Beginning in 2001, the Australian government established a so-called ‘Pacific Solution’ policy that allowed for the transportation of asylum seekers to detention centres in neighbouring foreign Pacific Ocean islands. Most of those detained were attempting to arrive in Australia by ramshackle, overcrowded boats heading south from Indonesia.
The policy, which included interceptions at sea, was ended in 2008 by the then newly-elected Labor Party government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. "The Pacific solution was a cynical, costly and ultimately unsuccessful exercise introduced on the eve of a federal election,” commented, at the time, then Australian immigration minister Chris Evans.
Welcoming the end of the scheme, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement: "Many bona fide refugees caught by the policy spent long periods of isolation, mental hardship and uncertainty - and prolonged separation from their families."
But in 2012, ahead of elections in 2013, the Labor government led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard revived the scheme, re-opening the detention centre on the small Pacific island republic of Nauru, and another in Manus Island, in northern Papua New Guinea (PNG). Conditions in the camps have been regularly denounced by the UNHCR and rights groups as inhumane.
In July 2013, one month after he was returned to office as prime minister, Rudd announced the signature of a Regional Resettlement Arrangement with his PNG counterpart Peter O’Neill, by which any asylum seeker arriving by boat to Australia without pre-arranged residency authorization would never be granted asylum in the country. The scheme, which allows for those found to be what Rudd called “genuine refugees” to be resettled in PNG (and the others to be deported), runs contrary to international law as set out both by the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the State of Refugees (CRSR) and, in its practice, international maritime law.
In the operation to prevent asylum seekers from entering Australia, the country’s navy patrols the seas between the mainland continent and Indonesia, to the north, to intercept vessels carrying migrants in so-called ‘turnback’, or ‘push-back’, operations in which the boats are forced out of Australian waters.
Those asylum seekers who do make it to Australia, in the form of the country’s Indian Ocean territory Christmas Island, situated relatively close to Indonesia’s southern shores, are held in an isolated centre for subsequent transfer – by chartered aircraft - to Manus Island or Nauru. The process is subject to no legally-defined duration of time between the moment of their internment and that of their transfer. Until July 2013, asylum seekers arriving on Christmas Island were sent on to detention centres on the Australian mainland.
According to the Australian authorities, the number of illegal immigrants attempting to enter the country has soared over the past two years. A report by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection found 14,436 people had sought “Australia’s protection” in a period of 12 months up until June 2012, rising over the following 12 months to 26,427. That compares to a yearly average of 6,000 asylum seekers recorded over the period 2001 – 2011.
The rise corresponds with the multiplication of zones of conflict and tension worldwide. The countries of origin of those seeking asylum notably include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar and, especially recently, Syria.
Elected as prime minister last September, Tony Abbott, from the centre-right Liberal Party immediately launched Operation Sovereign Borders, which had been part of an electoral pledge by the coalition of centre-right parties which he led. Operation Sovereign Borders is a military-led policing operation involving several government agencies headed by Lieutenant General Angus Campbell of the Australian army.
Benjamin Pynt is a lawyer and the Director of Human Rights Advocacy with the NGO Humanitarian Research Partners based in the west Australian city of Perth, and which describes itself on its website as dedicated to “hold government accountable for human rights violations against refugees and asylum seekers”. He is in contact with several asylum seekers in the camps on Nauru and Manus Island. Pynt told Mediapart how Operation Sovereign Borders carries out its ‘turnback’ operations, describing the specially-built vessels to which asylum seekers are transferred from the ramshackle craft upon which they have been intercepted by the Australian military and sent back to Indonesia. “They are sort of orange-coloured submarines,” he said. “There are some twenty or thirty in existence, which cost 250,000 [Australian] dollars a piece. But because these operations are carried out in all secrecy, the exact figures are unknown.”
Enlargement : Illustration 3
In an interview with Australian TV channel Network Ten in January, Prime Minister Abbott defended the secrecy of the operations. "If stopping the boats means being criticised because I'm not giving information that would be of use to people smugglers, so be it," He said. "If we were at war we wouldn't be giving out information that is of use to the enemy just because we might have an idle curiosity about it ourselves".
