The former commander of Australian forces in Afghanistan has raised fears that Navy personnel involved in operations to combat people smuggling are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress.

Earlier this year retired Major General John Cantwell warned of a "tidal wave" of psychological problems as Australian troops pull out of the 12-year conflict in Afghanistan.

Major General Cantwell has now spoken to the head of the Navy, offering his services because of his own experiences with PTSD.

He says Navy crews can experience emotional trauma when they go to the rescue of asylum seekers who get into trouble at sea, or have to recover the bodies of drowning victims.

"My concern is that there are people who are already presenting with post-traumatic stress symptoms as a result of their service," he told Lateline.

"Whether it's in Afghanistan or whether it's the Navy crews who are doing that difficult and very disturbing work rescuing or recovering the bodies of boat people arriving off our borders to the north-west of Australia.

"There can be no doubt that they are under stress and strain.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-29/mental-health-warning-for-navy-crew-in-fight-against-smugglers/5126354

A group of doctors has revealed the shocking standard of medical care they are made to provide asylum seekers at the Christmas Island detention centre in a 92-page “letter of concern” given to their employer in November.

The forensic report, written by 15 doctors and obtained by Guardian Australia, is the most comprehensive document yet on the failings of medical procedure inside detention centres and is a damning indictment of the Australian government’s care for refugees.

The report documents “numerous unsafe practices and gross departures from generally accepted medical standards which have posed significant risk to patients and caused considerable harm”.

It paints a vivid picture of the indignity of detention through distressing and detailed case studies.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/19/revealed-doctors-outrage-over-unsafe-refugee-patients

Fifteen doctors who co-authored a 92-page letter to their employer about conditions at the Christmas Island detention centre said decisions made by the immigration minister, Scott Morrison, had a "direct and significant" impact on their patients.

The letter contains damning allegations about medical procedure inside the detention centre.

The doctors write: "Decisions made by minister Morrison have direct and significant impacts on the health and wellbeing of our patients."

They go on to criticise the minister directly: "Whilst we are aware IHMS [the private medical provider administering services on Christmas Island] reports primarily to the DIBP [the Department of Immigration and Border Protection], the following statements by minister Morrison suggest he is poorly informed regarding the current health situation on Christmas Island."

The letter gives a number of examples of Operation Sovereign Borders press conferences when, under questions from Guardian Australia, it says Morrison made mistakes about standard procedure of doctors on Christmas Island, and of other malpractice inside immigration detention.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/24/morrison-christmas-island-asylum-seeker-health

Scott Morrison is using the threat of asylum seekers being deported to put pressure on Labor to support the reintroduction of temporary protection visas, writes Siobhan Keating.

Orwellian and Huxleyan are the descriptors that epitomise the first 100 days of the Abbott Government. For mine, Hellerian can be added to the list.  

During the closing days of the 2013 Federal Parliament, Scott Morrison devised new laws for the granting of protection visas that would make Heller's Yossarian let out a respectful whistle.

In short, to be eligible for a protection visa under Morrison's new laws, you must apply for a visa in Australia having arrived after fleeing your homeland for fear of persecution. But if you arrive in Australia without a visa because you fled your homeland for fear of persecution, you're not eligible for a protection visa.

Put another way, the only people who are eligible for a protection visa are those people to whom we have already granted a visa.

It's not quite Catch-22, but it's close

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-02/keating-morrisons-cynical-catch-22-ploy-on-asylum-seekers/5181902

Indonesia's government and military are closing ranks against Australia's policy to turn back asylum seeker boats, after claims two boats were recently forced back to Indonesia.

The Indonesian president's office has backed his foreign minister's rejection of Australia turning boats around as unhelpful.

Earlier this week, Indonesia's military chief General Moeldoko was reported as saying that his Australian counterpart, General David Hurley, called him to explain that Australia would be turning boats back.

"I have agreed. Therefore, we don't need to feel offended," The Jakarta Post reported him as saying.

But General Moeldoko now says his words have been twisted and he does not support Australia sending asylum seeker boats back to Indonesia.

General Moeldoko says he recognises that the Australian Navy is carrying out orders from the Federal Government, but that does not mean he approves of it.

"My response was not approving it. I said 'I understand the tactical steps,' that's my standpoint," he said.

He says the Indonesian military, or TNI, always follows the government's policy and cannot have its own view or version.

"I reflect to myself that if the job was given to me by my government, I would have done the same, so that is the context," he said.

"I did not speak about foreign policy, instead I spoke about tactical decisions in the field. My statement should not be twisted," he said.  

The General blamed misreporting and told journalists to "straighten it up".

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-10/indonesia27s-military-chief-says-he-opposes-asylum-boat-turn-b/5193198

Immigration minister Scott Morrison will no longer hold weekly press briefings and will instead only hold conferences on an “as needs basis.”

Only weekly written statements will now be provided on boat arrivals and conferences will be held sporadically when the minister announces them, Morrison told ABC 7:30 in an interview with Leigh Sales on Tuesday evening.

“We'll do them on an as needs basis to detail operational matters that are able to be released and we'll respond to questions there," Morrison said.

“We will issue a statement on the numbers of arrivals and the transfers and we will hold operational briefings, like we will tomorrow, when we have something to say and when we have something to report,” he said.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/15/scott-morrison-scraps-weekly-briefings-for-press-conferences-on-needs-basis

Gus: How selective...."when we have something to report...."

Translation 'when we have something positive for us, to report..." But the news is not about showing your undies are clean, Mr Morrison... The news is about the caca (excrement) in them... And there is plenty of that in your process to "stop the boat"... Shame on you for being secretly anti-democratic...

See toon at top....

The Abbott government has admitted Australia breached Indonesian territorial waters during operations to deter asylum seeker boats.

Speaking at a press conference in Canberra, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison conceded this was against the Australian government's own policy.

Anh Vu

Vietnam War refugee Tri Nguyen walked from Melbourne to Canberra, a journey of 35 days and over 600 kilometres –  all while towing a replica of the boat in which he fled Vietnam in 1982.

Pastor Tri Nguyen from Brunswick Baptist Church in Melbourne says this is his way of saying thank you to Australia.

"I feel very grateful, for the privilege to be able to do such a walk, and to thank Australia and the Australian Parliament for the gift of refuge that I and many generations have received,” he says. During the journey Tri Nguyen shared his story each night with people in towns, churches and communities along the way.

“It was an amazing experience,” he says.

- See more at: http://www.australiaplus.com/international/2014-05-27/my-gift-to-australia/1317516#sthash.GKUXIs2P.dpuf