Professional Documents
Culture Documents
open
letter
to
the
Australian
public
from
the
undersigned
staff
of
the
University
of
Sydney.
We
write
this
letter
motivated
by
a
sense
of
grave
concern
over
circumstances
at
Nauru,
Manus
Island
and
other
Australian
mandatory
detention
centres
for
refugees.
As
members
of
an
academic
institution
that
is
situated
at
the
forefront
of
Australian
social
and
cultural
life,
we
feel
it
is
our
duty
to
express
this
concern,
hoping
thattogether
with
similar
efforts
by
othersit
will
serve
as
a
catalyst
for
positive
action
and
change.
Allegations
of
torture
and
more
generally
mistreatment
of
refugees
by
Department
of
Immigration
and
Border
Protection
employees
and
contractors
have
been
and
continue
to
be
made
public
over
the
last
several
years.
Initially,
perhaps,
such
allegations
were
dismissed
by
Australian
citizens,
in
disbelief
that
such
repugnant
acts
could
be
committed
by
a
society
that
perceives
itself
to
be
just
and
humane.
The
mounting
evidence,
however,
of
torture
and
abuseincluding
testimonies
given
by
refugees
themselves,
as
well
as
evidence
submitted
by
former
employees
and
contractors
who
worked
in
detention
centresis
overwhelming.
We
find
it
abhorrent
that
the
Australian
Government
has
passed
a
law,
the
Australian
Border
Force
Act
2015
that
came
into
effect
on
July
1st,
threatening
its
citizens
with
prosecution
and
up
to
two
years
imprisonment
for
publicly
disclosing
details
relating
to
these
conditions.
The
context
that
the
Act
deals
withcircumstances
in
immigration
detention
centreshas
nothing
whatsoever
to
do
with
national
security.
We
are
deeply
distressed
at
the
erosion
of
our
societys
democratic
ethos
and
of
its
core
freedoms
that
such
legislation
represents.
The
Government
acts
in
our
name
and
on
our
behalf;
it
must
remain
accountable
for
the
treatment
of
both
its
citizens
and
of
all
others
who
come
to
our
shores.
The
current
situation,
of
which
the
above
account
describes
only
a
small
part,
stands
in
contradiction
to
any
reasonable
conception
of
Australian
values.
This
letter
represents
an
expression
of
deep
concern,
as
well
as
a
call
to
actionto
each
person
as
he
or
she
is
able
and
sees
fitto
demand
of
members
of
the
Australian
Parliament
decisive
intervention
on
this
matter.
The
issue
of
Australias
treatment
of
refugees
constitutes
a
crucial
test
of
the
moral
mettle
of
our
society
and
of
the
Australian
spirit
in
general.
Ms
Lesley
Carnus,
Co-ordinator,
Refugee
Language
Program,
Centre
for
Peace
and
Conflict
Studies
Honorary
Professor
Peter
Carroll,
Sydney
Medical
School
Associate
Professor
Stacy
Carter,
Deputy
Director,
Centre
for
Values,
Ethics
and
the
Law
in
Medicine
Associate
Professor
Dee
Carter,
School
of
Molecular
Bioscience
Professor
Judy
Cashmore
AO,
Professor
of
Socio-legal
Research
and
Policy,
Sydney
Law
School
Professor
Stephen
Castles,
Research
Chair
in
Sociology,
School
of
Social
and
Political
Sciences
Dr
Belal
Chami,
Postdoctoral
Scientist,
Discipline
of
Pathology
Professor
Simon
Chapman
AO,
Sydney
School
of
Public
Health
Ms
Jacqueline
Charlesworth,
Communications
Coordinator,
School
of
Physics
Dr
Rose
Chesworth,
Postdoctoral
Researcher,
School
of
Psychology
Visiting
Professor
Jocelyn
Chey,
School
of
Languages
and
Cultures
Dr
Frances
M.
Clarke,
Senior
Lecturer,
Department
of
History
Professor
Rufus
Clarke,
Honorary
Associate,
Sydney
School
of
Public
Health
Ms
Elisabeth
Coates,
NHMRC
Clinical
Trials
Centre
Dr
Clare
Coleman,
Senior
Research
Fellow,
Sydney
Centre
for
Aboriginal
&
Torres
Strait
Islander
Statistics
Associate
Professor
John
Collins,
Discipline
of
Paediatrics
and
Child
Health
Dr
Susan
Colmar,
Program
Director
School
Counselling,
Faculty
of
Education
and
Social
Work
Ms
Jaime
Comber,
Assessment
Officer,
Faculty
of
Medicine
Adjunct
Associate
Professor
Lesley
Russell,
Menzies
Centre
for
Health
Policy
Clinical
Associate
Professor
Christopher
Ryan,
Psychiatrist,
Centre
for
Values,
Ethics
and
the
Law
in
Medicine
Ms
Veronica
Ryan,
Project
Administrator,
Sydney
Medical
School
Ms
Olya
Ryjenko,
Research
Speech
Pathologist,
Australian
Stuttering
Research
Centre
Adjunct
Associate
Professor
Peter
Sainsbury,
Sydney
School
of
Public
Health
Ms
Rosemary
Saul,
Educational
Designer,
Sydney
eLearning
Ms
Mouna
Sawan,
PhD
Candidate,
Faculty
of
Pharmacy
Dr
Stephen
Scher,
Associate,
Centre
for
Values,
Ethics
and
the
Law
in
Medicine
Dr
Timothy
Schlub,
Lecturer,
Sydney
School
of
Public
Health
Dr
Carmen
Huckel
Schneider,
Lecturer,
Menzies
Centre
for
Health
Policy
Associate
Professor
Leslie
Schrieber,
Northern
Clinical
School
Dr
Karen
Scott,
Senior
Lecturer,
Discipline
of
Paediatrics
and
Child
Health
Dr
Tatjana
Seizova-Cajic,
Senior
Lecturer,
Faculty
of
Health
Sciences
Conjoint
Associate
Professor
Nicholas
Shackel,
Sydney
Medical
School
Clinical
Associate
Professor
Smita
Shah,
Sydney
Medical
School
Dr
George
Shan,
University
of
Sydney
Adjunct
Associate
Professor
Gabriel
Shannon,
Sydney
Medical
School
Professor
Louise
Sharpe,
Professor
of
Clinical
Psychology,
Faculty
of
Science
Professor
Judy
Simpson,
Sydney
School
of
Public
Health
Dr
Judy
Singer,
Research
Fellow,
University
Centre
for
Rural
Health
Professor
Maria
Fiatarone
Singh,
Sutton
Chair,
Exercise
and
Sport
Science
Professor
Raj
Sitharthan,
Department
of
Psychiatry