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 #73

Dear Prime Minister,

In the draft report on the condition of the compounds on Manus Island the details of the appalling physical condition of the buildings and facilities have been compared to a poorly run maximum security prison and fail to meet even the most basic of standards. Australia is funding a detention centre which has extremely punitive levels of security which are illegal for a refugee camp.

When will you accept Australia's responsibility for the detainees on Manus Island and Nauru and start the long-overdue process of our international reparation by following UNHCR's advice: that "Australia accept all transferred refugees and others with international protection needs."?

Bring them here

Ruth Halbert

politicsRuth Halbertrefugees, Manus Island, United Nations, human rightsComment