Dear friend,

It is a country with a long history of mistreating refugees. Yet our government wants to send up to 800 asylum seekers who arrive here by boat to Malaysia – where they face filthy, overcrowded conditions, no legal rights and even torture at the hands of government officials [1].

Our Prime Minister calls the proposed deal with Malaysia a “big blow” to people smugglers. We call it a big blow to any chance of a compassionate, humane and fair refugee policy in this country.

Let’s send a strong message to the PM: you risk lives by offloading traumatised, vulnerable people onto a country that has not yet signed the UN Refugee Convention.

Recently I visited Malaysia on a fact-finding mission. I saw a country where people were dying in detention camps through diseases spread by rat urine. Where asylum seekers have no legal rights. And where refugees who fled torture and forced labour in Burma were beaten with canes for immigration violations. In fact, over 6,000 people are caned for immigration offences every year in Malaysia – beatings inflicted by specially trained caning officers that tear into the flesh, turning the tissue into pulp, and leaving permanent scars.

I have seen undeniable evidence that sending asylum seekers to Malaysia puts lives in grave danger. Sign our petition and tell Julia Gillard: stop putting politics over people’s lives.

The good news is that 4,000 refugees in Malaysia will be resettled here in Australia. But no government should congratulate itself on linking this to the expulsion of vulnerable people fleeing war, abuse and conflict.

Over half a century ago, Australia signed up to international law that says we'll protect asylum seekers no matter where they come from. For us to now arbitrarily select 800 people to send to a country that isn't party to that agreement is not only unfair - it’s illegal. Sign our petition now.

In hope,

Graham Thom
Refugee Coordinator
Amnesty International Australia

PS: On my trip to Malaysia in 2009, we secured video footage of their appalling caning practices – click here to watch it, and take action to oppose a policy that puts people fleeing persecution in even greater danger. [Warning: the video contains graphic images some may find disturbing]

[1] Amnesty International Report: A Blow to humanity: Torture by judicial caning in Malaysia.