Australia's 'stop the boats' policy is cynical and lawless

From Aborigines to refugees, bashing the vulnerable wins votes in what is still a crudely racist country

John Pilger

Sonya Koppe, Australia's acting high commissioner to Sri Lanka, looks on at a press conference in Colombo on 26 July about new measures to deter refugees, Photograph: Lakruwan Wanniarachchi/AFP/Getty Images

The election campaign in Australia is being fought with the lives of men, women and children. Some drown, others are banished without hope to malarial camps. Children are incarcerated behind razor wire in conditions described as "a huge generator of mental illness". This barbarism is considered a vote-winner by both the Australian government and opposition. Reminiscent of the closing of borders to Jews in the 1930s, it is smashing the facade of a society advertised as benign and lucky.   Read More
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Australia's new refugee policy: How we justify our cruelty

29 JULY 2013

BY LIZ CONOR

Over the last week Australians have formed opposing camps on the question of asylum seekers in response to Kevin Rudd’s resettlement deal with PNG. The jingoism of the main political parties has confused intentions between "stop the boats" and "stop the drownings".

Between the refugee advocates and their adversaries

Australia's 'Stop the Boats' Policy is Cynical and Lawless by nelvely