The asylum seeker debate threatens to unravel Australia’s multicultural project, according to Dr Tim Soutphommasane, political philosopher and presenter of ABC Radio National’s Mongrel Nation series.
Dr Soutphommasane, who takes up his appointment as Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner later this month, tackles the deeply divisive asylum seeker debate in the next episode of Mongrel Nation titled ‘My Island Fortress’, on Sunday 11 August at 5.30pm. In this next episode, he points out that while Australia welcomed refugees from Europe, Asia and elsewhere during the twentieth century, many Australians are now apprehensive about outsiders seeking sanctuary on our shores.
Dr Soutphommasane said: “Those who came here as refugees have made significant contributions to the Australian story. I think of people such as Hieu Van Le, who was among the first Vietnamese to arrive in this country – in his case, by boat.”
Today, Hieu Van Le is the Lieutenant-Governor of South Australia. In Mongrel Nation he tells of how he and other Vietnamese refugees made it into Darwin Harbour in a leaky boat early one morning in 1977. They had no idea what sort of reception awaited them. A speedboat approached. It turned out to be two men in singlets and shorts going on a fishing trip. As the tinnie sped past, Mr Le says, “One of them raised a stubbie and shouted out, ‘G-day mate, welcome to Australia’.”
The final two episodes of Mongrel Nation go to air on RN at 5.30pm on Sunday 11 and 18 August 2013.
Dr Soutphommasane is also a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Sydney’s Institute for Democracy and Human Rights.