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.

Vomiting blood

Dear Prime Minister,

After days of peaceful protest at Manus RPC while Australian Federal Police and PNG police cut off power and water to the main compound there is now a medical crisis. Some of the men who collapsed and were moved to the medical facility are vomiting blood.

We see it. We see the photos of the Australian uniformed officers acting illegally. We see the Manus detainees protesting peacefully. We see the crate of water bottles locked outside the main gate in the full sun, beyond the reach of the detainees. We see the knife wounds, the skin sores, the missing teeth, the mounds of uncollected rubbish. 

And we see hundreds of mostly young men, 4 years imprisoned and tortured, yet still peaceful, non-violent, trying to use reason and words to change their dire situation. Why haven't you brought the refugees to Australia yet? Where is Minister Dutton? Why is this still going on?

activism, dangerRuth HalbertManus Island, torture, Australia's responsibility, human rightsComment