Transcript of Radio Interview With AMA President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, on 5AA Adelaide, on Tuesday 31 May 2005 - Discussion - Children in Detention

But things have changed somewhat since then, we do not have the huge wave of individuals trying to enter Australia seeking asylum that we once did, so now there's been a bit of a re-think certainly on many people's part - not so much the Government's, although there are signs they might be softening.

But Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, from the Australian Medical Association, is arguing that we should not under any circumstances have children in detention.

Mukesh, thanks for joining us today.

DR HAIKERWAL: Leon, good morning.

BYNER: How do you find the logic of the Government with regards to their policy at the moment?

HAIKERWAL: Look, I think the contention really is this: that, you know, children who are here as refugees and in detention have actually, themselves, not done anything wrong and they are actually being stifled in their ability to grow and to become, you know, normal adults and they're getting problems both physically and also getting mental problems too.

The way in which they're interned behind the razor wire and the things that they have to see and put up with really are almost like child abuse, and it's really important that we find a better way of looking after children out in the community so that they're not subject to this sort of-- these sorts of problems.

BYNER: We have a situation in South Australia where at Baxter, for example, there were children who were in detention who were put out into the community and actually went to the local schools.

HAIKERWAL: Well, that's a fantastic thing. Because children are at the most important part of their life when their brains are developing, the way in which they think about life develops and the way in which they relate to society, and it's just so important that they're allowed to flourish in a place and go to school with other children so that they can get those things happening.

It's a very bad message to our own children, to say that it's actually OK to lock people up behind the razor wire because they tried to come in, especially when they're children and they have basically done nothing wrong.

BYNER: Does the AMA believe this as a group, or is this just you expressing your personal opinion?

HAIKERWAL: Look, we had our National Conference in Darwin, it just finished on Sunday, and there were probably a hundred and forty or fifty voting members from all the craft groups, and we, as a board, have been asked to consider it as a matter or urgency.

BYNER: Mm.

HAIKERWAL: And the psychiatrists who are intimately involved in this situation and the paediatricians obviously involved too are very, very keen on this and it's something that we want to make sure we look at - if there a better way of ensuring the children are given a chance to succeed.

BYNER: Would you, as a better way, separate children from their families? Or would you, if families had children seeking detention, have them all together? Or would you separate them and bring the children out and leave the adults in detention?

HAIKERWAL: No. We've had a very bad example in our society about removing children from their parents and know it's important that they have contact with their parents. And the way in which the detention happens needn't necessarily be in camps behind barbed wire and razor wire; it can certainly be in the community under close scrutiny. And there's no reason why that couldn't happen.

And I think that's what we're trying to suggest, is that there is a better way of doing it and there's a way of doing it, because ninety-odd percent of these people generally end up getting visas for protection because they are genuine refugees, so let them sort of be monitored in society but be-- start to take part in it.

BYNER: Have you had any feedback from Amanda Vanstone or the Government about this?

HAIKERWAL: No. Obviously they're going through a lot of machinations at the moment because of Petro Georgiou's Private Members Bill. And I think that the message really has been to the Ministers, you know, to look into their own hearts and think with their minds because both will tell them that, you know, it's morally a thing that they should consider.

But even thinking about it, you know the image that Australia has as a world leader in terms of human rights is being tarnished, and we have to-- and we just have to look at the international scene - it really does hurt us if we're seen to be cold.

BYNER: Mukesh, thank you for being with us.

That's Dr Mukesh Haikerwal from the Australian Medical Association.

We will have Amanda Vanstone on the program around lunchtime to give a response to what Dr Mukesh Haikerwal suggests and see whether in fact the Government is considering changing, at all, any of its current immigration or

Ends