JUSTICE
FOR ALL REFUGEES!
LABOR,
LIBERAL, GREENS: NO CHOICE!
Above: Refugees and asylum seekers protesting their
detention on Nauru. (Angela Wylie – National Times.com.au)
18-06-2016 – The ruling of the Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Supreme Court that the refugee detention centre on Manus Island was illegal[1] has led to a situation
where neither the PNG government nor the Australian government is willing to
take responsibility for the approximately 850 refugees and asylum seekers
trapped there. The Liberal Party Minister Peter Dutton continues to be unmoved,
while the Labor Party in response, has outrageously reaffirmed its support for
off-shore detention. Make no mistake, the two major parties are the architects
and executioners of refugee and asylum seeker abuse in this country, and in the
region. They coldly calculate that cruelty towards “others” from overseas, even
those seeking a safe place to live, will be a vote winner while many workers in
this country are encouraged to look for scapegoats for a lack of jobs,
infrastructure, healthcare, education and unaffordable housing. The unspeakable
horror dealt out to those either fleeing for their lives or simply seeking a
better chance at life exposes the more than Machiavellian moves of these
misanthropic spokespersons for abuse. For them, if torture equals votes, they
have no issues with it.
Working people and those with even a modicum of human
compassion recoil with loathing at such behaviour from so-called political
“leaders”. Understandably, some then turn to what appears like the next
available political option – the Australian Greens. Surely the Greens must
stand for a principled position on the issue, and would take immediate steps to
end this if in office – right? Actually, no. The last federal government, from
2010 to 2013 was an ALP-Greens coalition. The ALP governed with the support of
the Greens. And it was in 2012 that the ALP-Greens government re-opened
the detention centres on Manus Island in PNG and Nauru. Sure, the Greens
mouthed some opposition, but their actions were somewhat different.
Rather than threatening to, or actually, quitting the government over the
issue, the Greens remained on the parliamentary benches and pointed accusing
fingers towards the ALP. That is, the suffering of refugees and asylum seekers
was nowhere near as important for them as retaining their overpaid
parliamentary positions. This fact should indicate how the Greens intend to
operate if there is another ALP-Greens coalition government which forms out of
the coming Federal Election.
Previously, the Greens have written that, if elected,
they would close down the “worst” detention centres.[2] Are there “moderate”
detention centres? All detention centres mete out abuse, in a situation where
the detention itself is illegal even according to the laws of the ruling class.
The fact is that voting for, or even
giving preferences to the Greens will not free the refugees. The refugee
rights movement must face up to this fact. This is not because the Greens are
not nice people. It is because the Greens, no less than Labor and Liberal, defend
the capitalist system at all costs – even if they don’t like to mention it. It
is the faltering profit system which is causing a breakdown of society – the
lack of jobs, affordable housing and public transport, the stripping of basic
civil rights, the massacre of the natural environment, and - the debasement of
refugees and asylum seekers. These “facts on the ground” will not be altered no
matter how many Greens Senators are allocated a parliamentary bench on July 2.
Electoral
“change”
It might be objected, but the Greens can only do so much
without governmental power. What if we were able to elect a government of
Greens, or a government of Greens and other progressive parties and independents
– a “government of the left” ? Surely that would be the end of the matter?
Unfortunately not. Look at what happened in Greece. There an allegedly “left”
party which called itself “radical” - SYRIZA – was elected in January 2015. It
took them a few hours to form a governmental coalition with the far-right ANEL
(Independent Greeks). The SYRIZA government then went on to impose even more
crushing austerity than that they had said they were opposed to before being
elected. Working people continue to suffer job cuts, wage cuts and a decimation
of pensions and social services. And with regard to refugees and asylum
seekers, time and again Greek riot police have been sent in to assault them. In
December last year, SYRIZA Immigration Minister Yiannis Mouzalas declared that
refugees had to either leave voluntarily, file a claim for asylum within 30
days, or be forcibly repatriated to other countries.[3] In the last couple of
months, the SYRIZA government is doing its utmost to implement the European
Union (EU)-Turkey deal, where any irregular arrivals in Greece are deported to
Turkey. In response, even some generally apolitical NGOs have suspended their operations
in protest.
The SYRIZA party was never left-wing, let alone radical,
no matter what it called itself. And there is a world of difference between
winning governmental power and state power. The SYRIZA fraudsters won
governmental power – of a capitalist state. This meant that it would have to
implement what the capitalists – either from the EU or domestically – ordered.
They ordered more austerity, and refugee repression, and SYRIZA delivered. The
only way this could have been avoided would be if SYRIZA was actually a
socialist party, which aimed to prepare workers for the taking of state (not
governmental) power. But SYRIZA, like the Australian Greens, have no intention
of ever breaking with the capitalist system which provides them with electoral
office. Hence refugees, asylum seekers – and working people – become entirely
expendable.
War
and refugees
Working people voting for, or preferencing, the Greens or
the ALP not only crosses class lines. It actually enables the very conditions
which create refugees. This is most especially apparent with regard to war. The
Greens and the ALP have both fully endorsed the US-led proxy wars on Libya and
Syria, from 2011 to this day. These wars have been a huge reason why there is a
disastrous refugee crisis in Europe, with some of them fleeing to other parts
of the world, including Australia. The danger of war is ever-present today,
ultimately as a result of the inability of capitalism to restart industrial
production. Consequently, we see the US war machine preparing extremely
dangerous military provocations, not only in Libya and Syria, but along the
border with Russia and along the border with China. If one of these flashpoints
breaks into war, refugee numbers will explode. But the ALP and the Greens remain
wedded to US imperialism, no less than the Liberal Party. A vote, or preference,
for the ALP or the Greens is a vote for refugee producing war.
