(This is doing the rounds of the Uniting Church and other churches):

Dear Friends,

The Iranian hunger strike at Baxter is continuing, and escalating daily. There are 25 men on hunger strike, including 3 still on the gym roof, despite heavy rain and heat over the last 7 days. 5 men have sewn their lips together, 1 is now having medical treatment.

These are the key messages that they and refugee advocates have identified:

* They want the Australian people to know of their long-term detention and lack of clear, fair and transparent asylum process * They ask for a review of Iranian asylum claims - based on new information on their original claims, the deteriorating political situation in Iran, and their changed personal circumstances since arriving in Australia (eg becoming Christian/getting married/deterioration in mental health)

* This will be the fifth or sixth Christmas in detention for most detainees * "Let us die or give us freedom" - the men are powerless, voiceless and desperate.

Although refugee advocates didn't encourage or instigate the current protest, we recognise the desperation that these men feel and that their actions are a plea for help. One concern many refugee advocates have, is that the broader Australian community often feels repelled by what it sees as extreme and gruesome actions such as lip-sewing.

Our role, as their friends and supporters, is to explain to the public WHY the Iranians have taken these drastic measures.

Our friends in detention need your support and would like us to begin a campaign stretching from now until Christmas Eve raising public awareness and lobbying politicians. With the numbers of friends we can do it!!

Firstly - we want you to help raise public awareness by:

* letters to the editor * ringing talkback radio * contributions to local newspapers and group newsletters (eg Church, human rights actions groups)

Below are phone numbers for Talk Back Radio, and email addresses for and tips for letters to the editor.

Talk Back Radio

SYDNEY 2GB Alan Jones 9a.m. Openline/Talkback 131 873. Outside NSW 02 9269 0669 John Laws 9a.m. to 12 noon. Open line/Talkback 13 13 32 John Stanley 12.30 p.m. to 3p.m. Open line/Talkback 13 13 32 Andrew Harwood 8p.m. - 12 midnight. Open line/Talkback 13 13 32 702 ABC Talkback: (02) 9333 1000. Email

NORTHERN TERRITORY ABC Northern Territory Talkback Number: 1800 801 840.

Studio/Talkback: (08) 8943 3113

BRISBANE 4BC Talk Radio 1116 Am. (07) 3833 0000.

TASMANIA TTT Tasmania Talkback: 1300 36 1700

MELBOURNE 3AW Talkback line (03) 9696 1278. . Neil Mitchell 8.30 a.m to Midday. Ernie Sigley Midday to 4p.m. Keith McGowan 12a.m. to 5.30 a.m 3CR 855AM Talkback - (03) 9419 0155. Email

3AK Deryn Hinch 8am to 11am. Talkback: (03) 9866 8666

774 ABC. Breakfast with Red Symons. Talkback (03) 9414 1774 Mornings with Jon Faine. Talkback (03) 9414 1774 Afternoons with Lyn Haultain. Talkback (03) 9414 1774 Drive with Virginia Trioli. Talkback (03) 9414 1774 Evening Show/ Derek Guille. Talkback (03) 9414 1774 Sunday Show / Peter Clarke. Talkback (03) 9414 1774

ADELAIDE 5DN Jeremy Cordeaux on 8305 1323

5AA 8224 0000 http://www.5aa.com.au

891 ABC local radio: Soapbox 11am-12pm is 8343 4891

Radio Adelaide 08 8303 5000 http://www.radio.adelaide.edu.au/

PERTH 6PR Talkback (08) 9221 1233. Fax: (08) 9325 4553. Email:

6NR Curtin Radio 927AM. Talkback Ph (08) 9484 1927

Tips on writing letters to the editor:

* Keep it short. 200 words is the absolute maximum. 100 words is good. 50 words is very likely to be printed and can be very powerful if you have a good point. If it is too long and it gets printed anyway they are likely to lop off paragraphs and that may make your letter look pretty silly to people who know the background. * Stick to one central point. You can not cover every base in a complicated issue in 200 words. * Keep sentences as short as possible. * Keep the language plain and simple. Only use long words if you need the precision. * Statistics often impress some letters editors so throw in some big numbers or percentages but make sure they are accurate. * Be economical with your words. Go over the letter and take anything out that is repetitive.

National

The Australian: Letters to the Editor:

Australian Financial Review

Victoria

The Age: Letters to the Editor:

Herald Sun: to the Editor:

Sunday Herald: Sun Letters to the Editor:

NSW

Sydney Morning Herald Letters to the Editor:

The Daily Telegraph: Letters to the Editor:

Queensland

Newspaper:The Courier Mail Letters to the Editor:

South Australia

Newspaper:The Advertiser Letters to the Editor: Sunday Mail Letters to the Editor: mailedit@adv.newsltd.com.au

Western Australia

Newspaper:The West Australian Letters to the Editor:

Tasmania

Newspaper:The Mercury Letters to the Editor:

ACT

Newspaper:The Canberra Times Letters to the Editor:

Newspaper links (Australian newspapers by State AND overseas newspapers)

This Australian Library and Information Association website has links to Australian newspapers by State and links to the major overseas newspapers. Click http://www.alia.org.au/links/newspapers.html. Very helpful!

QUOTES FROM BAXTER DETAINEES:

We are all the Iranian detainees' residents of Baxter detention center are worried for our lives, we are seeking a safe place to live, and we are all victims of Iranian's radical government.

Some of us have been detained for 5 to 6 years indefinitely, aren't we deserved to be free after spending so many years in detention? Each person has his own story that hasn't seriously been considered. Now we want from immigration minister have compassion for this people who are suffering and are in extreme stress and frustration we would love your individual support as we are scared and all have Individual needs/concerns.

"Most of the men have been here for about four years now and their patience has run out. They are desperate and cannot take any more. Little things set them off, like last week reading in the newspaper about the short sentence given in Australia for someone who deliberately murdered someone and got nine years in gaol. Yet we get indefinite years just for asking for asylum from persecution. The sense of injustice in us is strong. We are every day degraded and humiliated by being locked up and treated like criminals and in the end we will all crumble."

RAR Port Augusta

Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better. He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps perpetrate it. Martin Luther King Jr.

Rural Australians for Refugees Port Augusta http://www.gulfviews.com/rar for information on visiting people in Baxter IDF.

December 13 2004