UN move rejected by hunger strikers
from Courier Mail (AUS)

AN OFFER by the United Nations to review the cases of some Afghan asylum seekers on Nauru has failed to end a 15-day hunger strike on the island.

Forty hunger strikers have rejected appeals by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to suspend their protest while 22 cases are re-examined.

Hassan Ghulam, president of the Afghan Hazara Ethnic Society, told the protesters of the UNHCR's review on Christmas Eve.

But Mr Ghulam, who describes himself as the hunger strikers' spokesman, said the protesters' had too much distrust to convince them to give up the hunger strike.

More

Courier Mail (Queensland, Australia)

December 26, 2003 Friday

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 21

LENGTH: 280 words

HEADLINE: UN move rejected by hunger strikers

BYLINE: Mark Phillips and AAP

BODY:

AN OFFER by the United Nations to review the cases of some Afghan asylum
seekers on Nauru has failed to end a 15-day hunger strike on the island.

Forty hunger strikers have rejected appeals by the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees to suspend their protest while 22 cases are re-examined.

Hassan Ghulam, president of the Afghan Hazara Ethnic Society, told the
protesters of the UNHCR's review on Christmas Eve.

But Mr Ghulam, who describes himself as the hunger strikers' spokesman, said
the protesters' had too much distrust to convince them to give up the hunger
strike.

The UNHCR's regional representative in Canberra, Michel Gabaudan, announced
the review on Christmas Eve.

He said the UNHCR would review its share of the Afghan cases on Nauru because
of new concerns that the security and human rights situation in parts of
Afghanistan "appears to be progressively and seriously deteriorating".

Under an arrangement struck in the early days of the Pacific Solution, the
UNHCR is responsible for just 22 of the 204 Afghan cases on Nauru.

Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone has withheld any decision on the 182
cases under Australia's responsibility until she receives more information from
the UNHCR.

Meanwhile, a man deported from Australia almost two weeks ago has returned
after being stranded in a South African airport.

Eidreiss Abdul Raman had spent three years at the Port Hedland detention
centre before being deported by the Federal Government on December 13 to Sudan
via South Africa.

But because of problems with his travel documents, he was unable to progress
further than the transit lounge of Johannesburg Airport, where he spent five
days.

posted by prof_booty | 10:01 AM