Refused asylum seeker commits suicides
June 16, 2008 - 8:34AM, smh
An asylum seeker who was denied an Australian protection visa and deported back to China has committed suicide out of despair, a refugee advocate says.
The man, referred to only as Mr Zhang, had claimed he would be persecuted because of his involvement with pro-democracy groups if he was sent back to China.
Refugee advocate Frances Milne said she worked on the case and kept in touch with Mr Zhang after he had been sent back to China in April last year.
"To find that he has now committed suicide to avoid, I guess, further persecution and torture is very, very disappointing and upsetting," she told ABC Radio.
Numerous letters to former coalition immigration minister Kevin Andrews and his Labor successor Chris Evans had been ignored, Ms Milne said.
"If there is any decency in our government then having a policy of giving protection to people that we have wrongly determined not to be refugees is absolutely crucial. They must do it."
The NSW Council for Civil Liberties said Mr Zhang's deportation had been in breach of Australia's obligations under the convention against torture.
"He immediately faced torture on his return to China and evidence of that was presented to the Australian government," secretary Stephen Blanks told ABC Radio.
"We have been pleading with the Australian government to bring him back and there has just been inaction."
A spokesman for the immigration department said Mr Zhang's suicide was regretted but declined to comment on details of his case.
Speaking last year, Mr Zhang said he was interrogated for more than 15 days as soon as he arrived back in China.
"Policemen pushed me down on the ground. One ... stepped on me ... it was broken, the left hand, the middle finger," he told ABC Radio through an interpreter.
While in Australia, Mr Zhang supported protests by the Falun Gong spiritual group, which is banned in China, and was involved in a hunger strike at the Villawood detention centre.
© 2008 AAP
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- Dear Fellow Bloggers, For some time I have thought about starting a left of centre news and commentary service and I have tried to do this by using email. But as some good, but email overloaded friends have suggested, a better way to go may be by blogging. So here it is! Jenny's Red News. My primary interests are left of centre politics and the very important question of how can we get left of centre parties, groups and grouplets in Australia working together more co-operatively. The right of centre predominates politics in this country at the present time, and they are on the march. We on the left of centre need to work together more co-operatively and constructively to put the left of centre agenda out there, for the perusal and consumption of the Australian people. Particular topics that will be reported on and on which comments are welcome are: Industrial relations - Opposition to Workchoices Refugee and Asylum Seekers Human Rights Civil Liberties Opposition to the Welfare to Work Changes Health System Reform Aboriginal Health and Reconciliation Jenny Haines posted by JENNY'S RED NEWS at 12:50 AM 0 comments