The Refugee Action Coalition rejects the assertions of the Nauruan government made in a press release specifically attacking the Refugee Action Coalition.
“The press release was nothing more than self-serving rhetoric designed to cover-up the serious levels of violence on the island,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.
The Nauru government has a history of publishing misleading press releases regarding the treatment of refugees meant to be in their care.
In March they denied the police violence when arresting peaceful refugee protesters. They specifically denied arresting children during those protests until their own police and court reports revealed otherwise.
The abuse of women, children and men held in custody at that time is well documented.
Despite the claims made in the press release about domestic violence, the Nauru government stands condemned by its own publications that admit the high level of domestic violence on Nauru.
The Nauru country plan published in July 2014, by the Pacific Forum says, “…there is a general consensus that domestic violence, including sexual and physical violence against children and against women is a growing problem on the island.”
Nauru’s own, Universal Periodic Review in January 2011 recorded that domestic violence was ‘systemic’ on the island.
Tragically it is the official attitude of the government denying basic rights to refugees that encourages a minority on Nauru to regard refugees as literally second -class citizens who can be preyed upon with impunity.
Local Nauruans have broken into the house that accommodates unaccompanied minors, sometimes with violent and threatening behaviour at least six times in the last 12 months, the latest incident only in August.
On the case of the attacks on the two boys reported by the Refugee Action Coalition, it was other local Nauruans who witnessed the attacks and called the police. But the police have never interviewed those local witnesses.
Nor is it co-incidental that the Nauruan police have not investigated the series of rapes of refugee women on the island. In May, the Nauruan police denied for four days that an Iranian woman had been raped, before finally admitting the truth.
The New Zealand government has recently withdrawn funding to Nauru’s judicial system because it is not independent and accountable and because of their growing concern at civil rights abuses on the island.
“It is to the eternal shame of the Australian government that it has been rendered mute in the face of the abuses on Nauru,” said Rintoul, “But their silence is evidence of their own complicity.”
Neither the Australian nor the Nauruan government will face up to it, but the facts are on the side of the Refugee Action Coalition.
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
Nauru government press release below
The Republic of Nauru
October 6, 2015
Media Release
Nauru is a safe place for refugees, says Government
The Government of Nauru says refugees in the country are in no physical danger and stories of locals attacking them are largely fabricated to further political agendas and influence the Australian Government.
Justice Minister David Adeang pointed to recent claims by the ‘Refugee Action Coalition’ of an ‘assault’ on two male refugees which he said was used to criticise Nauru’s new open centre arrangements before the program had even started, and called on the media to show a greater level of scrutiny to the group’s unfounded claims.
Mr Adeang said this group has a history of making unsubstantiated allegations of assault that have regularly been found to be false, and that others including lawyers, willingly spread these false claims.
“In the past, police investigations have found that while photos ‘released’ by the Refugee Action Coalition showed actual injuries, they were not obtained by an assault from a Nauruan local, but through either an accident or by another refugee.”
However the truth doesn’t serve the group’s political agenda, according to the minister, who believes that in some ways Nauru is safer than Australia.
“There is no gun violence in Nauru, people are not dying from domestic violence and our police don’t even have to be armed, so let’s get some perspective into this discussion.”
He said the Government has recently established a Gender Violence and Child Protection Unit within the Department of Home Affairs and a Gender Violence Hotline will commence shortly.
“It’s a shame that while our Government is working hard to make life better for both the asylum seekers and refugees, these so-called advocacy groups are manipulating the very people they claim to protect and are using them to serve their own political agendas.”
“Nauru is a much safer place than the countries many of the refugees have left. It is a nation where locals and refugees live side by side and can be seen every day shopping, relaxing, dining out, swimming and going about their normal activities.
“This is a far cry from some of the false reports in the media, but sadly these advocacy groups and lawyers don’t want people to know to truth.”
