Riot at Christmas Is results in debate on force

By NAZLI GULER
The shooting of beanbags and teargas on asylum seekers on Sunday night at Christmas Island Detention Centre was a breach of human rights, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre says.

The centre’s campaign coordinator, Pamela Kurr, said that under the circumstances the use of force against detainees was unnecessary.

Asylum seekers were protesting for their rights and their freedom and as a result, this violence occurred.

But Anthony McCudden, a former armed serviceman with experience serving in detainee camps, says the guards were right to take forceful action.

“The people who shot the beanbags and teargas did the right thing,” he said.

“Defence is there to keep them in, we don’t know who they are and what they are doing.”

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen, announced an independent inquiry early on Monday into the riot by almost 300 asylum seekers .

He has said the unrest stemmed from the decision of Serco and the AFP to place 10 protest ringleaders into cells, sparking an attempt by other asylum seekers to free them.

AFP, Serco and Department of Immigration staff used what they call a “snatch and grab”. This is an immigration term that was initially called instruction, where they pull the individual asylum seekers out and contain them.

“It is distressing to see the use of non-lethal weapons and teargas in Australia. We think of ourselves as a democratic country but these methods are still applied”, Ms Kurr said.

As a result of the violence, fences and doors were broken and a detainee suffered a broken leg.

Due to the volatile situation, the centre staff had requested AFP assistance and, according to Mr Bowen, the use of beanbag bullets and teargas was part of the operational guidelines.

Mr McCudden said that if the actions were within the training that guard staff had been provided, then it was the right thing to do.

“They [the detainees] have fresh water and toilets, all they need to do is wait out their time and see what happens”, he said.

The disturbance at Christmas Island detention centre continues today.

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre has been campaigning and lobbying to make sure that people are aware of what has happened and is giving the public all the necessary information.

“The problem is that when you start using violence it escalates, and that is my concern,” Ms Kurr said .

“If we let them get away with using non-lethal bullets and guns, what will they use next time?”