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.

Minister Dutton lies

Dear Prime Minister,

The evidence strongly refutes Minister Dutton's claims of adequate security in East Lorengau Transit Centre, West Haus and Hillside on Manus Island. Locals enter the buildings seemingly at will, sometimes in the middle of the night. Security let them in despite preventing media and aid agencies from entering. Some locals have been drunk and threatened violence, others demanded food. Security guards tried to force the prisoners to delete videos they had taken of the incidents.

As Behrouz Boochani says, the incidents show the growing anger of local people over the relocation of asylum seekers and refugees to the main town on Manus Island. Does Australia's offshore detention policy extend to provoking violent attacks by disgruntled landowners on Australia's prisoners who cannot leave and cannot defend themselves? Why have you not yet sacked Minister Dutton?

Ruth HalbertComment