Harvard Asia Pacific Review 11.1

lia’s Indigenous peoples, and more recently against Muslim as public concerns were raised, particularly about the plight and Middle-Eastern peoples (in the 1980s it was Vietnamese of detained women and children. In the context of panic and other Asians). Nevertheless, some commentators feel about global terror, it seems likely that the Australian pubthat because of its long history, “white Australia” nationallic was also expressing, in their overwhelming support for a ism is either a pervasive form of white supremacy reflected tough approach to asylum seekers, some fears about Middlein widespread domination of all non-whites or lurks in the Eastern and Muslim immigration. However, the mainstream background and is ready to assert itself at any sign of ecoimmigration and refugee programs continued as before under nomic unease or social disturbance. Four recent events or a non-discriminatory policy, and Australia’s Muslim populaphenomena in particular reflect this view. tion continued to grow without becoming a major political The first was the election of populist maverick Pauline issue. Certainly, neither major political party advocated disHanson to the federal parliament in 1996 and the subsequent criminating in immigration policy against Muslims, though spectacular rise and fall of her One Nation Party. Hanson’s the Howard government did from time to time single out One Nation Party advocated a return to a protectionist, ecoMuslims when discussing immigrant groups that failed to innomically nationalist Australia, and attacked Aborigines and tegrate into the Australian way of life. In 2007, Howard’s imAboriginal policies, immigration, Asians and multicultural migration minister, Kevin Andrews, suggested that Australia policy, and asylum seekers. Her inflammatory comments had reduced its numbers of refugees from Sudan because of and speeches, and evidence of electoral support for her party, problems with integration. In the lead up to his statement, including gaining 23% of the vote and eleven elected memthere had been sensationalist media reports that Sudanese bers in the 1998 Queensland state election, led to concern youth were causing social unrest and were heavily involved in the Asia-Pacific region that Australia was returning to a in crime and gang activity in Melbourne. Victorian police white nationalist phase. Some Australian commentators also publicly repudiated claims that Sudanese youth were disexpressed this concern, proportionately involved in claiming that Australian Some commentators feel that because of its long these activities. racism seethed beneath the The third was the Dehistory, ‘white Australia’ nationalism is either a surface and that a considcember 2005 Cronulla erable section of the public pervasive form of white supremacy reflected in Riot in Sydney’s southresented changes to Austraeastern suburbs, where a lia brought by immigration widespread domination of all non-whites, or lurks mob of 5000 mainly white and globalization more in the background and is ready to assert itself at male Australians, fueled generally; Australian racby alcohol, sun, text mesism and white nationalism any sign of economic unease, or social disturbance. sages purportedly circuwere on the rise. The damlated by small, far right aging Asian perception of Australia as a closed, racist society, “white pride” groups, and the rantings of Sydney’s radio supported by the evidence that an elected politician was al“shock-jocks” (extremist radio commentators), rallied against lowed to express such intolerant views, was widely reported “‘Middle-Eastern” or Lebanese Australians who visited the in Australia and raised in the state and federal parliaments. beach area. In a supposed act of “Aussie pride” and a show This was seen as detrimental to Australia’s crucial trade and of strength against those who, it was claimed, insulted and other links and relationships in the region, a view that fiharassed women and lifeguards on the famous Cronulla nally led, two months after Hanson’s maiden parliamentary beach, thugs wrapped in Australian flags and carrying antispeech, to a reluctant Prime Minister Howard issuing a biimmigrant placards physically attacked anyone they believed partisan statement in parliament reconfirming Australia as was Middle-Eastern. Some people, fearing for their lives, had a racially tolerant society. Howard and other conservative, to be saved by police. On the following two nights, other Labor, Australian Democrat and Green politicians, together youths, reportedly of Middle-Eastern background and from with intellectuals, and much of the media, publicly repudiSydney’s western suburbs, rampaged through Cronulla and ated Hanson’s views over the next two years. At the 1998 nearby suburbs in revenge attacks physically assaulting resifederal election the major political parties worked together dents, and damaging shops, houses, and cars. Cronulla is to ensure that One Nation would return to the political wilone of Sydney’s most Anglo dominated areas, in a city that derness, and the party dwindled afterwards. There was also is the most multicultural in Australia, with over 30% of its a concerted public protest against One Nation with large, population born overseas. sometimes violent demonstrations staged outside public The events at Cronulla were shocking, and extremely meetings of Hanson’s party as it endeavored to attract memdamaging in the way that they confirmed the feeling among bers and explain its policies. many Muslim, and in particular Lebanese, Australians that The second is Australia’s ongoing treatment of asylum they were only considered second-class citizens at best and seekers, especially those who arrive by boat, brought to inoutsiders at worst, who should be ejected from the country ternational attention in 2001 by the Howard government’s they had believed was their home. Many had been born and dramatic intervention to prevent the Norwegian vessel MV raised in Australia, and yet were confronted with slogans like TAMPA, carrying more than 400 rescued asylum seekers, “We grew here, you flew here.” This humiliation and hurt from landing on Australian shores. For some, this act and the goes a long way in explaining the rage of the youths who carsubsequent “Pacific Solution” during which asylum-seeker ried out revenge attacks on the following nights, who specifiboats were intercepted by the Australian Navy and directed cally targeted those of Anglo appearance, and the property of to off-shore detention centers, was evidence of Australia’s reAnglo dominated suburbs. The 2005 troubles were seen as luctance to receive non-white immigrants, in this case Midthe culmination of a period of vilification of Muslims stretchdle-Eastern and mainly Muslim. The hardline approach to ing back to Australia’s involvement in the first Gulf war in asylum seekers proved electorally successful for the Howard 1991, intensified by the events of 9/11, and Australia’s ingovernment in 2001, though it was tempered in later years volvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Australia’s 22 Harvard Asia Pacific Review | Spring 2010