" Maybe they just want to go to gaol. Goal better than detention
hell. People in gaol are allowed something to do. They cannot punish
all for what one person do and take away meals and hot drink. Not sit
you in sun all day you not do anything bad. Not take you in no clothes
and call you less than animal. Not spray you with gas when you just
sit not do any hurt anyone or break anything.. They cannot put in isolation
ten days, stop you visitors or phone tell your family you ok. My family
they will be worry for me , they not hear in five week, already they
have war and brother and one sister killed and my mother she cry and
think what they do to me. Now bombs every day and fighting south my
country. Taliban they kill my family now. Not UN stop them. Every day
now on BBC tell of bombs and many killed by Taliban. Why government
tell us you must go home "
The following letter sent to a supporter from a young man in detention
illustrates the feelings of so many of those in detention. Identifying
details have been changed for privacy reasons.
Hello, I'm Ali, 24 years old, single,
from Iraq.
How are you, I hope you are well, more than ever thank you so much
for your kindness and goodness. I'm also very grateful to canberra
the refugee action Group. You make me very surprise, it is the greatest
favour.
My pen isn't able to write a word worthy
of praising you.
I'm ashamed, that how can I compensate your kindness.
Regretfully, we really are missing the
best days of lifetime for nothing in this wrong place.
We have been affected by psychological problems.
I wish, I would have been sunken in the sea, but never arrived to
this land.
I have no idea with what hope, I can
continue to live, anymore. After two years of detention for who has
been charged with arriving to Australia as a refugee, of course, I
love Australian people who are thinking like you.
I hate this life full of objection and
oppression.
I'm also not agree with damage (fire)
and violence.
But these people are harassed from Government.
They are too tired and hopeless.
I'm so sorry that I make you nervous with these words.
I give thanks to you and (R.A.C.) for everything again (parcels)
God bless you.
Yours sincerely
Signed n
Extracts from Letters written after the fires in Baxter:
"On the 5th of January 2003 at 7.30 am seventy unskilled officers
in full riot gear entered into compound and took out every individual
person with a handcuff from their rooms and kept them for eight hours
in hot sun without any sip of water. While some of them were naked
and officers did not allow them to get dressed. Now-a-days we are
suffering in Australian mandatory detention without any cosmetic facilities.
They have even deprived us of our bed, shower curtain and mirror from
our room."
"After few days early morning when every one is still sleeping,
you know in detention
mostly people sleep late night and early morning. ACM officers went
to everyone's room, they pulled off their blanket. Some of the detainees
fell down from the bed and they were afraid and they were crying.
ACM put handcuffs on everyone. They don't give time to wear clothes,
mostly people came out from their room in underwear or naked. After
that we were sitting under a hot sun. After that one by one was strip
searched. They moved us from W2 to W1. When we came in W1 there there
is nothing, bed, chair, curtains, shower curtain. They removed the
places for sitting between the rooms.
You know personally I don't do those things like burning and destroying
some things. I never even participated in those things. Some body
did bad things but everybody has to suffer. It is not fair. Long time
I did not contact my family, I think they are worried about me and
why I do not call them, so how can I make contact with my family.
I have faced a lot of bad things in detention. I never ever used hand
cuffs in my whole life. When they put me in hand cuffs and sit me
under the hot sun I cried, I can't control myself, after that strip
search in front of two officers. It is a very shameful thing for me,
I cannot eat for two days. I thought about those two things (handcuffs
and strip search) they have not any respect. I don't know why they
treat us so bad, maybe we are not human because we are not white."
Refugee Action Committee
