SA: Refugee activists welcome detention centre blazes
ADELAIDE, Dec 30 AAP - Refugee activists today welcomed a spate of fires at Australiandetention centres, blaming federal government policies for the blazes that have left adamage bill of more than $2.25 million.
A deliberately lit fire early today forced the evacuation of a residential block atWestern Australia's Port Hedland detention centre.
The blaze follows deliberately lit fires which destroyed large parts of the Baxterdetention centre, near Port Augusta in South Australia, at the weekend.
"I'm delighted that it's burning and I hope it burns right to the ground," WA's ProjectSafeCom Inc spokesman Jack Smit said today.
"Baxter is a detention centre, and more than all other detention centres around Australia,it makes a mockery of the UN Refugee Convention, the International Convention for theRights of the Child, and other international conventions Australia has signed.
"Baxter is designed as a Howard government fortress and as a maximum security prison,and it inflicts permanent damage to the psyche of children as well as adults."
Canberra Refugee Action Committee spokesman Phil Griffiths said the fires were inevitable,given the long periods of detention asylum seekers were subject to while their claimswere being processed.
"I would be more surprised and concerned if detainees did not respond to such a situation,"
Mr Griffiths said.
Carlee Rundell-Gordon, a nurse and visitor to the Baxter detention centre from NSW,said the fires highlighted the need for better emergency procedures.
Ms Rundell-Gordon said on a recent visit to Baxter she noticed an emergency exit doorwas bolted shut.
"There has never been a fire drill at the Baxter centre," she said.
"There is no sprinkler system inside Baxter and there is a concerning lack of emergencyexits in various locations inside the centre."
AAP la/sek/sb
KEYWORD: DETENTION FIRE REACT
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