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.

Imminent danger on Manus island

Dear Prime Minister,

On 23 June, Lynne Murphy wrote:

“Australia’s puppet colony of PNG continues to place dangerous and illegal pressure upon refugees to [either] participate in their own refoulement back to persecution in their own countries, [or] move to a place known to be unsafe for refugees and where they face persecution and attacks with critical, life-threatening consequences.”
— Lynne Murphy
Notice from PNG Immigration 23 June 2017

Notice from PNG Immigration 23 June 2017

At the same time, a young refugee was attacked and seriously wounded by some PNG men.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jun/26/manus-island-refugee-needs-medical-treatment-in-australia-after-alleged-knife-attack

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jun/26/manus-island-refugee-needs-medical-treatment-in-australia-after-alleged-knife-attack

Prime Minister, as the local police chief, the local parliamentarian and the detainees on Manus Island themselves have repeatedly said for the last four years, PNG cannot resettle the refugees and they can have no safety outside the fences of Manus RPC. These men are Australia's responsibility. Bring them here now.

danger, corruptionRuth Halberttorture, Manus Island, human rights, Australia's responsibilityComment