due to part time and infrequent work, cannot afford it. Another has termite damage and cannot afford to repair so has lost almost all value on his home. We have so many problems mounting that could only be cured with debt, a solution we reject. So if we cannot help our own, not sure we have the capacity to help too many more with the same standards as we do now.

I was having a look at my "Lonely Planet - Indonesia" book, 7th edition, ISBN 1-74059 - 154 - 2.

Within it says something along the lines of:
"The Indonesian system works by consensus and considers 51% or more of the population dictating to 49% or less to be oppressive."

So, it reasonable to assume i.m.o. that given a matter of such significance, and having regard for the necessary interplay between so many levels of regional guvment, that it will take some time for the Indos to thrash it all out amongst themselves.

It does of course all turn on that which the majority in Australia do not wish to give these people. And that is, at the very least, a temporary financial security solution, and then I imagine that providing the refugees on board the O.Viking are prepared to submit to the same checks that every foreigner who wants to enter Indonesia, that the Indos would be happy to house them in the community in rapid time.

But that's the catch, in a very harsh right wing economic system in Indo, with pre-existing poverty, too many people and no social security, there is no one that wants to pay for them.

I do wonder whether the cheapest short term solution would be to put them on "pending processing visa" feed em "Bob Hawke Surf Team payments" @ $AU500approx * no of adults + Family Tax Benefit if rel per fortnight and cut em loose in Indo. They will be more than comfortable if properly orientated.

As for Alex, I think we ought pick him up for a quiet word. He may be a valuable information asset.

.. cont. ..

For U Blue Wolfies, a few "facts" about the Indo economy.

..

The average wage at law as of last I looked was about Rp600,000 per month. As a worker, u usually get a place to stay, plus a feed 3 times a day, as part of the deal. Building site workers are usually housed on site in Shanti huts (and double as material guards in this capacity) or worst case scenario in an Indo bedsitter (good for two people) at a general rate of say Rp200,000 per month, though this varies per region.

..

Briefly, the Indos do not like to sell their land, but are happy to lease it, say for 10 or 20 years, and foreigners are not permitted to own period. Providing the lessee has legal status, that the title is zoned for purpose, and is also free of encumbrance such as that which can be effected by way of inheritance documents (ex pat beware)then you can, within limits and post local guvment building approvals, pretty much do your own development to your own standards, control the funding (critically important) etc etc

Materials here are less than 1/10 of the Oz price and a deluxe villa goes up in less than 3 months.

..

Now, the Indos, say in the case of the beautiful Nusa Dua complex, can already build standard hotels. If you want to be their mates, bring in some building tech they don't have, (say GREEN eco) a team of Ozzie BlakFellas, upgrade their skills, have an offshore processing facility for say 20 years, and in the aftermath, the "resort standard facility" reverts to the Indo land owner for use in the tourist industry and everyone is happy.

GOODWILL and INTERNATIONAL GOOD RELATIONS out the clapper.

10 Million dollars, seriously, come now? Prime agricultural land say in East Java in the districts surrounding the Bali crossing point has gone up to about Rp30,000 per square metre. For conversion, I am pulling about Rp8,500 per $1AU currently.

Think big, think multi purpose.

Nothing like another boat load of suffering humanity to polarise the Nation eh ? A plethora of nauseating bleeding-hearts versus the rabid, frothing in the mouth Wilson Tuckey's ( counter-terrorist expert ) Then we have vaudevillian Politicians who lie in their teeth like two-face-dunny-rats, and others who mimic their pachyderm antics - all shamefully housed in that iconic Chamber, on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin ?

Makes one want to chunder !

Andrew Barlett writes about ex-demigod Howard's " Pacific Solution " - that repugnant regime of Nahru, Christmas Is, and Baxter Gulag. Where razor wire, jack-booted wardens,isolation,and squalor reign supreme. Men, women and children housed in Woomera.SA. A disused rocket range, which is the subject of myriad legal disputes involving compensation claims against the UK, Veteran's Affairs, and ex-servicemen deliberately exposed to Nuclear radiation from Britain's secret Atomic Bomb tests.1950-60.

The deja vu " Indonesian Solution " courtesy of narcissist Rudd & Co, is the latest mythical humanistic version of an untried gamble, which has no precedent. It is Labor's equivalent of Guantanamo in Cuba. The BinTan Island resort - 44 klm from Singapore. 2 hrs jolly in a Citycat. There is a difference. The security is rock solid, with dogs, armed guards, razor wire, CTC, electronic eaves-dropping devices etc. Indonesian Red Beret ( Kapassus )para-commando Units, patrol the camp. This elite Unit is the same, previously involved in Timor-Leste, against UNMIT Forces, under Cosgrove. Aug.2006. Historically, they were implicated in the executions of the Balibo Five of the Whitlam era.
Quioxotically, it was cynosure Rudd, who raised a stink in Parliament after the Coronial Inquest in Sydney, which apportioned the blame squarely at it's Colonel-in-Chief, and Officer Corps. Curiously, some people suffer from chronic selective amnesia conveniently - when it suits them.

Hansard records Rudd as promising to intercede to free imprisoned Shapel Corby..going ballistic in Karobokan Hilton.Bali. Despite reputable Psychiatric assessment, and diplomatic exchanges at the highest level i.e DFAT the beautician still languishes among hardened killers, psychomaniacs, druggies, suicidal inmates, and lesbians. What of the other Aust victims waiting execution ? Does our PM
cont.

really have the clout, and International influence his vitriolic minders, and spin doctors elude to, as part and parcel of his magnetic charisma and persona ?

Ironical. Howard donated $ 1B(AUD)in Aid, following the destructive Indonesian Tsunami, May.2006. The people of Aceh, Nias, are still suffering the aftermath ,even today. Wide spread destruction of electricity, water and basic essentials are still lacking, despite centres to manage and distrubute Funds earmarked for victims. Evidently, the earlier skirmish with Djakarta still prevails, and the subjugation of local dissadents is alive and well. Curiously, how much is this exercise in off-shore diplomacy going to cost us anxious taxpayers Kevin ?

For all the Public clamour and derison, have we learnt anything from other Nation's follies ? After Abu Gharib, torture cells, bestial admonishments, denials, and Dick Cheney's holier-than-thou Gitmo concentration facilities, the holocaust, Auschwitz death camp etc ?
On the other hand, there are many who would trade their mother-in-law for stardom and celebrity status, for paltry dimes and nickles.

Finally, we have the brain-child of Adolph and Himmler: " the Final Solution." That people of Aryan Race should populate the World, and inferior races i.e Jews,Poles, Gypsies, Slavs etc obliterated, exterminated like vermin. All in the name of Ethnic cleansing. The Master Race, eventually to delussionaly rule the World - if only !

Is there some moral turpitude and parallel ?