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[martinuzz]

For some reason, there's this continent on the planet earth that has a habit to be underreported. I think it's called Auslanderraustralia or something like that.
I guess it deserves it's own thread, being a whole continent and all.

So if there's something newsworthy happening over yonder (or in New Zealand), feel free to post it here. Keep it polite please folks. Don't go all tasmanian devil on each other.



The high court of Papua New Guinea ruled that the refugee detention center paid for by Australia is illegal, and will have to close down, Papua New Guinea's prime minister O'Neil announced today.
He has asked the Australian government to quickly come up with a plan to relocate the 900-ish refugees, all male, which are currently held on the island of Manus.

Australia pays Papua New Guinea for the detention of refugees which are caught on open sea, before reaching Australia. A controversial Australian law decrees that no refugee that tries to reach Australia by sea is allowed to enter the country, ans should instead be brought to detention centers at Manus and Nauru, and they will never be allowed to apply for legal status in Australia.

O'Neill says that any refugee that has fled for political reasons is welcome to apply for asylum in Papua New Guinea. Yet, most of the 900 detainees want to go to Australia instead.
"It is very clear that a number of them does not want to stay in Papua New Guinea", says O'Neill.

Both countries need to find a solution quickly, now that judges have ruled that refugee's rights have been violated, and the camp has to be dismantled.

The Australian minister of immigration Peter Dutton has already replied, stating that none of those refugees are allowed to come to Australia. He also turned down requests from human rights organisations to transfer them to Australia.

The High Court ruled after a serious incident in the refugee center. An Iranian refugee set fire to himself in protest against Australia's strict immigration policy.
Australian minister Peter Dutton says the man will be flown to Australia to recieve medical treatment. "His condition is very serious", he said.

http://www.volkskrant.nl/buitenland/omstreden-australisch-azc-op-papoea-nieuw-guinea-moet-dicht~a4290367/

[Reelya]

There's already an Australasian politics thread, although it hasn't been active since October. Maybe past the story in there, and I'll respond to it.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=124253.1620

And there is the non-EU thread which allows Australia-NZ related content, and some of the commentary seems to have moved there from the seperate Australia thread seen above. Don't think we really need a competing thread, since Australia isn't a frequent subject of debate.

[martinuzz]

Oh, okay, I guess I'll lock this one then and bump the one you linked.