Email campaign - Urge Australia to review its blanket suspension on processing refugee claims

Dear Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, Senator Chris Evans,
 
I am appalled that Australian Government has announced a suspension on the processing of new asylum claims by Afghan and Sri Lankan nationals. Though I acknowledge that the Australian stance on the refugee crisis has its merits, I believe this decision is premature and urge the Australian government not to take this action which is inconsistent to the obligations under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. 
 

Following the ending of war in Sri Lanka in May 2009 with over an estimated 35,000 innocent Tamil civilians killed in the last few weeks, human rights violations in Sri Lanka continues with 88,198Tamil civilians still being held in internment camps for the past 11 months without access to any media while INGOs have only restricted access. Further, over 12,000 suspected combatants are being held in undisclosed locations without access to ICRC or the court system in violation to international war conventions.
 
Even those who are living outside internment camps are suffering gross human rights violations as shown in the below excerpts of two recent video reports on Sri Lanka by journalists during their military-accompanied trips to the Tamil regions.
 
1. CNN- Sri Lanka: Witness to Survival: the 3-minute excerpt from this video by Ms. Sara Sidner shows the uncompromising attitude of the Sri Lankan President. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzGj2hYoymo&feature=youtube_gdata
http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2010/03/remaking-sri-lanka-rajapaksa-way.html 
2. France24: Tamils on Probation - Forced Democracy in Sri Lanka: 
 http://www.france24.com/en/20100204-reporters-sri-lanka-tamil-tigers-civil-war-refugees-civilians-return-army-probation  (12-minute video)
 
The former head of the Sri Lankan Army General Sarath Fonseka who received over 45% of votes at the Presidential election remains imprisoned following his outspoken words on war crimes. When an ex Army General from the majority Sinhalese community faces such persecution, one can imagine the persecution faced by an ordinary Tamil civilian.
 
I urge you to review your decision as there are genuine refugees who would be persecuted if they are to return to places where they are fleeing from.
 
 
Yours sincerely,