Friday 6th November 2015

National News

GIVEN DETENTION
CHILDREN TRAPPED IN INDEFINITE DETENTION

What%happens%where%Youre'%given%
DETENTION?%A%teacher%maybe%be%hands%
you%a%slip%of%paper%and%makes%you%sit%in%a%
classroom;%were%youre%forced%to%write%
lines%or%do%homework%for%hours,%thinking%
There%are%so%many%other%places%Id%rather%
be%right%now%then%here.%Life%is%so%unfair.%%

is%merely%a%melodramatic%representation%of%
the%adversary%you%have%towards%school.%As%
you%understand%that%the%reason%for%your%time%
in%detention%was%because%of%actions%that%you'
freely%chose%to%take,%that%you'knew%would%
be%considered%unacceptable.%You%
understand%the%privilege%of%the%learning%
environment%you%are%so%blessedly%
accustomed%to%and%realise%that%your%freely'
chosen'actions%resulted%in%a%punishment%
that%was%justi;iably%given.%

And%while%at%the%time%you%bury%yourself%in%
the%sorrows%that%are%your%life%and%you%
begin%to%regret%your%actions%and%grow%an%
unsettling%dislike%for%the%teacher%who%
handed%you%this%detention.%You%ultimately%
leave%the%detention%room,%mostly%
unaffected%by%the%days%events;%but%later%
relay%to%your%friends%the%torture%that%was%
your%day.%In%an%attempt%to%receive%
empathy%and%mutual%agreement%on%the%
prison%like%system%that%they%call%school.%

However,%detention%for%a%child%who%has%just'
escaped%the%persecutions%and%merciless%
killing%and%tortures%of%their%homeland%
reviews%the%detention%they%were%given%much%
differently.%

While%for%the%most%part%your%response

Actions that you freely

chose to take, that you knew
would be considered
unacceptable

Friday 6th November 2015

National News

For%them%this%detention%is%given%without'
warning%and%without'justi;ication.%They%
committed%no'wrong'doings%or%violated%
any%rules'or'laws.%They%only%wished%to%
escape%the%obviously%dangerous%situation%to%
which%they%were%living.%Many%of%them,%
families%risking%their%lives%on%asylum%
seekers%boats%that,%by%pure'luck%reached%
the%shores%of%Australia.%%

so%blissfully%unaware%of%the%horrors'and%
dehumanising%experience%they%are%about%to%
endure.%An%experience%no'child,%should%EVER%%
be%exposed%to%in%their%lifetime.%%

These%people%obviously%desperate%to%Iind%
refuge'and'security%are%willing%to%
risk%their%lives%in%order%to%get%on%
these%boats%in%the%hope%of%reJ
For%them%this%
building%their%lives,%and%the%lives%
detention%is%given%
of%their%families%of%which%were%
without'warning%
disrupted%by%political%conIlicts%
and%without'
occurring%in%their%own%country.%%

justi.ication.%

These%people%clearly%posing%no%
They%committed%
harm%to%Australian%lives%are%
no'wrong'doings%
immediately%locked%in%detention%
or%violated%any%
centres%where%they%are%told%that%
the%time%they%spend%there%will%be% rules'or'laws.%
inde;inite.%They%are%given%the%
option%to%be%Ilown%back%to%their%
country%for%free,%or%to%play%the%waiting%
game;%will%they%or%will%they%not%be%allowed%
to%stay?%Will%they%are%will%they%not%ever%be%
free?%Unsurprisingly%next%to%no%one%
chooses%to%go%back%from%where%they%came,%
all%choose%the%uncertain%life%that%awaits%
them%in%detention.%%
The%cruelty%in%this%choice%is%that%these%
people%are%damned%if%they%do%and%damned%
if%they%dont.%To%go%back%would%mean%
certain'death%and%to%stay%would%mean%
indeterminate%placement%in%a%foreign%
place%where%they%are%granted'little'
freedoms%and%treated%as%no%more%than%the%
dirt%on%a%welcome%mat.%%
Children%are%separated%from%parents,%sister%
from%brother%and%husband%from%wife.%Tell%
me%how%is%this%respectful%of%the%human%
rights,%we%here%in%Australia%say%we%grant%all%
peoples?%It%is%absolutely%disgusting%and%
completely%demoralising'of%the%Australian%
spirit%to%think%about%adults,%women%and%
men%being%treated%and%held%like%this;%but%it%
is%even%more%heart'breaking%to%imagine%
children,%helpless,'innocent%children%
being%held%like%animals%in%cages.%%
These%children,%the%ones%who%left%a%
circumstance%they%barely%understood%with%
the%hope%of%Iinding%refuge%in%a%place%
where%land%is%girt%by%sea.%These%children%
who%memorise%the%words%for%those%who%
come%across%the%seas%weve%boundless%
plains%to%share.%These%same%innocent'
children%are

