WELFARE WARFARE

So yesterday’s alleged bank-burning attempted murderer turns out to be an Islamic asylum seeker who may have been upset over a delayed welfare payment. There’s a shock.

So yesterday’s alleged bank-burning attempted murderer turns out to be an Islamic asylum seeker who may have been upset over a delayed welfare payment. There’s a shock.

The Herald Sun reports:

The 21-year-old Springvale man believed to have set fire to himself in the Commonwealth bank in Springvale is thought to be an asylum seeker from Myanmar and considers himself a part of the Rohingya community.

A Rohingya Community leader said the man had lived in the area since about 2013.

The Rohingyans are a Muslim minority in Myanmar, who have faced persecution there.

Australian Burmese Rohingya Organisation president Habib Habib said he believed the man was expecting a welfare payment this week that did not come through.

The man’s mental health had deteriorated since he had been within the community, Mr Habib said.

Good news for him: the man won’t be a part of that community again for a very long time, if ever. Two people remain in a critical condition following yesterday’s blast:

Of the six people with serious burns taken to The Alfred yesterday, this morning one remains in a critical condition, one patient is “critical but stable” and four patients are now in a stable condition.

Were it not for the heroism of Ash Atkin-Fone and Junior Dean that count would be far worse.