Sail 4 Justice recognises and asserts the sovereignty of First Nations people. We wish to pay our respects to the First Nations peoples on whose land and seas we travel and sail. We pay respect to the Elders past, present and emerging and to the strength of the Indigenous communities in ongoing struggles for self-determination. 

All refugees on Manus Island, Nauru and onshore are political prisoners. The Australian government and private corporations are committing gross violations of human rights, so we are sailing to bring the world’s attention to their torture and abuse of refugees. We are sailing in spite of the borders enforced by this government, because we reject their authority. Australia’s border policing and refugee policies are premised on the notion of Australia’s jurisdiction over this land. However, this country was occupied illegally, under the legal fiction of terra nullius – empty land. To this day, Australia has no treaty with the original sovereigns of this land. As uncle Robbie Thorpe says: “Indigenous people never ceded sovereignty over Australia. The Australian government has no legitimate right to grant or refuse entry to this country.”

We demand:

An end to all offshore processing and all mandatory and indefinite detention, offshore and onshore #closethecamps

Freedom for aĺl refugees and asylum seekers, including accepting the NZ offer of resettlement unconditionally

Compensation to all survivors of Australia’s border regime for the trauma caused

Decolonisation, compensation and genuine respect for Indigenous sovereignty and the self-determination of all First Nations people in the Pacific region, including so-called Australia

An end to the occupation of West Papua by Indonesia

Action for climate justice and an end to unsustainable and destructive industries, such as fossil fuels

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