David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Today I stand in solidarity with the Tamil people and am particularly grateful to have been invited to the opening over the weekend of the Tamil Refugee Council's first office in my home state of New South Wales. The Tamil Refugee Council does vital work for the Tamil diaspora by providing individual advocacy, doing vital educational work and campaigning for the rights of individuals and refugees. I thank them for the incredible work that they do, and it is an ongoing privilege and honour to stand in solidarity and work alongside them. And it was particularly timely to have the opening this last weekend because last month marked 14 years since the Mullivaikkal massacre, when tens of thousands of Tamils were trapped and killed on the beaches of Mullivaikkal in an offensive against the Tamil struggle for a homeland in the north and east of the country. Fourteen years have now passed since this horrific event, yet there has been no accountability for those who were responsible for the killings, many of whom remain in senior positions of leadership within the Sri Lankan government and military.

The Australian Greens condemn the ongoing systemic violence directed against the Tamil people, as we condemn all aggression and acts of violence against peaceful struggle. We affirm the right of the Tamil people to self-determination, safety and security. Since 2009 the Eelam Tamil community in Australia have faced a constant battle in receiving adequate information, understanding and assurance of what the outcome will be for refugees in Australia. Tamil refugees face one of the highest rejection rates of the Immigration Assessment Authority, and every year thousands of Tamils in our country live in fear of the prospect of deportation. Across the globe the cost of war and climate-driven disasters is disproportionately borne by people with the least economic power. This is a truth that should guide us in our work in this place on climate justice and refugee rights, not least for the Tamil community.