Call for refugee aid

http://wimmera.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/call-for-refugee-aid/1340603.aspx

BY JO MORRIS
22/10/2008 1:59:00 PM
A GROUP of Wimmera residents have launched a campaign to bring 30 Karen refugees from a camp on the Myanmar-Thailand border to live in Horsham.
Rural Australians for Refugees Wimmera branch member Mandy Kirsopp said the group needed the support of Wimmera residents to achieve their aim.


"Basically, the Wimmera branch of Rural Australians for Refugees was contacted by the Karen Refugee Network in Melbourne to ask if we could support a project to sponsor one Karen refugee family to come to Horsham," she said.


"We thought it was a terrific thing for us to do but then we thought about it and realised we needed to support a critical mass, rather than just one family, so we planned to bring over four families, which is approximately 20 people.


"We were approached by the Karen Refugee Network again and now that number is up to around 30."


Wimmera RAR member Jan Stoller said the Karen refugees were literally prisoners in camps on the border of Myanmar, formerly Burma, and Thailand.




"They are not allowed to go into Thailand and become part of the Thai community and they are unable to go back home because of persecution by the Burmese military - they are virtually in limbo," she said.


"Some people have been in these camps for up to 20 years with no hope and so our first reason for bringing them here is to offer them the chance of a new life.


"And the reason the Karen Refugee Network want them to be placed in rural communities is because they are rural people and would find it less traumatic then moving to the city."


Ms Kirsopp said the group was working with the Federal Government to arrange for the refugees to come to Horsham from January next year.


She said some refugees would have travel expenses covered but due to varying government refugee classification systems, some would only have part of their fare covered and would be stuck with a debt on arrival.


Ms Kirsopp said the Wimmera branch of RAR hoped to raise around $30,000 to assist with airfares.


She said the group was looking for individuals to sponsor refugees to travel and help them settle on arrival.


•Horsham Rural City Council will sign a declaration to become a refugee welcome zone today.


Community and enterprise services manager Angela Murphy said the declaration was a vital step for council.


"It's really about demonstrating compassion for refugees and the need for diversity in our community," she said.


Horsham Mayor Pam Clarke urged people to attend the signing at Horsham Civic Centre at 4.30pm today.