DIMIA lies already, before Whitewash Rau Inquiry

DIMIA lies already on the record, before Whitewash Rau Inquiry starts

"Refugee advocacy group Project SafeCom claims that there is no doubt that the planned Cornelia Rau inquiry will be a whitewash, and that even before this Inquiry is due to start, a spokesman for the Department of Immigration is already on the record of lying to reporters of The Australian this week."

"Only a judicial inquiry that can safeguard both freedom from reprisals for witnesses, and has legal powers, will bring out what has gone on inside the Baxter detention centre."

"A report by The Australian ('Aussie mistreated in Baxter', Andrew McGarry and Patricia Karvelas, 7 February 2005) states: "A Department of Immigration spokesman denied the allegation of mistreatment. He said there were no cameras on individual rooms in any accommodation block, but there were cameras over the public areas in the compound."

"This report was not only carried by The Australian, but repeated by many outlets of the Murdoch press this week."

See http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12170368%255E421,00.html

"However, photographs archived by the National Library Of Australia on the internet show a bedroom in the Baxter Isolation compound with the surveillance camera clearly mounted in the corner of the bedroom."

"The photo is located here: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an24382195

"The accompanying text on the internet page states:

"One of ten single en-suite rooms in the Separation Unit, each with an intercom and CCTV monitoring at the Baxter Immigration Reception and Processing Centre, near Port Augusta, 12 July, 2002."

For details about the Cornelia Rau affair see http://www.safecom.org.au/2005/02/finding-anna-when-immigration-gets-it.htm

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