Refugees expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Australia for giving them a safe home and for restoring their basic human rights.
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They gathered on Thursday for International Human Rights Day at Lake Albert, where they celebrated their newfound freedom with their fellow refugees.
The event was organised by the Tibetan Community in Wagga, and their president Sherab said nobody in the community took their human rights for granted.
He said the Tibetan community faced constant persecution and human rights violations at the hands of the Chinese government, which is why he fled the country in 2003.
He spent 49 days crossing the Himalayas on foot, travelling through the night and hiding during the day from bounty hunters and Chinese border guards.
He eventually made it to India before getting refugee status in Australia in 2019, and he has enjoyed his newfound rights ever since.
"As a human being we are all born with human rights. It's a birth gift, and in a lot of places, especially China, a lot of minorities don't have those rights," Mr Sherab said.
"In Australia we all have human rights here that are protected, and we are all happy here."
Myanmar refugee Hpi Redamwang said his Kachin community, a largely Christian ethnic group, faced decades of rape, torture, and murder at the hands of the Burmese military.
He himself was beaten by soldiers, sent to work in a labour camp, and forced to live on meager rations while living in Myanmar.
He managed to escape to Malaysia with his family, where they faced further discrimination until they were granted refugee status and allowed into Australia in 2019.
Mr Redamwang said he still cowers whenever he sees a police car, but is slowly getting used to not having to live a life of fear in Wagga.
"We live in fear and poverty, but the worst thing is fear. The fear is still inside me, and I am slowly adjusting in Australia," Mr Redamwang said.
"That's why I am so grateful to the government, the local people, and the traditional land owners of Australia."
Yazidi refugee and high schooler Eevet Hasan said the community cherished the safety of Wagga, with many having lost entire families to ISIS.
"To us as a Yazidi community, human rights means having freedom of feeling safe, acting independently, and make choices for what you want to do in your life," Ms Hasan said.
"Through Australian humanitarian organisations we have been able to feel safe, educated, and get the freedom every human being deserves."
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Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