The Indonesian authorities in February complained that Australian navy and customs vessels had on several occasions breached international law by carrying out turnback operations in Indonesian territorial waters.
But the Australian government insists that the maritime intervention operations are succeeding. A joint statement issued in March by prime minister Abbott and his immigration minister Scott Morrison noted: “The last successful people smuggling venture to Australia occurred on 19 December last year. During the same 100 day period a year ago (20 December 2012 – 29 March 2013), 66 illegal boats carrying 3879 people arrived […] This is the longest period without a successful venture since before the Howard Government's strong border protection policies were abandoned by Labor and Kevin Rudd in August 2008 […] The Coalition went to the last election with clear policies to stop the boats. We are delivering on our pledge to stop the boats. The government has made difficult but necessary decisions to secure our borders and restore what Labor had destroyed. These strong policies are saving lives. Operation Sovereign Borders is working as intended. […] The people smugglers now understand that the way to Australia is closed.”
'The guards and security managers allowed militias inside'
At the detention camp in Nauru, which has a capacity of housing some 1,000 people, including women and children, there have been incidences of cholera and typhoid.
The camp on Manus Island, where the revolt took place in February, is destined exclusively for adult male internees and has a capacity for 1,300 people. Some have complained of the lack of fresh water, and malaria has been rife. In March, The Guardian Australia revealed a leaked note written by the private contractors managing the camp and which alleged several unaccompanied minors were held in the camp. A reportpublished last December by Amnesty International, entitled ‘Human rights violations at Australia’s asylum seeker processing centre on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea’, and which followed a visit to the camp in November by a delegation from the NGO, described how it is divided into blocks of living quarters which carry names like Foxtrot, Bravo, Oscar, Mike and Delta, the latter reserved for those who are ill or considered otherwise fragile. Each quarter is surrounded by 2.5 metre-tall metallic fences and patrolled by security guards hired by the Australian government.
Detainees on Manus Island are not allowed to take incoming phone calls, but are allowed to phone out. They also have limited access to the internet. Medical care is provided by a privately-run company, International Health and Medical Services, a subsidiary of medical services group, International SOS. In 2012, the Australian Salvation Army, which is publicly opposed to the operation of offshore processing centres, was contracted by the Australian government to provide welfare services at the camp (and that in Nauru). But Canberra announced in Decemeber it had ended the contract, with effect from February 1st.
Tensions had been simmering at the camp for some time before the revolt that began on February 16th. The detainees, exacerbated by poor living conditions, were increasingly frustrated that their asylum demands were not being treated. The tensions boiled over into angry protest after they discovered that they would never receive asylum in Australia but, at the very best, those deemed to be “genuine refugees” would be allowed to stay in PNG while the others would be deported.
The February 16th revolt began in the early evening after a meeting between the detainees and camp officials. “Representatives of the Australian authorities were present, along with police officers with guard dogs,” recounted lawyer Benjamin Pynt of Humanitarian Research Partners. “The Papua New Guinea government had made known to the detainees that they were there forever, indefinitely, and that there was no question of examining their demands [for refugee status].”
A protest by detainees quickly descended into violence. Some detainees reportedly chanted insults about PNG and some were armed with sticks according to an Australian security guard cited by The Sydney Morning Herald. The protestors were chased back into their blocks by the camp’s PNG private security guards, employed by British-based security multinational 4GS, while some resisted and even briefly escaped before being captured and imprisoned. The clashes, which also saw locals, angered at the chants of the detainees, throwing rocks into the camp, ended in beatings.
One man reportedly suffered a wound to his throat. Video footage released earlier this month by Fairfax Media (see video below) shows the guards, employees of private security firm G4S, brutally chasing after detainees. Immigration minister Scott Morrison announced that 19 detainees had needed medical attention after the events that night. Several security guards were also hurt, which The Sydney Morning Herald reported were mostly hit by the rocks lobbed into the camp by the crowds outside.
