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The Norwegian ship MV Tampa: the start of Howard's terror reign in Australia
The evil of John Howard and Philip Ruddock's extremo-conservative anti-refugee politics is exemplified in the drama on board of a ship and around Australia; it explodes in the disgusting treatment of rescue ship MV Tampa and its captain Arne Rinnan.

Bunbury: World Refugee Day 2003

Celebrating and commemorating Refugee Day on June 20, 2003

Once again, we're presenting what now belongs to our recurring succes: enabling public film screenings.

Replicating our acclaimed Fremantle event, we bring two movies to Bunbury. We present Angela van Boxtel's Award-winning Short movie "The Cage House" and a BBC documentary by Sarah McDonald and Kate Durham, "Australia's Pacific Solution".

Previously we presented this exclusive BBC documentary at the Fremantle Film and Television Institute. Click here to view the page about that event.

On June 20, 2003, we're showing both films at Edith Cowan University's Bunbury Campus, whilst commemorating World Refugee Day 2003.

With keynote speaker Liam Barry

Liam Barry is a WA peace activist who was arrested by Israeli soldiers and detained while on an assignment in Nablus in May 2002, visiting the Balata refugee camp.

Liam will tell his story at the event. For more information about Liam Barry scroll down the page or click here.

ECU Bunbury Campus
small auditorium
Building 5, Room 16 (see arrrow on map below)

7:30pm
tickets $10.00
concession $6.00

Bookings:

Call Project SafeCom (Jack)
mobile: 041 70 90 130

Related: Fremantle event

24 January 2003: Australia's Pacific Solution: The BBC & Kate Durham undercover on Nauru - Project SafeCom's first ever, and major, screen event, featuring two screenings at the Fremantle Film and TV Institute, with Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett and ALP Member for Fremantle Dr Carmen Lawrence. The event was attended by almost 200 people. This page is a 'retrospective' assembly of the various pages for the event.

Download the flyer

Australia's Pacific Solution (BBC: Durham & Macdonald)

Australia's Pacific Solution

The MV Tampa, where all the trouble started from

A remarkable movie, shot clandestinely on the remote island of Nauru

  • 46 minutes duration

  • clandestinely shot in and around the Nauru detention centre, by 'Melbourne housewives' undercover with micro cameras: BBC's Sarah MacDonald and Kate Durham, Melbourne artist and refugee advocate - partner of Julian Burnside QC

  • features interview with Tony Kevin from SIEV X

"I talked to Australian tradesmen who boasted they were earning $5000 a week but they had to be secretive because they had to sign confidentiality agreements..."

"[Durham and Macdonald] went to the tiny island posing as tourists and used hidden cameras to record the plight of detainees held as part of the Howard Government's Pacific solution. "It worked because we looked like stupid blondes. We had these little cameras in bumbags around our waists, with sound and everything. We secretly filmed but I was nervous and bad at it..."

"They sidestepped visa restrictions by making a roundabout 10-day island tour, starting in New Zealand, ... entered Nauru on a three-day transit permit."

- The Age, June 22 2002
 

Angela van Boxtel, The Cage House

The Cage House

The Cage House
  • first movie by Angela van Boxtel

  • Award-winning short movie (5' 51" 16"')

  • winner of the NSW 'Raw Nerve project' for novice filmmakers

  • with work by David Goldy (Matrix), John Ogden (Mission Impossible II) and Paul Huntingford (My Mother Frank)

"Van Boxtel's success is astounding."

Mark Tamhane, ABC

"In six-year-old Shayan Badraie's drawing, the stick figure of a boy and girl standing behind a razorwire-topped fence, tears streaming from their eyes as baton-wielding security guards hover menacingly in the background. From this two dimensional, black-and-white representation of life inside the Villawood Detention Centre, came the seed for an idea that spawned The Cage House..."

Sydney Morning Herald
 

Liam Barry to speak at event

From ABC-AM June 3 2002:

Israeli soldiers arrest Australian in Nablus

"Australian Liam Barry went to Nablus as part of a protest movement but he and the other seven foreigners arrested later weren't demonstrating or protesting but instead had entered the Balata refugee camp urging soldiers not to damage homes as they searched them and arranging for injured people to go to hospital. Israeli troops didn't stop him from entering Nablus and at first soldiers he encountered during Israel's invasion of the city ignored the foreign nationals but that changed late on Saturday when Israeli soldiers surrounded the group and at gunpoint ordered them into a truck. It would now appear that Israel intends to deport the eight for no more than being in the area despite the fact that Nablus would actually be under full Palestinian control were it not for the Israeli military invasion and that Israel has no legal jurisdiction inside the city. Liam Barry said he and the others arrested had been manacled hand and foot during their ordeal and were now being moved again."

http://www.abc.net.au/ (online story no longer available)

From Liam Barry's website:

"An Israeli Military Unit consisting of six men in the alleyway ahead and two soldiers behind us put the shits up us. Some one behind me said, "we're in trouble" another one of the girls said, "let there be one spokes person." We excitedly chatted among our selves as we were forced to halt, knowing the fact that our rest place was only seconds away and we slowly tried earnestly to get to freedom's door. The Commander about twenty meters ahead yelled at us to stop now! At the same time three or four soldiers asked us to raise our hands, now, surrounded us! Now! Now! Was the order given?" (website no longer current)

How to get there

The red arrow on the map below points at Building 5, in the approximate vicinity of Rooom 16. We'll provide pointers to the right area around Campus for you.

Edith Cowan University, Bunbury Campus map