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.

End offshore detention #226

Dear Prime Minister,

Even if the United States takes 1250 refugees from Australia's offshore detention centres there will be approximately 400 people left behind. The Papua New Guinea government plans to close the detention centre by October. Minister Dutton was recently in PNG but has refused to discuss any changes to Australia's untenable position of leaving the asylum seekers in PNG: the refugees can't settle there and the local people can't support them. We have done untold damage to the detainees and wasted billions of dollars on this inhumane stalemate. Time is running out, Prime Minister. What are you going to do?

rhetoric, politicsRuth HalbertManus Island, refugees, closethecamps, bringthemhereComment