Join an emergency rally for refugee rights in response to the latest outrages from the Abbott government's refugee policy. This policy has resulted in the death of a refugee on Manus Island and the serious injuries of 77 more. (See the account below)
Friday 21 February
PERTH: 5:30pm Murray St Mall (near Forrest Place)
FREMANTLE: 4-6pm, Pioneer Reserve (opposite Freo Train Station)
[The following account has been put together and released late on
February 18, 2014 from multiple sources that various Refugee Rights
Action Network activists have complied after collating a multitude of
communications our activists have received over the last few days
directly from asylum seekers and staff based on the island. This
contests many of the claims by the Australian government.]
Asylum seekers have been staging peaceful protests at least twice
daily for over two weeks at the centre. Protests turned violent starting
on Sunday the 16th of February. The asylum seekers had a meeting at 2
o’clock in the afternoon with Australian Immigration, PNG Government,
The Salvation Army & G4S staff.
Several asylum seekers have reported that a pack of dogs were used as
security during the meeting. Although it is not uncommon to use dogs as
security in the Pacific, they have especially strong connotations of
control and hostility for people from the Middle East.
The meeting was meant to answer questions about their visa
processing, and questions raised at a previous meeting on the 5th of
February. Asylum seekers had demanded a substantive response to their
questions.
There was significant ambiguity in answering questions and strong
implications that processing hadn’t started, nor any clear answers about
resettlement.
Some asylum seekers have reported they were told they would not be
resettled in Papua New Guinea. Others have said they were told they may
be resettled in PNG, but it would certainly not happen in the
foreseeable future.
The asylum seekers revealed that they discussed the results of the
meeting within their respective communities in the internment camp &
decided to start a peaceful protest at around 6pm that night. As near
as can be determined, all the different ethnic groups were in agreement
on a protest that evening.
The PNG locals – both staff working in the center and people living
in the vicinity of the camp – started to throw stones over the fence
into Mike, Foxtrot and Oscar compounds.
Some of the asylum seekers in Oscar compound escaped through a hole
in the fence between Oscar and Mike compounds and went into the jungle. 8
of them were arrested and beaten by the local people before being taken
to IHMS (the medical service providers). Two asylum seekers were
transferred to Lorengau hospital later in the night.
The guys in Foxtrot compound broke the fences between Foxtrot and Mike compounds and moved into Mike compound.
Following this, the “PNG Special Forces” became involved and the
asylum seekers from Foxtrot compound in Mike were forced back into
Foxtrot and everything was calm again until 8pm.
At 8pm, the local PNG G4S and other locals attacked Oscar and Mike
compounds. They entered Oscar compound and started beating asylum
seekers with what has been described as by the asylum seekers as
‘’swords and bats,” which other sources have called “hunting knives.”
Around 15 people were wounded at this time. They received wounds in the
forms of cuts to their neck, shoulders, thighs, back and head. They were
taken to IHMS for treatment of their wounds.
The locals couldn’t enter Mike compound, so they started throwing
stones at asylum seekers from 3 sides of the fence. At least 4 people
were hit on their head, shoulders and feet by stones. It was reported to
RRAN that these locals even managed to hit and injure an Australian G4S
officer with a stone thrown over the fence. The asylum seekers had no
stones inside the centre to retaliate with. They were stuck inside the
compound whilst being attacked.
It was reported by staff in the centre and asylum seekers that the
guards had been inside the compounds over the previous week and had
cleared out all the stones and all objects that could be used as
projectiles.
RRAN also heard reports that staff had moved beds into a central
location prior to the conflict, which is where asylum seekers were later
treated.
The guys in Foxtrot compound again wanted to go to Mike compound to
assist those injured in that compound, but special forces interfered and
forced them back.
In Mike compound, the locals and PNG G4S staff weren’t allowed back
into the centre or the compounds. The asylum seekers began to clean the
compounds and reported that they “were even running the internet and
phones.”
The asylum seekers report that staff placed ‘’containers’’ or ‘’iron boxes’’ at the gates “so no one can escape.’’
The following day, Monday the 17th, it was again reported that there
were no staff inside the centre. It appears as though all Australian
staff were evacuated to a ‘safe” area (Australian Navy vessels).
The
asylum seekers left to fend for themselves. This is a similar scenario
to that reported in October when the local Police Special Forces Unit
(locally known as the “mobile squad” or “death squad”) and PNG military
personnel stationed on the island engaged in a pitched battle outside
the perimeter fence of the internment camp with rifles, semi-automatic
guns, swords, hunting knives and rocks.
The locals are reported as ‘’breaching’’ the fence in Mike compound
and the asylum seekers all ran into Foxtrot compound. The locals turned
off the power and raided the compounds attacking all clients.
They pulled them out of bed and pulled them from under beds. They
found people hiding in cupboards. The asylum seekers in Foxtrot compound
were hiding under the containers and were then dragged out and beaten.
3 people were shot but are still alive. Australian workers on the
island report that people had serious injuries such as broken legs,
arms, stab wounds and wounds to the head from rocks. Advocates heard
gunshots ringing in the background of phone calls with asylum seekers on
Monday.
Asylum seekers reported that the local used white weapons and bush
knives. Unconfirmed reports stated that at this time G4S guards were
holding two Iranian asylum seekers in a headlock position whilst
simultaneously holding knives. At some point, the asylum seekers started
“bleeding profusely” from the neck. There has been no suggestion that
G4S intentionally wounded the asylum seekers, although that was
certainly the result.
One supervisor tried to help the asylum seekers escape the locals by
allowing them to re-enter the compound through a side gate. He then
became subjected to the attack by having stones thrown at him. The
people inside Oscar tried to defend him by throwing stones back at the
locals, but were also surging the gate to escape together. Police then
intervened.
One asylum seeker is dead from a head wound after being struck by a rock.
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