Government gave refugee details to Vietnam
Vietnamese refugees granted asylum after landing in Australia two years ago claim their families back home have been persecuted because the federal government passed on confidential information about their cases to maintain a strong bilateral relationship with Hanoi.
Documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws by the Vietnamese Community in Australia (VCA) showed the government was worried about what impact the arrival of the 54 boat people, who were detained on Christmas Island in 2003, would have on its relations with Vietnam, a newspaper reported today.
The arrival of the asylum seekers from Hao Kiet could "compromise bilateral relations and compromise the ability of our posts in Vietnam to conduct business," a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) official wrote in one of the documents.
A separate document from the Immigration Department asked officials to "brief the Vietnamese authorities on the progress of the matter," the newspaper report stated.
Vietnamese community representatives said the cables were evidence the Australian government had been "dobbing" on people who wanted to flee Vietnam.
"It is clear that Australia values its business with Vietnam more than it values the people trying to leave," the newspaper quoted VCA spokesman Trung Doan as saying.
One of the refugees told the paper that since she fled Vietnam with her mother, her remaining family in Ho Chi Minh City have been questioned by government officials.
"My family say their life is less safe," 18-year-old Thi Ly was quoted as saying.
"They can't go to work and they had to answer questions for a long time."
The Australian Associated Press - January 5, 2006.
|