Currently%in%Australia%there%are%approximately%
2,082%people%held%in%mainland%Detention%Centres;%
231%of%those%being%children.%Unfortunately%there%are%
other%detention%methods%one%of%which%being%
referred%to%as%community'detention;%and%
currently%there%are%around%409%children%held%within%
this%system.%%
The%largest%amount%of%children%ever%held%in%
Australian%detention%centres%was%the%last%time%the%
Labor'government%was%in%power.%It%saw%2000'
children%locked%in%detention.%%
Children%are%denied%some%of%the%most%basic'
human'rights%with%one%of%the%most%obvious%
being%The right to seek and to enjoy in
other countries asylum from
persecution. (article 14). Along%with%the%
right%to%education%as%outlined%in%the%declaration%
of%human%rights Everyone has the right to
education. Education shall be free, at least
in the elementary and fundamental stages.
Elementary education shall be compulsory.
Technical and professional education shall
be made generally available and higher
education shall be equally accessible to all
on the basis of merit. (Article 26)

Friday 6th November 2015

National News

No%education%opportunities%are%
presented%to%these%children.%The%
major%problem%with%this%is%that%
when%and%if'these%children%and%
their%families%are%granted%refugee%
status%they%will'essentially%be%
uneducated.%Limiting%their%
working%and%studying%options.%%

The%organisation%has%;ive'constant%goals%to%
which%represent%what%ChilOut%
stands%for:%
1.% Every%child%who%enters%
uncommunicative,
Australian%waters%or%land%is%
essentially being nontreated%with%dignity%in%accordance%
verbal
with%Australias%human%rights%
obligations%
2.% No%child%should%be%held%in%a%
This%inability%to%be%educated%has%
detention%centre%for%longer%than%
resulted%in%many%young%children%
seven'days.%It%should%only%be%a%last%
being%found%to%act%aggressively%and%have%
resort%%
strong%feelings%of%being%repressed%and%
3.% The%migration%Act%1958%is%amended%
stressed.%With%many%being%noted%as%
to%ensure%that%no%child%can%be%
uncommunicative,%essentially%being'
detained%for%longer%than%seven%days%
nonIverbal.''
and%that%in%all%actions%concerning%
children,%their%personal%welfare%is%of%
Not%only%are%children%denied%education%they%
primary'concern.%
are%denied%the%right%to%safety%and%security.%
4.% Where%ever%children%are%detained%the%
There%have%been%horrendous%and%
conditions%meet%the%international'
disturbing%claims%of%sexual,'physical%and%
human'rights'standards.%%This%
verbal'abuse%of%peoples%underage%in%
includes%education,%healthcare%and%
detention%centres%across%Australia%
recreation%%
5.% An%independent'guardian%should%be%
January%2013'saw%a%reported%233%
appointed%to%all%unaccompanied%
assaults%on%children,%33%claims%of%sexual%
children%seeking%asylum%
assault%and%128%children%who%were,%
In%assistance%with%these%5%core%goals%ChilOut%
reportedly,%committing%self'harm.%%
also%have%a%set%of%goals%speciIically%for%2015:%%
1.%
Ensure%the%
Government%ful;ils%promise%
Paediatrics%professor%Elizabeth'
to%release%all%children%from%
Elliot%researched%conditions%in%
Will they be afraid? Will
immigration%facilities%%
Detention%Centres%and%whether%
they be tortured? Will they 2.%
Transfer'all%children%
these%conditions%were%suitable%for%
be
safe?
and%their%families%from%Nauru%
children.%In%her%report%she%stated%%
to%mainland%Australia%%
They%were%living%in%a%tropical%
3.%
Engage%ChilOuts%2015%
climate%in%very%cramped%conditions%
Youth%Ambassadors%in%raising%
in%a%cabin%of%4'by'2.5'metres%with%no'
awareness%about%the%experiences%of%
adequate%places%to%play.%She%goes%on%to%
state%Children%werent%able%to%attend%
detained%children%%
school.%Many%children%were%waiting%for%
4.% Promote%the%human%rights%of%children%
specialist%medical%appointments%on%the%
in%detention%%
mainland%for%unacceptable'long'periods'
of%time.%%
ChilOut%has%impacted%the%rights%for%children%in%
multiple%ways.%Most%notably%in%July'2005%they%
What'is'being'done?''
celebrated%the%removal%of%children%from%
ChilOut%%children%out%of%immigration%
immigration%detention.%They%were%awarded%
detention%centresJ%is%an%Australian%NGO%
the%Human%Rights%and%Equal%Opportunity%
established%in%2001%after%the%suffering%of%
Commissions%Organisation%Award%on%Human%
a%6%year%old%was%aired%on%ABCs%four%
Rights%Day%December%10,%2005.%%
corners.%The%purpose%of%this%organisation%
was%to'ensure%that%no%child%would%ever%be%
ChilOut%isnt%the%only%organisation%working%for%
detained%against%their%will%in%any%of%
childrens%rights.%Individuals%such%as%Dianne'
Australias%detention%centres%and%to%
Hiles%work%tirelessly%to%prevent%the%abuses%of%
campaign%the%rights%of%children.%%
childrens%rights.%%
They%gather%a%roundtable%of%experts%from%
both%within%and%outside%the%refugee%
sector.%They%are%united%in%waiting%to%see%
changes%that%focus%on%the%rights%of%the%
child,%best%interests'of%the%child,%utilise%
best%practice%already%in%existence%in%
Australia%and%above%all%end%any%system%
that%abuses%the%rights%of%children.%

