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.

For the 194th man on Manus Island.

Dear Prime Minister,

Act urgently to save the life of Iranian cartoonist, 25-year-old Ali, whose pen-name is Mr Eaten Fish. We have had him imprisoned on Manus Island for nearly four years. He suffers from severe mental illness and has not eaten for more than a week. Behrouz Boochani reports that Ali is close to death.

https://eatenfish.com/page/2/#jp-carousel-208

https://eatenfish.com/page/2/#jp-carousel-208

What were you doing, Mr Turnbull, between the ages of 21 and 25? What was your son doing? What do you hope your grandchildren will do at that age? Australia's offshore detention is not just another one of your political tools that you and your fellow parliamentarians can play with in your own pursuits of power. You are inflicting pain, torture and death on real people with real lives who have rights as human beings to live their own lives free from such terror. Like you did. And your son did. But your grandchildren may not be able to, because you are part of the system that makes Australia a place of torture and pain, arbitrarily inflicted. You will not be able to control the consequences and they may eventually strike close to home.

Ruth HalbertComment