As is very clearly becoming his oeuvre, Waleed Aly pulled zero punches on The Project, slamming Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and the Turnbull Government for the refugee policies that lead to two refugees detained on Nauru setting themselves alight.
Aly criticised the Government’s attempt to establish a narrative that all the desperate actions undertaken by refugees in processing centres were simply attempts to gain entry into the country (rather than protests about their conditions), as he quite simply puts it:
“But does anyone think that any country is so great you’d set yourself on fire to get in? Because in fact, when you douse yourself in petrol and set yourself alight, your chances of getting in anywhere are greatly reduced.”
He goes on to list historical examples of self-immolation that brought about historical change, but points out that this won’t be achieved in this instance because it proves (to the Government) that their policy is working.
Australia’s refugee policy is based on creating an environment so bad that no one will want to come here, even to flee terror. Clearly, they’re succeeding. Watch the video below but be warned it does contain some brief but quite unsettling graphic imagery:
Photo: Facebook.