Dianne%Hiles%is%an%Australian'activist%and%
politician%with%the%Australian%Greens.%She%was%
invited%to%become%a%member%of%the%Order%of%
Australia%in%2010.%

She%was%critical%of%the%government%relapse%and%
allowance%of%over%1000%children%to%be%detained%in%
immigration,%and%since%has%worked%closely%as%an%
Electorate%OfIicer.%She%has%been%critical%of%the%

Friday 6th November 2015

National News

offshore%processing%and%denial%of%human%
rights%under%international'law.%

%'They%were%living%in%a%tropical%climate%in%
very%cramped%conditions%in%a%cabin%of%4'
by'2.5'metres%with%no'adequate%places%
to%play

Some%of%her%most%adorable%achievements%
were%Iighting%for%the%release%of%children%
from%detention%centres.%A%Iight%that%saw%
1000'children%released%from%detention%all%
around%Australia%in%2005.%%

It%is%alarming%to%think%that%1,023%children%will%
spend%tonight%in%a%detention%centre.%Where%will'
you%spend%tonight?%Where%will'your%children,%
grandchildren,%nieces%and%nephews%spend%
tonight?%Will'they%be%comfortable?%Will'they%be%
afraid?%Will'they%be%tortured?%Will'they%be%
safe?'

More%speciIically%Dianne%has%been%adamant'
in%promoting%the%right%of%education%in%
regards%to%children,%referring%to%article'26'
of%the%Declaration'of'Human'Rights.%She%
also%believes%everyone%has%to%the%right%to%
seek'and%enjoy'asylum%(article%14).%%

J%Isobella%Larard

Both%Diane%Hiles%and%ChilOut%work%to%
promote%the%rights'of'children%in%
detention'centres.%SpeciIically%education,'
freedom%of%movement%and%the%right%to%
asylum%and%safety.%%
These%arent%the%only%groups%or%people%in%
support%of%the%abolishment%of%children%in%
detention.%However,%momentum%starts%from%
within%these%groups%or%from%one%inspiring%
story%%