Thursday 9th September 2004 will see a dismal anniversary marked across Australia, with the passing of six years in detention for a 30-year-old man from Indian Kashmir, Peter Qasim.

Peter is admired by scores of detainees for the selfless assistance he's given them in their own battles with paperwork and bureaucracy, and valued by dozens of Australian friends for his extraordinary wit, intelligence and resilience. But nobody can face life imprisonment for no reason. As Peter once said, even Nelson Mandela in prison had the struggle for his nation's freedom to give him strength, but his own suffering serves no purpose for anyone. He is locked up, apparently forever, because of lost paperwork in India, and a file full of minor errors and misunderstandings in Australia.

Peter writes:

"Living without the freedoms that ordinary people take for granted is very difficult. The conditions of detention involve small humiliations every day, and at times we are subject to great injustice, but the worst thing is having no certainty about when my imprisonment will end. Even a criminal knows the length of his sentence but I have no such comfort."

But, since the Full High Court of Australia last month "approved" that 'stateless persons' such as Peter could effectively be held in an Australian detention centre until they die, Peter's situation is no longer in doubt: Australian politicians have successfully crafted their own sovereign right and legislated that sovereignty, to steal Peter's entire life, just because "he had the audacity" to seek asylum here, which is his right under the International Declaration of Human Rights. They have crafted this legislation, just so Mr Howard can make the political point of 'being strong on border protection'.

Protest actions and gatherings are scheduled for 9 September in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. See them on the Project SafeCom website here.

Please consider joining one of these actions or create your own vigil, action, protest or media event.

Website resources

  Peter Qasim's 2191 stolen days (Project SafeCom)
  Greg Egan's website page for Peter Qasim
  Rural Australians for Refugees
  Online Petition - "Free refugee in Australian Detention"
  Speech by Michael Organ MP in Parliament (includes letter from Peter Qasim)
  Petition to Immigration Minister, Amanda Vanstone

Project SafeCom is entirely funded the sales of 'useful items' through its website, from donations, membership fees. The website includes around 300 pages with articles and background information about Australian refugee issues. You can support us by clicking here.