Tuesday, 6 August, 2024
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Big byte of real caring This Is IT is one of the great charitable success stories in the South East. In less than five years, the campaign has donated its 2500th laptop for disadvantaged highschool students. On hand for the milestone on Friday 2 August were SELLEN chief executive Andrew Simmons with Noble Park Secondary College school captain Keayu Bay, principal Pam Dyson and school captain Ajaz Rashidi. (Stewart Chambers: 422623) For more on the story, turn to page 11
Death in limbo By Sahar Foladi An emotional vigil was held for Uthayakaran Periyathamby who has died after 11 years in limbo as a Tamil asylum seeker. The 53-year-old Dandenong resident passed away in his sleep on Tuesday 16 July in an alltoo-common premature death among refugees and asylum seekers, according to Tamil Refugee Council founder Aran Mylvaganam.
“For the past nine years he’s been in this stage of limbo. Eventually he lost his life, and the coroner couldn’t find cause of death. He wasn’t that old and no known health issues. “I have personally organised many funerals for refugees and many of their deaths are in similar circumstance. “All I can do is speculate and say stress, depression, fear of not knowing, separation from
family, everything combined - it takes their life.” The Tamil Refugee Council had organised for Mr Periyathamby’s funeral costs via GoFundMe page which garnered just $2400. He was put to rest on Thursday 25 July as close friends known as “family members” were emotional, upset and angry that their pleas for permanent refuge are falling on deaf ears. Mr Periyathamby escaped the genocide of the
Tamil minority in Sri Lanka and arrived in 2012 by boat leaving behind his wife and children. He was placed in Manus Island and later released into the community on a bridging visa in 2013. His claim for a permanent protection visa was rejected via the so called flawed ‘fast-track’ process. Continued page 4
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