A 13-day hunger strike by asylum seekers imprisoned by Australia on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, was suspended on January 26 after Wilson’s Security flew in reinforcement to storm compounds where detainees were on hunger strike.
The hunger strike was in response to plans to move those whose refugee claims had been accepted to a new camp on the island under the guise of releasing them into the community.
This new camp at Lorengau, the Manus provincial capital, differs from the detention centre only in that its inhabitants are more vulnerable to violent attacks by vigilantes.
This is the result of Australian policy to illegally refuse to resettle refugees who have claimed asylum in Australia and whose claims have been found to be genuine. A similar situation exists on Nauru.
“It is tragically ironic that the Immigration Department celebrated Australia Day by trying to stamp out free speech on Manus Island,” Refugee Action Coalition Sydney spokesperson Ian Rintoul on January 26.
“The information from Manus Island has put the lie to government statements about the mass protests since day one, when [Immigration] Minister Peter Dutton denied the protest was taking place. The government, the Minister, Transfield and Wilson’s have all been exposed as abusers of human rights on Manus.
“That news has gone around the world.
“The hunger strike has prevented the planned forced transfer of refugees to the accommodation at Lorengau that was planned for 22 January. Now the government must halt any plan to force refugees into that temporary housing. And address the stark fact that there are no arrangements for safe resettlement in PNG.
“Independent observers are still urgently needed to ensure there are no reprisals against compounds or individuals. Those held in isolation must be released. All of those in Lorengau jail must be returned to the detention centre.”
Protesting asylum seekers were taken to Lorengau jail, where 58 are still being held without charge, in violation of PNG’s constitution that forbids arbitrary imprisonment.
Australia’s human rights abuses against refugees have been receiving growing international attention. There have been protests in Berlin, Germany; Brussels, Belgium; Cambridge, England; and New York and Boston, US, as well as across Australia.
The Australian government’s response to this negative publicity has been to launch criminal investigations of journalists reporting the issue, the January 22 Guardian said.
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