The PM and the Pregnant West Papuan Refugee

The PM and the Pregnant West Papuan Refugee

Reports from Christmas Island of a pregnant West Papuan refugee woman aged in her mid 50's, raises questions over the PM's announcement last week that it was "appropriate" to send the boatload of 43 West Papuan Refugees to the remote Australian Territory.

Refugee advocates say Christams Island is not approprate and there are no facilities or health services available on Christmas island to ensure the safety and health of a high risk obstetric patients.

Kaye Bernard said, "The last time this situation arose as a result of the Government pigheadedly adhering to their offshore detention policy, a pregnant Vietnamese Refugee woman (mother of baby Michael Andrew Tran) was repeatedly flown to the mainland for specialist obstetric appointments in Perth" Ms Bernard added," I have calculated that Michael Andrew Tran's mum travelled under guard at least 20,000 kilometres during her pregnancy which may be some sort of world travel record."

"The Government has never reported the real cost of offshore detention to the Australian public, however cases like this expose the offshore policy for the unnecessary sham it is." said Mrs Bernard, "If common sense prevailed with the Govenment decision makers, I am sure DIMIA would be relieved to abdandon the offshore policy and happy to focus on working with NGO's to accomodate the whole group of detainees now held on Christmas Island on the mainland."

Senator Kerry Nettle will be returning from Christmas Island after her weekend visit and meeting with the pregnant women and all of the Refugees on Christmas Island and speaking at a Forum in Fremantle on Tuesday about her experiences.

http://perth.indymedia.org/?action=calendar&ss_date=2006-01-31#event395

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