Demonstrators Protest Afghan President's Australia Visit


Demonstrators Protest Afghan President's Australia Visit

TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Hundreds of protesters demonstrated against the Afghan president's visit to Australia Monday, calling for his government to end discrimination against the Hazara ethnic minority and to refuse to repatriate asylum seekers rejected by Australia.

The protesters gathered outside Government House, where Ashraf Ghani met with Governor-General Peter Cosgrove on the first visit to Australia by an Afghan president.

Hazara protester Barat Ali Batoor said the security situation in Afghanistan had deteriorated too much for members of the Hazara community for the Afghan government to continue to accept asylum seekers rejected by Australia. Afghanistan signed a memorandum of understanding with Australia in 2011 to accept failed Afghan asylum seekers.

"There needs to be a moratorium on any more forced repatriations," Batoor said, the Associated Press reported. 

Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said Hazaras were rarely returned by Australia and it was unclear whether the Afghans would now be prepared to accept such forced removals.

Some estimates put the numbers of protesters, many of them Muslim Hazaras, at between 1,000 and 2,000 men, women and children. They demonstrated peacefully in light rain outside the official residence of the governor-general, Australia's figurehead leader. Protest organizer Najeeba Wadzefost said as many as 3,000 had gathered from across Australia and neighboring New Zealand to mark Ghani's first official function on his visit, AP reported. 

"We are seeking that our President Ghani take practical, concrete steps to protect the rights of all ethnic groups in Afghanistan, including the Hazaras," she said.

She also urged against Australia giving aid to the current Afghan government, saying the money would end up in the hands of war lords.

Wahid Akbary, an Afghan who came to Australia in 2008 as a refugee, drove 300 kilometers (186 miles) from Sydney to protest. He said the Taliban were allowed to kill Hazaras with impunity.

"Our president is a fascist," he said.

Ghani arrived in the Australian capital, Canberra, late Sunday and will leave Wednesday.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the visit reflected a strong bond between the two countries.

"During this visit, discussions will focus on our ongoing security and development cooperation to help Afghanistan in its efforts to become more prosperous, secure and self-reliant," Turnbull said in a statement.

"In particular, we will seek to enhance partnership between our nations in a number of fields including women's and girls' empowerment, public sector capacity building and agricultural productivity," he added.

Ghani laid a wreath at the Australian War Memorial Monday before he meets with Turnbull.

Australia has lost 41 troops in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion in 2001.

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