Mediapart has had access to the text of a letter written by one of the camp's detainees decribing the events that evening, and also those of February 17th, and which was sent to several lawyers acting to defend asylum seekers' rights. The asylum seeker, whose name is withheld, wrote (sic):
"There was a meeting on 16th of February between Immigration and representatives of the transferees. During this meeting Immigration were supposed to give a definite response to the transferees questions. The answers which Immigration gave were unclear and inaccurate, that triggered another protest. On the same day the "16th of February" at 6:15pm some of the transferees escaped from Oscar compound and after 20 minutes got caught by a group of locals, they also got beaten like animals. One of the transferees had his throat slit by a machete and another one had his nose broken and a number of the escaped transferees were beaten with sticks and bats. The news of Oscar compound spread to all of the compounds and all transferees were scared, they did not expect locals to be as harsh and brutal as they were. A few moments later about 100 locals with big sticks, swords and machetes stood in front of Mike and Foxtrot compounds, the Foxtrot transferees were trying to break the fences to enter Mike compound which is next to Foxtrot compound to increase their abilities to protect themselves against the possible invasion of locals. The local G4S dressed in riot clothing came in front of the fences. While G4S were breaking into the compound to suppress the protest, one of the Australian G4S, "AMY" had started throwing stones at the transferees. all asylum seekers were shouting because of her misbehavior, then more stones to transferees by local G4S. Asylum seekers were scared and threw stones back, on the other hand approximately 40 locals G4S with 15 local people began to throw stones from the beach side of Mike compound and most of the asylum seekers were terrified. When expatriate G4S were aware that locals were throwing rocks, they tried to stop them bu they could not control the situation, consequentially local G4S began throwing stones at the expatriate G4S as well."
The atmosphere remained highly-charged throughout the day of February 17th. Some detainees tried to break out of the camp. Early in the evening, the violence broke out again. The asylum seeker's letter cited above recounted the events as follows (presented here in its original text, including highlights): "The next day on the 17th from the early morning until 12pm in front of each compound around 150 locals and polices were standing with machetes and long sticks, and they were threatening all the transferees, stating "WE WILL KILL YOU".
"Mike compound was calm until 9:30pm, suddenly and deliberately the power was cut off and the locals started throwing stones and rocks from road side and beach side of Mike compound. some asylum seekers tried to break the foxtrot fences again to help Mike transferees, some of the transferees tried to stop the locals attack by hosing water at them using water hoses, they even covered the main entrance door using trunks to prevent locals from invading. the conflict was continuing about two hours.
"The sound of gun fire scared the transferees, "Police got involved", all of them went back to their rooms to be safe, while the locals and national G4S and Police had broken the fences and the main gate, they had invaded from both sides. The locals, PNG Police, and Riot G4S were beating all the transferees and aiming just their heads, like they were aiming to kill."
The full text of the letter, passed to Mediapart by a legal cousel representing the asylum seekers, can be found on Page 4.
Benjamin Pynt talked on the phone with several detainees during the events, and he recounted what they told him was happening. “Inhabitants of the island, local police officers and other people, positioned outside the camp, threw into it stones and all sorts of missiles,” he said. “The detainees tried to barricade themselves in. Around about 10 p.m. the electricity was cut off. The [camp] guards and security managers allowed sorts of militias inside, inhabitants armed with machetes, sticks, guns and rocks."
According to the accounts given to Pynt, and those given to other lawyers who were in contact with detainees, that was when the carnage began. Reza Barati, a 23 year-old Iranian detainee, was beaten to death with rocks. “He had left the information room, where people have access to the internet, running,” said Pynt. “He was in his room. He put his head outside to see where the threat was coming from. That was the moment when seven people, including camp staff, set about him. He was attacked with rocks. He was hit over the head. He died on the spot or shortly afterwards, we don’t know precisely.”
