Imran Mohammad writes from Manus Island.

July 17, 2017 Ruth Halbert

Dear Prime Minister,

Imran Mohammad, a stateless Rohingya man, who asked Australia for refuge in 2013 and was instead locked up on Manus Island has written the following:

Hi dear friends, I have written a letter for you all so that you can read our words on the 19th. If you are asked to read something in the vigils anywhere in Australia, please feel free to use my letter. It is a message to you all that I have written on behalf of all the refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru. We need your voice and support to end this war on our lives. This is my letter- On this day in 2013, an announcement was made by the then Prime Minister of Australia which would destroy any hope we may have had of becoming part of Australian society and somewhere we would be able to live in safety, love and be loved in return. We have been trapped in inhumane settings, on Manus Island and Nauru, for the past four years. It was unnecessary to imprison us in this isolation indefinitely. We are living in limbo and still aren't aware of what our future holds. My heart aches knowing that Australia warehouses newborn babies on Nauru and it is unimaginable what mothers and fathers, whose children are growing up without any hope of going to school, whose world has been dominated by high fencing and guards and whose playing equipment is rocks, are thinking. We have seen rioting on Manus, during which one of our men was beaten to death; been shot at with live ammunition; simple illnesses have been neglected, resulting in death; we have been beaten by locals using machetes and so on. There is no need for every day to begin with misery, lies, and torment, which makes us suffer from extreme depression. We have always been uneasy and uncertain of what our future held but sadly, the extreme level of vulnerability, grief and insecurity has become much worse. This is not the Australia where we thought we would gain our fundamental rights. We have asked for nothing except a safe place to live. Surely, this is not asking too much. It seems we are to be abandoned, as the Detention Centre is set to be demolished by October 31. The Australian government has no proper plan for our future, and we are neither welcomed nor wanted in PNG, where there is still no visa category or any permanent settlement plans in place for refugees. On behalf of all refugees and asylum seekers I would like to thank you, our friends and advocates, from the core of my heart, for your love and support which has sustained us during this unbearable time. We will be forever grateful. May God bless you all for giving your precious time to protect our lives and may He fill all of your dreams and bless you with the love and happiness you deserve.

https://www.facebook.com/md.imran.5688476/posts/1401473183273255?pnref=story

Prime Minister, bring all people in offshore detention to Australia now.