Aussie treatment of older detainee irritates France

[dArKeR]

French diplomats are demanding to know why it took Australian immigration officials five months to tell them that a 74-year-old French national was being held in an immigration detention center.

The illegal immigrant died of a brain hemorrhage 10 days after French officials were told he was in the Sydney detention center.

French diplomat Olivier Bove yesterday said consular officials were questioning Australia's immigration department over its decision to hold Marc Thao -- a former shopkeeper who was born in Laos -- for five months before notifying the embassy.

Last month, the embassy received a notice from the immigration department that one of its citizens was to be deported but no name was provided, Bove said.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/09/10/2003202322

[Zell in Hell]

1. WOOOOOOO!!!

GIVE ME A HELL-FUCKING-YA!

DOWN WITH PAN-BLUE FASCISTS!!!!

[drdon326]

2. Gotta love those Aussies.

.

[Djinn]

3. actually this guy was lucky

he could have spent 7 years in detention like Peter Qasim or he could have spent nearly a year completely alone on Manus Island like Aladdin Sisalem.

The Howard government has a huge heart when it comes to refugees - although this one I find weird - I generally don't beleive Mandy Vanstone but this rings true - they try and get rid of detainees as soon as possible - including trying to deport people to countries that will not take them.

As for gotta love us I wont defend "my" country on this issue, I've spent to much time working against prevailing laws and attitudes in regards to refugees, but maybe you need to be showing a little more opprobrium a little closer to home doc?