The Australian government said the horrendous violence left 77 people wounded, 13 seriously and one critically. Rights campaigners estimate the number of wounded at 250. Between midnight and half-past midnight, the camp’s communications system went down. Phone access for the detainees was resumed five days later, while it took two weeks to restore their internet access. Detainees took photos, between February 19th and 25th, of the wounds they sustained that night (see separate photo-reportage here) and these were sent out on a private messaging system via Facebook between March 2nd and March 4th. They show severe head wounds and bruising to faces and bodies, and an apparent bullet wound to one man’s buttocks.
British daily The Guardian has since published an amateur video which shows there had been people wounded from gunshot. Some 60 bullet impacts were found on the ground, building ceilings and on the walls of the blocks, the latter at body height.
One detainee reportedly lost an eye after being wounded with a hunting knife.
'I knew war zones, dying in the ocean would be better'
When PNG police opened an investigation into the violence, their Australian counterparts declined to assist. Benjamin Pynt said the camp authorities quickly tried to erase some of the evidence of the attacks. “The nights following the violence, the detainees were brought together to sleep in the centre of the camp,” he said. “During this time, teams of cleaners came to erase the traces of blood before the investigators arrived.” Nine weeks on, little detail has been given about the progress of the Royal Papua New Guinea Police Constabulary investigations, and no-one has been arrested or charged over the events.
While there has been no repeat of the February events, Pynt said that the atmosphere inside the camp is execrable. The detainees are reportedly concerned about the return of locals working among the camp’s staff, and also PNG police officers – both of which were banned from the centre in the immediate aftermath of February’s events.
Until March this year, the camp’s security, catering and cleaning services were managed by British multinational private security firm G4S (which has been cited in a number of controversies concerning its practices). Its contract was ended by the Australian government last year, at the same time as that of the Salvation Army, and its brief was given to the Australian firm Transfield Services.
A statement published by an association campaigning for refugees’ rights, Refugee Action Coalition Sydney, cites what it describes as a G4S document in which it tells detainees that if, in the event that PNG police “are required to enter your compound” fire warning sirens will be sounded on and off. “If you hear the sirens and are not part of the riot sit down and put your hands on your head,” the cited document reads. “G4S personnel will then attempt to move you to a place of safety,” it adds.
“They are afraid of being killed, they don’t sleep anymore, they mount guard duty,” said Pynt. “Locals and police officers gesture to them as if with a knife under their throats.”
After the detainees requested that G4S bar outsiders from entering the camp, the staff suggested that they look after the cleaning and catering work themselves. The detainees complain that, after this, food supplies became inadequate, leading to the distribution by G4S of pre-prepared meals but which were again insufficient to feed all the camp’s occupants. Some reportedly complained of stomach pains, leading to others refusing to eat their own rations.
In a joint statement, the Australian and PNG authorities earlier this month announced that they were underway with processing asylum demands from detainees in the camp. That was met with disdain from the Australian Greens party spokeswoman on immigration affairs, Sarah Hanson-Young. “The Coalition’s scant regard for the safety of refugees was revealed recently when Tony Abbott declared that most of those on Manus Island would be sent home,” she said. “Concerning statements like these have left the impression that any refugee determination process established in PNG will be a sham.”
There had been several alerts to the situation within the camp before the events in February. In November 2013, the UNHCR published two reports on the camps in Manus island and Nauru which it denounced “arbitrary detention in conditions that do not meet international standards”. In December 2013, it was the turn of Amnesty International to publish its own damning report of the conditions of the camp on Manus Island, which a delegation from the NGO visited between November 11th and 15th.
“The Australian government is holding more than 1,000 asylum seekers in shameful conditions in a processing centre on Manus Island,” wrote Amnesty International in its presentation of the report. “Asylum seekers are being held in a prison-like regime, in extremely cramped compounds in stifling heat, while being denied sufficient water and medical help. Most have fled horrific situations and risked their lives in their efforts to reach Australia.”
“Foxtrot’s P Dorm is particularly concerning and violates obligations under the UN Convention against Torture. It has a corrugated iron roof, no windows and only two small working fans to be shared between 112 men in overcrowded conditions.”
“Amnesty International also heard testimonies of humiliating treatment from the moment the men are transferred to the RPC. Detainees are mainly referred to by their boat ID numbers, and many cite cases of verbal and physical abuse by staff, including being kicked, punched and shoved.”
