MD Imran writes of the fear of living in PNG
Dear Prime Minister,
This is why the detainees on Manus cannot resettle in PNG.
“We have been imprisoned for almost four years and we have deteriorated physically and mentally. However, now we are expected to live a normal life in the community in PNG with no chance of healing and without help and support.
We respect people, but in return we have been robbed, beaten up and assaulted and more importantly, lives have been lost, yet it is the refugees and asylum seekers who remain the victims. It is believed that we will never be able to build a normal life in PNG as we are introduced as criminals by Australian government and as a result there will be no respect for us.
Many Australians have visited Manus Island and having seen and experienced it with their own eyes, their initial reaction is that it is not a safe place to stay. They have seen how traumatised we are. When we go into town we are desperate to go back to the prison centre. One day one of the Wilson security guards asked me why we are impatient to return to our prison camp. He just couldn’t understand our situation, that although we are completely sick of this hellhole, it is the only place where our mind can relax, as we know that we are not going to be robbed, beaten up or assaulted for no reason.”