Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Amnesty International Australia: Save the lives of 8,000 people stranded at sea - ONLINE PETITION

This is happening right now, on our doorstep.

 

      Up to 8,000 men, women and children are stranded at sea off the coasts of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Without help, they’ll die within days. We know that many of those stranded in boats, desperately in need of rescue, are Rohingya people -- a persecuted ethnic minority from Myanmar and Bangladesh. The Rohingya are stateless with no citizenship rights. Because of this, they’re frequently victims of human trafficking. Wherever they go, they face discrimination, violence and hardship. It’s no wonder they flee. Yet Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian authorities continue to defy international human rights law by refusing to rescue people in trouble. In some cases, they’re pushing boats back into the sea. For those on board, this is a death sentence. 

      That’s why we’re issuing a global call for action. As a movement of 7 million people, Amnesty supporters have the power to pressure the governments of the region to do the right thing and save these people’s lives.
Click here for ONLINE PETITION. 

Update 5/20/2015: 

"BREAKING: In the last hour, Malaysia and Indonesia announced they'll take in 7,000 people currently stranded at sea. It's a fantastic first step, and a sign that global pressure is working! But it's not enough. There are likely more than 7,000 people stuck on boats, and with dwindling food and fuel supplies many won't make it ashore without help.

Keep up the call for a coordinated search and rescue operation to bring all these people to safety> http://spr.ly/6184CrhI