Amnesty International Australia’s National Director Claire Mallinson said “the mixture of stifling heat, sweat and moisture leaves a permanent, overwhelming stench. Asylum seekers reported finding snakes in the room and flooding when it rained.”
Amnesty International quoted “one medical professional” as saying: “This is the process of how you break someone mentally. These conditions are contributing to a range of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, lack of sleep and trauma, especially for men from war zones.”
Just two months later came the horrific events of February 16th and 17th.
During its visit to the camp, the NGO interviewed a 43 year-old Iraqi man who told the delegation: “I have lived in war zones, with bombs and explosions. I have never experienced what I am experiencing here with the uncertainty we face. If we had died in the ocean that would have been better.”
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- Mediapart has obtained a series of photos of some of those injured and wounded during the savage attack on the Manus Island camp in February. These are presented in a separate report which can be found here.
- The French version of this article can be found here.
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English version by Graham Tearse
The following is the full text of the letter, previously cited in this report, sent by a detainee of the Manus Island detention camp, whose name is withheld for fear of reprisals, to several Australian lawyers representing the rights of asylum seekers. As in the extracts contained in this article, the text is recopied from the original as exactly it was written:
"This complaint is in reference to the incident which happened on Manus island on 17th of February 2014. The peaceful protests started on 1th of February in Oscar, Foxtrot and Delta compounds, the next day Mike also became involved in the peaceful protest.
The main reason for the protest was to get some specific answers about how long we have to stay in this detention center and where we are going to end up.
There was a meeting between Immigration, G4S staff and representative's of transferees on the 5th of February and they were supposed to respond to these questions within 10-12 days.
The peaceful protests continued in all compounds until 13th of February, after which they stopped for 3 days and the protests were only of one hour duration a day from 10pm-11pm, the protesters voiced the message " WE WANT FREEDOM, PNG HELP US and PNG SUPPORT US"
the points is: On 6th of February the cleaners and G4S cleaned stones and rocks from Mike compound and made the compound clean of any stones and rocks, so everyone knows that who started throwing the stones!during this time some transferees' property and belongings were lost.
The transferees also witnessed the theft of their property, some of the local G4S staff stole transferees belongings after interrogation by Australian G4S supervisor, local G4S staffs confessed that they stole belongings from transferees rooms during lunch time.
There was a meeting on 16th of February between Immigration and representatives of the transferees. During this meeting Immigration were supposed to give a definite response to the transferees questions.
The answers which Immigration gave were unclear and inaccurate, that triggered another protest.
On the same day the "16th of February" at 6:15pm some of the transferees escaped from Oscar compound and after 20 minutes got caught by a group of locals, they also got beaten like animals.
"One of the transferees had his throat slit by a machete and another one had his nose broken and a number of the escaped transferees were beaten with sticks and bats.
The news of Oscar compound spread to all of the compounds and all transferees were scared, they did not expect locals to be as harsh and brutal as they were.
A few moments later about 100 locals with big sticks, swords and machetes stood in front of Mike and Foxtrot compounds, the Foxtrot transferees were trying to break the fences to enter Mike compound which is next to Foxtrot compound to increase their abilities to protect themselves against the possible invasion of locals.
The local G4S dressed in riot clothing came in front of the fences.
While G4S were breaking into the compound to suppress the protest, one of the Australian G4S, "AMY" had started throwing stones at the transferees. all asylum seekers were shouting because of her misbehavior, then more stones to transferees by local G4S.
Asylum seekers were scared and threw stones back, on the other hand approximately 40 locals G4S with 15 local people began to throw stones from the beach side of Mike compound and most of the asylum seekers were terrified.
When expatriate G4S were aware that locals were throwing rocks, they tried to stop them bu they could not control the situation, consequentially local G4S began throwing stones at the expatriate G4S as well.
When the locals stopped throwing stones, expatriates came back into the compound but they did not let any local to enter any of the compounds, such as; Cleaners, Salvation Armies and G4S.
