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Fax Jam by BOAT PEOPLE

A government-sponsored xenophobia disaster is enveloping Australia and WE NEED YOUR HELP.

In contravention of UN conventions on refugees, Australia incarcerates asylum seekers in detention camps around the country, run for profit by American private prison corporations. The suffering of the
imprisoned refugees, many of whom are children, is a matter of record. Our government seems to believe that we are so far away from everyone else that they can
ignore UN obligations without censure from the rest of the world.

We call upon artists/activists everywhere to help us agitate for change. Let the Australian government know that the world IS watching.

On March 29, 2002 we are mobilizing across Australia and your solidarity is requested. We ask you to send a fax to your closest Australian embassy, and ask your friends and colleagues to do the same.

Fax numbers for many embassies are available at the Web site.

BACKGROUND
The past 18 months in Australia have been
characterised by government fear-mongering about refugees approaching our shores. Assisted by talk-back radio hosts, racist rhetoric around "illegal migrants", "boat people" and "migration queue jumpers"
has taken hold of the national imagination. The 'race issue' was a deciding factor in our November 2001 national elections, when the ruling right wing party was returned with an increased majority.