Human Rights Alliance update: People burying themselves in protest. This cannot go on

Asylum Seekers at Christmas Island Detention Centre, Green and Gold compounds, said they have had enough, they cannot cope and remain sane and that there would be en masse suicides, both their bodies and minds having endured far too much ("had enough, no more").

Australia has a reached a new low, a nadir, with Asylum Seekers digging shallow graves and some buried themselves to their necks to symbolise what these illegal detention centres and the racism towards them by our Government is doing to them. They have threatened grievious self harm and suicide so as to find freedom from the persecution that they feel.

They are harming themselves, and protesting in a conscientious effort to be heard.

We cannot sit idly by and let them go unheard. We cannot allow this unwarranted suffering.

Australia, already in a state of disaster in relation to the Government's maltreatment of our Asylum Seekers, is staring into the abyss, and is on the precipice of a never before seen disaster, an unparalleled human tragedy, one that never needed to happen and where at least one where we can still avoid what appears at this time otherwise the inevitable.

Protests continue. Christmas Island is not alone, let us not forget Scherger, and Darwin will resume its public pain. Human suffering continues. The majorly silence continues.

Human Rights Alliance Convener, Gerry Georgatos
0430 657 309
gerry_georgatos@yahoo.com.au

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Refugee Action Coalition Statement 22nd July For the third day in a row, asylum seekers have initiated protests inside the Christmas Island detention centre. This (Thursday) afternoon, asylum seekers in Gold compound have barricaded themselves in their compound.

The, mostly Iranian, asylum seekers have said they will commit mass self harm or even suicide if the Federal police try to break into the compound to force an end to the protest. The exact number of asylum seekers inside the barricaded compound is not known, but the compounds can house up to 140 detainees.

Echoing the demands of the March events, the protesters are calling for the media to come to the detention centre to witness the conditions in detention. They have also called for the United Nations to send independent human rights watchdogs to the island to ensure their safety and human rights.

“We cannot get justice from the Australian government or immigration. We wnat international observers to give us protection,” one asylum seeker told the Refugee Action Coalition.

Meanwhile asylum seekers in the Green compound have dug shallow graves in the courtyard of their compound. Some asylum seekers have already staged mock burials and buried themselves up to their necks in a symbolic protest that detention is killing their bodies and their minds.

It is understood that Serco management’s push to use a greater degree of force to end the protests is creating concern among Serco guards who are increasingly worried at the use of force against the asylum seekers. Serco is proposing to single out detainees to be handcuffed, placed in a padded helmet and imprisoned in the Red 1 management compound.

http://refugeeaction.org.au/2011/07/22/more-protests-at-christmas-island/