The Black Papa’s are West Papuan group recorded live at the RISE Festival.

It’s a beautiful song, check it out.

By Francis Anjong

My name is Francis Anjong. I’m from Sudan. I came to Australia in 2005. My life in Sudan was so hard because of the civil war that we had in the South and the North of Sudan. I was sad because there were lots of people dead in the war.

In my education in Sudan, I started in Primary School and finished in grade 6. It was hard for me to study and live there. The Australian education is different because here it’s very easy to study and do what you are interested in. Here the government supports you to achieve your goals and look up for your future.

In our home country we speak Dinka and Arabic. When I was 7 my family and I went to Egypt to look for a new life. We knew my uncle lived there and he picked us up. There was a big church in Egypt. Anybody who comes from Sudan goes to the church there for their family to come and pick them up. My family and I stayed in the church from the morning until late at night, waiting. The next morning my uncle came and he picked us up and took us to his house. We stayed there for 4 months. It was the worse time of my life because my uncle made us sleep in the church. At the same time i want to thank him for supporting us and looking after us. And my family made it to Australia.

The life here is very good; there are lots of opportunities to access study, jobs, arts or anything else.

Something I don’t like about Australia is the weather, it changes 5 times a day and we Africans are not used to that. In Sudan the wealthier is hot like 45 degrees celcius a day.

The thing I like about Australia is to communicate with wider communities. Everybody is from a different nationality.

The difference between Australia and Sudan is the environment, the system of government, the people, lifestyle and culture.

Friends are very important for me in many different ways, first they always there for me, they give me happiness and support. Sometimes they might not be there but they are still my friends.

My hopes are playing soccer, music, and talking to friends. I love family. I have two brothers, a sister and my mum.

Last year I was involved in the Sunshine Community Centre where I was teaching muslim kids

arabic reading and writing. Then I did work experience for two weeks in the Flemington Community Centre. In November I finished Year 12 in high school. Now I work in The Social Studio and my position is Cafe Manager, to make coffee and food for customers.

I think the Australian Government should provide spaces for the Sudanese community for our young people so they have freedom and don’t hang around libraries, shopping centres and bus or train stations.

In the future I want to become a social worker and help people in the way I was helped in Australia.

January 18, 2010 marked 100 days since the 255 Tamil asylum seekers, escaping civil war in Sri Lanka, have been moored at Merak in Indonesia, afraid that if they disembark, they will be sent back to their war-torn country.

A protest was held at the State library in Melbourne on this date, with similar demonstrations held around the world, to mark the 100 days and to demand that the Tamil asylum seekers on board the Jaya Lestari be allowed into Australia and processed as refugees of war.

The rain fell as the crowd gathered to express their opposition to the Rudd Governments “Indonesia Solution”, whereby the Australian government is funding detention centres in Indonesia to house asylum seekers, despite the fact that Indonesia is not a signatory to the UN’s refugee convention.

The demands of the day were to say no to this policy, to bring the Jaya Lestari boat from Merak to Australia to process the refugees and to close the Christmas Island detention centre.

Anthony Main, national organiser for the Socialist party, was part of a delegation of human rights activists, lawyers and trade unionists that visited the refugees that are currently on the boat moored in Merak in November 2009.

“It was an eye-opener. It’s such a small boat…250 or so people and it’s absolutely horrific the conditions, the weather is atrocious, the boat is leaking water onto the boat and people are having to lay side by side…there’s only one toilet for 250 people! The food that has been provided is causing people to get really sick.”

Such appalling conditions have already resulted in the death on board of George Jacob Samuel Christin, 29, who died due to medical negligence on Christmas Eve. Conditions have led to widespread illness for those on the boat.

There is strong evidence from the UN, with the war crimes Tribunal in Dublin giving evidence, that Sri Lanka has committed war crimes and human rights abuses, with internment camps being compared to concentration camps.

Kanchana Senthuran, the first speaker who is from the Australian Tamil Congress, stated that persecution and discrimination was the cause of the desperate exodus on unsafe vessels.

A number of Tamil asylum seekers in detention were subject to interrogation by the Sri Lankan military, a clear violation of the UN human rights convention.

Senthuran stated that Tamils are well-integrated members of society and have made valuable contributions to Australia, both culturally and economically. They are not, as the Sri Lankan government have claimed, ‘radicalised’ or ‘extremists’.

She argued: “How can one jump a queue, when one was never allowed to join the queue?”

Indonesian Solidarity Forum spokesperson, Setyo Budi, raised the fact that the ‘Indonesia Solution’ has propped up the Indonesian regime, a quasi Suharto’s New Order regime that has “ignored the past human rights abuse and given impunity to the perpetrators.”

As the weather started to break further, a live crossover to the boat was performed with Sanjeev “Alex” Kuhendrarajah’s, who is currently on board and corresponds online. His voice pierced the air giving a chilling testimonial:

“We have had 100 days of suffering and pain, neglected, denied, threatened, assaulted, physically and verbally. The children are asking questions and I don’t know what to say to them.”

He doesn’t understand why the Australian government is not supporting them. He wants to send a clear message to Kevin Rudd and is willing to campaign for as long as it takes.

He said that Indonesia has made it clear that it is not their problem and politicians should put away their politics and get a clear solution with the Sri Lankan and Afghan refugees, a solution fairer than the Indonesian one.

“We just want freedom.” He said.

A representative from the Australian Greens, Sarah Hanson Young, also expressed her opinion to the “failed” Indonesian Solution, which she said was disgraceful for Australia to think that other people don’t deserve the basic human rights.

“I think it’s shameful that we have an Australian Government, who despite pledging to take a more humane approach, is simply allowing business as usual, given that the lives of the people on this boat are being destroyed.” She said.

Kevin Rudd made the phone call to the Indonesian government to stop this boat from arriving so “That it wouldn’t have to be Australia’s problem.” According the The Age newspaper, Australia maintains it is solely up to Indonesian authorities to negotiate the disembarkation of the asylum seekers.

Since the protest took place, the asylum seekers on board remain in a state of uncertainty. Indonesian authorities arrested Australian activists Pamela Kerr and Saradah Nathan and Canadian Jessica Chandrashekar during their January 2010 trip to help those on the boat. After being interrogated and detained without charges being laid, they were deported back to their respective countries.

The Indonesian Navy seized the Jaya Lestari on the 18^th of October, 2009. Amongst the 255 on board are 39 children, 29 women (One who is about to give birth) and 186 men. A high proportion of the group has already been assessed as genuine refugees by the UNHCR.

For more information, visit www.indonesiansolidarityforum.blogspot.com and for further photo’s from the event, visit www.yarrareporter.org.au