It is not only the Greens who enact a war agenda, despite
some anti-war hot air. Some left parties which heavily influence the Refugee Action
Collective (RAC) also, despite their intentions, fall into the pro-war camp.
From 2011 until today, Socialist Alternative (SALT), Socialist Alliance (SALL)
and Solidarity (SOL) have extended full backing to the appalling imperialist
wars on Libya and Syria. In both cases, such groups have been outspoken in
pleas for the destruction of the states of those countries, giving a blank
cheque to the US Empire to do just that. Today, SALT, SALL and SOL clamour for
regime change in Syria, while simultaneously denying that they are supporting
the only forces attempting regime change – the US, Saudi, British, French and
Turkish armed mercenaries of ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra and Ahrar Al-Sham, amongst others. These barbarians,
which operate in concert with the Israeli Defence Force,[4] have recently embarked on
yet another wave of atrocities in the Syrian cities of Tartus and Jableh,
explicitly targeting civilians.[5] This bloodbath, which
slaughtered at least 100 Syrians, is part of a reigniting of the war by the US
and its allies after being decisively rolled back by the Russian intervention
on the side of the Syrian Arab Republic since September 30 last year. Despite
these unspeakable acts, SALT, SALL and SOL variously refer to the NATO armed
mercenaries in Syria as either “opposition”, “rebels” or “revolutionaries” !?!
The intervention of Canberra on the side of the US into
this war has not caused these groups any pause for thought. Despite opposing
Australia sending troops to invade Iraq in 2003, SALT, SALL and SOL join with
the Greens in only mouthing muted calls, if any, against Australian military
involvement in Syria. The Russian intervention, however, soon pushed Australian
military hardware out of Syria. Australia, with a token few jet fighters, would
not dare take on the might of Russia, and consequently the FA-18s were diverted
soon after Russia began striking ISIS targets.[6] Refugee rights supporters,
all working people, and all those opposed to war need to loudly demand a
complete end to Australia’s involvement in yet another US led war for regime
change. Australian troops: Out of Iraq and Syria!
There are many genuine people contained in RAC and other
refugee and asylum seeker support groups, who are keen to help in any way they
can to end the suffering of innocents. The problem is not one of a lack of
people willing to help, but one of political strategy. RAC and the left parties
which guide (or mislead) it continue with a political strategy of seeking the
“unity” of all those who seek justice for refugees, regardless of political
orientation, regardless of class, and therefore regardless of material benefit
from the profit system. The ALP, the Greens, and the Union bureaucracy, all
have their well remunerated positions guaranteed IF they guard the profit
system by keeping social and political movements within certain parameters. The
refugee rights movement is no exception – in fact it is a prime example. The
ALP, the Greens and conservative Union leaders are very skilled at intervening
into social movements in order to steer it in a direction which suits their
needs. Refugee rights activists need to be aware of this, and need to be
prepared to counter it. In fact, the refugee rights movement needs to be
prepared to split from the
influence of the parliamentary parties and the Union bureaucracy to give it a
fighting chance of succeeding.
This does not mean that the backing of Unions is not
necessary – for it is vital. Yet the conservative Union officials are a direct
obstacle to the desperately needed mobilisation of workers for refugee rights.
It would greatly assist if the refugee rights movement adopted an independent and
pro-worker political basis. Rather than organise actions which gather a crowd
before which the electoralist Greens or Union bureaucrats are allowed to
self-promote themselves, rallies and meetings could be organised with an orientation
which is independent of the parliamentary parties and with a pro-worker
outlook. A workers’ rally with clear demands about ending the on-shore and
off-shore detention of refugees would be a good start. If Greens or Union
leaders wanted to speak, they would have to speak to the demands of the action,
rather than their own agenda. In other words, the refugee rights movement needs
to dictate the political terms to the Greens and the Union leaders, rather than
ceding political control to them. This will require a refugee rights movement
which is prepared to politically break with the Greens, Union bureaucrats and
left groups which tail them – but it is
vital if we are to ever end refugee torment in this country.
This political break cannot be fulfilled until working
people are convinced that 1) NONE of the current parliamentary parties will or
can act to end the suffering of refugees and 2) that political struggle
independent of the parliamentary parties – and the elections they run in – must
take priority and 3) such a political struggle must also remain independent of
the self-serving Union bureaucracy, while never ceasing to demand these
officials take serious action. The welfare of refugees AND that of the working
class will either go forward together,
or will remain isolated from one
another, leading to yet another defeat for both. While working people cannot
ignore the election process set up by the ruling class, neither should we be
diverted into campaigns which only aim at pleading with political machines who
know very well for whom they are acting.
The refugee rights struggle, therefore, is not simply one
of cruelty versus compassion. Ultimately it is one of capitalism versus
socialism. This is not just the case in the future - it is the case now, long
before workers are prepared for a revolution. A socialist revolution involves a
fundamental split in the social movements between all those who are employed or
mislead by the old order, and their hangers-on, and all workers and their
supporters who are risking everything to construct a new social order. In a
similar way, decent treatment of refugees can only be won by those seeking a
new order – workers and their supporters – with or without those who cling to
the old world – the Greens, the ALP, Union bureaucrats and their left backers.
RELEASE
THE REFUGEES! SHUT DOWN NAURU
AND MANUS ISLAND!
ML
GROUP
PO BOX 66 NUNDAH
QLD 4012
E: mlgroup271@gmail.com
www.ML-Group@blogspot.com.au
