A senior world religious figure has called on the Federal Government to scrap its mandatory detention policy after visiting the Baxter detention, centre in South Australia's north.The head of the World Council of Churches, Sam Kobia spent three hours inspecting the centre where 256 people are being held and came out upset by what he saw, calling it un-Christian.
"I think it's wrong, it's disgraceful and this is something that should stop," Dr Kobia said.
"It can only remind me its Guantanamo Bay without the shackles and the uniform."
Dr Kobia will open the National Council of Churches forum in Adelaide today.
The World Council of Churches represents more than 300 churches, denominations and church fellowships around the world and some 400 million Christians.
[Religious Bondage to control he Masses.]
Families are choosing to return to Baxter
Refugee advocates say families staying in an immigration residential housing project at Port Augusta are returning to the Baxter detention centre to demonstrate their lack of freedom.
Lynette Little from Rural Australians for Refugees says the families see little benefit in remaining in the housing project.
"They want to demonstrate to the Australian public that they are in detention and that the environment they live in is not much different than the environment in Baxter," she said.
"It has fewer fences, it has different housing but in fact their freedom is very, very limited and it represents that same lack of freedom that there is in Baxter detention centre."
The Immigration Department says only one family, a mother and her four children, have chosen to leave the Port Augusta housing facility and return to Baxter.
By Just Us 9 July 04
SHAME ON YOU HOWARD SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!
PUT YOUR LEFT FOOT FORWARD THIS FEDERAL ELECTION "WITHOUT FEAR" AND VOTE 1 THE GREENS.
B A X T E R WATCH
By Just Us 9 July 04
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On the 1st day of Christmas 'We give you the gift of peace'.
On the 2nd day of Christmas 'We give you the gift of Joy'.
On the 3rd day of Christmas 'We give you the gift of love'.
On the 4th day of Christmas 'We give you the gift of hope'.
On the 5th day of Christmas 'We give you the gift of faith'.
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Where did you say you reside Mr Carr?
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