That night most of the transferees went to Australian G4S supervisor, they explained their concerns to him and requested for a safe place, he responded that one of the G4S guards will come around and write down the names of those who were scared, he also mentioned they will be move to safe place by the end of the day.
They did not provide dinner until 2am and most of the transferees were waiting to be moved until 5am but nothing had happened.
The next day on the 17th from the early morning until 12pm in front of each compound around 150 locals and polices were standing with machetes and long sticks, and they were threatening all the transferees, stating "WE WILL KILL YOU".
When the asylum seekers passed the messages to the Australian G4S members they said: "We are already aware and we have been advised to stick together and be ready for any attack from them", they also mentioned "Don't worry, we will protect you as much as we can".
Mike compound was calm until 9:30pm, suddenly and deliberately the power was cut off and the locals started throwing stones and rocks from road side and beach side of Mike compound. some asylum seekers tried to break the foxtrot fences again to help Mike transferees, some of the transferees tried to stop the locals attack by hosing water at them using water hoses, they even covered the main entrance door using trunks to prevent locals from invading. the conflict was continuing about two hours.
The sound of gun fire scared the transferees, "Police got involved", all of them went back to their rooms to be safe, while the locals and national G4S and Police had broken the fences and the main gate, they had invaded from both sides.
The locals, PNG Police, and Riot G4S were beating all the transferees and aiming just their heads, like they were aiming to kill.
The value of a transferees life had came down to only one pocket of cigarette!
The Police and the National G4S would asked for a pocket of cigarette and if you would not give one, they would beat you.
The worst and the most terrifying behavior of the PNG Police was that they were aiming and firing at the innocent transferees with their guns, even now the containers which were transferees Shelter and rooms are full of tracks of bullet holes.
Everywhere was covered by blood as it is obvious in photos (walls, rooms, lockers, beds),
After beating a multitude of asylum seekers, they dragged all of them in the main yard and they were verbally cursing and abusing them, they also stated "YOU ALL MUST GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRIES, WE DO NOT WANT YOU TO BE IN OUR LANDS".
Joshua a local employee by The Salvation Army, who identified as an offender, amongst the local he was witnessed using a bat to repeatedly strike a client over the head.
Most of the windows and lights were broken and smashed by locals to create fear.
After the incident when the attack and shooting ceased, some of the asylum seekers were denied to go to medical for treating their wounds.
The reason was that few of transferees had beaten in the Ambulance by local G4S and local G4S in the Ambulance also tried to choke transferees on the way to medical.
The Final result of that vicious attack is: 350 persons out of 400 people in Mike compound got beaten hard, 147 got serious injuries, one of the victims of that attack was found unconscious in his room after 24 hours.
there hadn't been any access to Internet and Phones since 17th of February until 3th of March, because they were scared to expose whole of story truth the Media and the world and now after 19 days after incident, when the vehicles take transferees to IHMS(medical) in the way to IHMS there's lots of locals who show them sign of cutting throat, and threat them to death, they are hanging around of compound with machetes, every single moment there is a risk of local attacks, and still there's some missing asylum seekers that there is no trace of them and being missed after incident.
It's the first time that such an incident is happening in asylum seekers compound all around the world.
There is no excuses for: SHOOTING INSIDE ASYLUM SEEKERS COMPOUND, KILLING ONE INNOCENT PERSON WHO WAS SEEKING ASYLUM, 2 PERSONS WHO GOT BLIND, 1 PERSON GOT SHOT IN BUTTOCKS, AND THE ROBBERY THAT HAPPENED WITH LOCALS DURING THE INCIDENT
till when you go to passages of the accommodations during the night time, you can hear that asylum seekers are groaning and moaning and jump off from their beds! Thruma effect is still going on, all of them are shocked and scared, and they faced with serious mental issues.
"Tony About" & "Scot Morrison" are claiming that this policy has been succeeded (PROCESSING OFFSHORE) because ; no boat has entered Australia's territory, but it's not because of the policy, It's because of the navy force that closes the sea way and is returning the boats back to Indonesia, and the boats are still coming..."
End of text of letter.