Josepha Rauluni Jumped To His Death Today – 3 Days Ago We Critisised His Country’s Human Rights Abuses At The UN – But We Couldn’t Give Him Asylum

Definition: Asylum "refuge: a shelter from danger or hardship"

Rather than face deportation to Fiji following a failed plea for asylum, Josefa Rauluni killed himself this morning.

At the United Nations Council for Human Rights a mere 3 days ago (17/09/2010) Australian representative Peter Woolcott can point the finger at the Fijian government in regards to it’s worrying human rights record, citing that “Fiji continued to deteriorate under the unelected, military-led interim Government”

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=10348&LangID=E

How can we condemn them at the United Nations Council for Human Rights, yet we do not give this man refugee status.

We acknowledge the deterioration of human rights in Fiji under an unelected government, yet this man was sent home?

As much as I am loathe to quote The Australian, for the minute, they have the most complete story available as a web link.

“He pleaded with me to tell them he does not want to go back and would rather die. He again stressed that all he wanted was to be allowed to stay here until a change of government in Fiji and democracy is again restored,”

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/fijian-man-dies-suddenly-at-sydneys-villawood-detention-centre/story-e6frg6nf-1225926641022

He didn’t even want to stay here forever…

How many suicide attempts have there been in the last year in Villawood alone?

3 suicide attempts in the last week you say?

Surely mandatory detention is not the answer?

This makes me think that more is at stake in processing an asylum seekers refugee status.

Why must people be locked up and returned rather than processed justly and given refugee status?

Mr Raulini didn’t even ask for that, he asked to be held until there was a change of government.

A government which we criticise at the United Nations Council For Human Rights, a government we admit is an "unelected military led interim government" yet we cannot give him that.


Did our Fear of “Boat People” Cost a Man’s Life?


Or is there more to it? Is the scare of more arriving why we would deport him?

Or are we genuinely scared of how many asylum seekers have a genuine claim to asylum… and if more arrive we have to accept them?

I am not entirely sure and I don't pretend to know every specific of Josefa Rauluni's case.

All I know is today a man who’s country we condemned at the United Nations, would rather kill himself than to return that country. He pleaded for our country’s help and we know he needed it, yet we sent him right back there, and he would rather die.

What a waste of a life.