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November 12, 2009
I do not have much comment to make on this hullaboo and the inhospitality towards strangers who are recognized to have a right as a guest to ask for refugee.
It's an existential panic manufactured by Australian politicians. They--the conservative politicians --- are demonising the Tamil asylum seekers and exploiting Australian's historical anxiety over invasion for their own self-serving interests.
Little is said about the brutality and violence towards the persecuted Tamil population in the detention camps in Sri Lanka by the Sri Lankan state. I'm just stunned by the silence. It distresses me, deeply. That's all i want to say here.
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My fear is that, with the federal Coalition Opposition in disarray, it will be very tempting for them to push their fingers over the race/immigration/population button as a way of rebuilding their electoral fortunes in one simple stroke.They know you need only the quietest of dog whistles to incite swinging voters on this issue.
Will they do it? They do seem to be getting harder ad harder.