Welcome to Eureka Street
Looking for thought provoking articles?Subscribe to Eureka Street and join the conversation.
Passwords must be at least 8 characters, contain upper and lower case letters, and a numeric value.
Eureka Street uses the Stripe payment gateway to process payments. The terms and conditions upon which Stripe processes payments and their privacy policy are available here.
Please note: The 40-day free-trial subscription is a limited time offer and expires 31/3/24. Subscribers will have 40 days of free access to Eureka Street content from the date they subscribe. You can cancel your subscription within that 40-day period without charge. After the 40-day free trial subscription period is over, you will be debited the $90 annual subscription amount. Our terms and conditions of membership still apply.
The reception of asylum seekers is to be judged by the human reality of those who seek asylum, not by convenience of those on whom they make a claim. It is morally unjustifiable for Australia to transfer its responsibilities to Indonesia.
The Rudd Government is pursuing the same unprincipled border protection strategy for which it criticised the Howard Government. It could better assist these refugees by asking the Sri Lankan Government why so many Tamils are fleeing the country, especially if the war is over.
A hysterical response to the arrival of boats in Australia could undo the progress we have made away from unjust policy. Most asylum seekers have already experienced serious trauma. To return to a temporary visa regime will separate families for years and cause anxiety.
Before the mission was established here, the local Aboriginal community of 200 persons was forced to host 1000 convicts from the mainland for eight years. I daresay not all the convicts were easy-going beachcombers.
The Sri Lankan Government has been accused of endangering and killing civilians. The Tamil Tigers have been accused of using civilians as human shields. While the fog of war may be dissipating, media on the ground continue to be stifled.
If we regard asylum seekers as illegals who burn boats to force themselves on us, we might choose to close our doors to them. Rather than criminals, we should regard them as human beings in great need, deserving our respect and compassion.
The military misadventures of nations including Australia contribute greatly to the motivation of asylum seekers. Australian immigration policy must de-emphasise border protection in favour of being a 'good international citizen'.
Hundreds of Australian Tamil people gathered outside Kirribilli to protest the attacks on Tamil civilians in northern Sri Lanka. Not wanting to wake the neighbours, they kept their voices down. But the message was clear: 'Please listen.'
The tragic death of several asylum seekers on a boat while being towed to Christmas Island again shows the dangers for people coming to Australia by boat. But it does not justify a return to the harsh policies of the past.
When it comes to international aid, Australians pride themselves on their generosity. There is a similar dimension to events such as World Youth Day, which play a formative role in the lives of young people from developing countries.
On 28 April 1990, a letter bomb mailed to Michael Lapsley's Harare home destroyed both of his hands and one of his eyes. His life, and 'Healing of Memories' program, proves that it is possible to overcome the trauma of political persecution.
While the reputation of cricket has survived match fixing, doping, secret commissions and money laundering in the past, its status as the gentleman's game appears to be relegated to history. An editorial in Sri Lanka's Daily News asked whether cricket will come to be regulated on the stock market.
85-96 out of 119 results.