Ruth Halbert
artist, weaver
Paper boat Rud.jpg

Blog: Dear Prime Minister

On July 30 2016 I started writing letters to the Prime Minister of Australia to protest against the imprisonment and torture of the asylum seekers in the offshore detention centres of Manus Island and Nauru. I started with the intention of writing a letter a day for every person in detention until they are all freed. There are more than 1800 asylum seekers in off shore detention. These are those letters and any response from Mr Turnbull.

Letters to Tyranny #43

Dear Prime Minister,

I have been writing to you for six weeks and I have not yet received a reply. Today I am writing about asylum seeker #43 on Manus Island Mr XXX XXX from XXX. On behalf of Mr XXX and all the other detainees on Manus Island and Nauru, please respond to the following questions:

  1. Will you oversee change to our laws by inserting a legislative requirement that Australian law must be made according to International law (including refugee and human rights law)?
  2. Can you lead the change in our language and policy from hostility to compassion?
  3. When will you act to meet Australia's international obligations to resettle the offshore detainees in Australia?
  4. How quickly can you act to reverse the damage done to Australia by the Pacific Solution?
  5. Can you work with the Labor opposition and government of Papua New Guinea to provide the asylum seekers on Manus Island with immediate plans to resettle them in Australia?

Yours faithfully

Ruth Halbert

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