The former Keating Labor Government began moves to deport over 1300 East Timorese to Portugal although it was widely recognised that they were genuine refugees. Many had been bashed and tortured, and face death and suffering if they return to their country of birth.
It is calculated that over one-third of the East Timorese population has died since the invasion in 1975. Both Labor and Liberal Government's have been complicit in this genocide. Small wonder that decent people often feel powerless.
Yet all is not lost. A group of Catholic nuns felt so strongly that they were determined to break the law if necessary and give sanctuary to refugees facing deportation. The nuns have been joined by secular activists and many thousands of people have pledged their support for the project. Militant urges all of our readers to support the Sanctuary Network. True, it is breaking the law, but then this unjust law deserves to be broken and in any case it is highly unlikely that the Government would consider prosecuting thousands of people.