Perth Voice Interactive

MEMBERS of Perth’s Sri Lankan community have established a protest camp outside Tangney Labor MP Sam Lim’s office.

Their tents and banners are visible along Leach Highway.

The protesters are demanding the federal government end the practice of keeping Sri Lankan refugees on bridging visas that deny them the right to work, study and receive health care.

The Voice visited the makeshift camp on a cold, blustery and rainy Thursday morning. 

Willetton local Michael (who declined to give his last name) was deep in conversation with Sam Kugathas, a camp leader.

Michael said he’d never heard of the Sri Lankan’s plight before but now believes it’s a story everybody needs to hear.

However, he was adamant all refugees must be interviewed before arriving in Australia, while “anyone who comes here must assimilate into Australian life, not try to change the country into what they left behind.”

Mr Kugathas told the Voice being unable to work legally made the Sri Lankans dependent on charity, while being barred from education made it hard to master English, creating social isolation and despair.

On a small table were photos of Mano Yogalingam and Sasikaran Selvanayagam, two refugees who had committed suicide the previous week. Mr Yogalingam self-immolated in Melbourne on August 27.

Refugees’ children can’t go to a public school, Mr Kugathas said. 

They are dependent on the charity of church schools, but that only lasts to the end of high school. 

After that they are refused entry to university.

Mr Kugathas said the immigration department used some Malaysian interpreters for “fast track” interviews, and while they spoke Tamil their ignorance of Sri Lankan cultural factors created problems.

“In Sri Lanka many people ride motorbikes that are called 200, for the size of the engine,” he said. 

“One refugee told the interviewer that he had escaped murder by the Sri Lankan army by riding his 200. 

“The interpreter translated that as him saying that he owned 200 motorcycles, and the interviewer refused him refugee status based on that.”

Mr Kugathas said while the Sri Lankan community had door knocked for Mr Lim at the last federal election, they were unimpressed by his response when he visited the camp last week.

The MP’s comments about Mr Yogalingam’s death were criticised by the protesters as insensitive.

“If you can live for the last 12 years or 13 years in such a suffering state, why [do] you want to take your life,” Mr Lim said.

He also blamed the previous Liberal government for the visa mess, saying it had been the Albanese government that was sorting it out.

The protesters said they had also been visited by federal police, but Mr Kugathas said they left after saying it was a waste of their time. 

WA police warned the protesters it was illegal to sleep outside Mr Lim’s office so they’ve taken to protesting in shifts to stay awake all night.

The Sri Lankan community has mobilised to feed and sustain the camp using the resources of various churches and Hindu temples.

The Voice visited and e-mailed Mr Lim’s office for comment but didn’t get a reply before deadline.

by BARRY HEALY