[The following
letter was sent to Australian human rights groups on January 2 by Afghan
asylum seeker Juma Khan Nazari, imprisoned in Topside camp on Nauru.]
Since December 24, the detainees of State House detention [one of the
two detention camps on Nauru] have been protesting against the Australian
government. Their demand is to be released from detention. There are almost
160 detainees in State House detention. Most of them have been denied refugee
status.
The IOM [International Organisation for Migration] has moved about 50
detainees to Topside detention. The rest of them are surrounded by Nauruan
police and Australian police (Australian Protective Service). They have
stopped the water supply and the food supply to detention. Some detainees
and some APS [officers] got injured in the protest. Except for security
guards, no one can go inside detention. I don't have much information about
State House detention. It was the information I have got from those who
have been moved to Topside detention on December 29.
Topside detention: We are still suffering from water shortages. We have
salty water for just two hours in a day. Some days we don't have salty
water. There are almost 500 detainees in Topside detention at the moment.
If the number of detainees reduces, the IOM reduces the water too. The
health care is getting worse, day by day.
The Australian police (APS) come inside detention in large numbers.
The number of security guards is decreasing. The IOM has warned us to make
friendly relations with APS from now. The IOM has warned those detainees
who had cancelled [their] last flight to go on the next flight this month,
otherwise they will lose the money given by the Australian government.
They don't think of our problems in Afghanistan. The IOM works behalf of
the Australian government and fulfils what the Australian government says.
I appeal to the Australian humanitarian people and humanitarian organisations
to put pressure on the government to not force us to return and to not
push us into the fire of Afghanistan again. Have mercy on innocent people
(refugees). We are waiting at your door and requesting you to grant us
shelter in your country. Women, children, old and young, are looking at
your door, when you will open it?
[A documentary about the conditions for asylum seekers locked in refugee
prisons on Nauru was made by Melbourne activist Kate Durham and BBC journalist
Sarah MacDonald, when they visited Nauru undercover in June. It has been
screened in Britain, but not yet in Australia. The ABC indicated that it
was “not interested”.
[To obtain a copy of the film, send an empty video cassette box in a
pre-stamped, self-addressed package to Julian Burnside, 205 William St,
Melbourne, Victoria, 3000. No further payment is required. For queries,
email <jb@julianburnside.com>.]
From Green Left Weekly, January 22, 2003.
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