Over the last 10 days, hundreds of asylum seekers in Manus Island detention centre have courageously protested against the Abbott government’s refusal to process their claims for the last 18 months.
Braving physical violence, threats, intimidation and a lack of running water and basic supplies, more than 700 refugees inside the camp have regained some control over their lives and bodies in the face of an inhumane regime.
On 19January, guards raided the compound, arresting dozens and transporting them to Lorengau prison. Others have been interrogated in order to identify “ringleaders”. Many have been placed into solitary confinement as punishment, and some reports indicate that detainees have been taken from medical treatment facilities for questioning.
Disgracefully, if not unsurprisingly, new immigration minister Peter Dutton has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to locking up innocent people. “Whilst there has been a change of minister, the absolute resolve of me as the new minister and of the government is to make sure that for those transferees, they will never arrive in Australia”, he said.
Below is a statement penned on 18 January by protesters within the Manus Island detention centre.
----------
From – Foxtrot Compound
To – Mr Peter Dutton
We would like to say today about your policy that if you do not wish us to come to Australia, then that’s okay. It's your country. But it does not mean you have the right to settle us in PNG.
We can tell you today this is enough, 18 months of suffering here. You claim humanity and justice, but there is none of this here.
We want to ask what kind of case takes more than 18 months to resolve? We are not toys for you to play with and not animals to imprison us here. We can say that when we woke up today, we are resolved to die here in order to bring back our dignity and freedom.
It does not concern us what our destination is, but we did not come to PNG as our choice. If you send us back to where you found us, it is better for us to live with sharks and whales than to stay one more day with inhumane people – animals can eat humans, but here we have people who are likely to do the same.
So this is a promise Mr Dutton, we will keep going with our peaceful protest until we gain our freedom. And after all this time, force will never work with us.
And finally to all people sympathetic with us, we ask you to help us because here [we] witness a slow death every day.
We all ask the Australian people to raise this question with their government – why does your government hide everything about Manus OPC [offshore processing centre], and not allow any of you to visit? Could it be that the Australian people will find this place is unfit for human beings to live?
We undertook a dangerous boat journey to escape torment and murder. We did not come to ask Australia to open your doors to us, only to find more suffering and trauma. Now our biggest hope is for a solution as quickly as possible, because we are all weary of this place.
These words are from all the men in the Foxtrot compound in Manus Island.
