{"id":1298,"date":"2015-01-16T23:31:24","date_gmt":"2015-01-16T12:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/refugeeadvocacynetwork.org\/?p=1298"},"modified":"2016-02-07T17:33:29","modified_gmt":"2016-02-07T06:33:29","slug":"tell-mp-want-see-manus-island-detention-centre-closed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/refugeeadvocacynetwork.org.au\/?p=1298","title":{"rendered":"URGENT ACTION &#8211; Desperation on Manus Island &#8211; contact your MP"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Once more we are hearing reports of self harming and desperation amongst the asylum seekers held in detention on Manus Island in PNG. It is almost 12 months since the violence directed at the detainess by locals and staff, which left Reza Berati dead, and several other men seriously injured.\u00a0 There are over\u00a01000 men held on Manus Island, who are anxious about their future, fearing for their safety if they are &#8216;resettled&#8217; in PNG, and fearful of being deported to the dangerous situations they fled to seek asylum in Australia.<\/p>\n<p>Members of the Refugee Advoacy Network believe that Australia could and should bring these men to Australia, and ensure that they live with dignity and safety while their refugees claims are decided.<\/p>\n<p>We invite you to contact your local Member of Parliament and\u00a0tell them that you disagree with the current policy of offshore detention and that you want Australia to protect asylum seekers, and to\u00a0honour the UN Refugee Convention.<\/p>\n<p>IT&#8217;S EASY&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.please take\u00a0just a few\u00a0minutes to do this, and help to bring about policy changes.<\/p>\n<p>We suggest you contact your MP by emailing, sending a letter, and\/or phoning your MP\u2019s office.\u00a0 \u00a0See draft email below, which you may choose to use \u2018as is\u2019, or use as a basis for your own.<\/p>\n<p>To find your local MP go to:\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/tv\/qanda\/find-your-local-mp.htm\">http:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/tv\/qanda\/find-your-local-mp.htm<\/a> and type in your postcode or suburb. \u00a0You will find their contact details on either their personal website, or their parliamentary profile.<\/p>\n<p>We would also encourage you to send a copy to:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The Hon Peter Dutton MP, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection<\/span>, \u00a0( c\/- Electoral Office PO Box 2012 Strathpine, QLD, 4500) ,\u00a0 or\u00a0 PO Box 6022, Parliament House, Canberra\u00a0\u00a0 ACT\u00a0 2600\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Email\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"mailto:minister@immi.gov.au\">minister@immi.gov.au<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Canberra office \u00a0(02) 6277 7220 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Electoral office: \u00a0(07) 3205 9977<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The Hon Tony Abbott, Prime Minister<\/span>, \u00a0\u00a0( c\/- Electoral Office PO Box 450, Manly, NSW, 2095 ),\u00a0 or\u00a0 PO Box 6022, Parliament House, Canberra\u00a0\u00a0 ACT\u00a0 2600\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Email per <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pm.gov.au\/contact-your-pm\">https:\/\/www.pm.gov.au\/contact-your-pm<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Canberra office\u00a0 \u00a0(02) 6277 7700\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Electoral office: \u00a0\u00a0(02) 9977 6411<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The Hon Bill Shorten, Leader of the Opposition<\/span>, \u00a0\u00a0( c\/- Electoral Office PO Box 214, Moonee Ponds Vic 3039),\u00a0 or\u00a0 PO Box 6022, Parliament House, Canberra\u00a0\u00a0 ACT\u00a0 2600\u00a0 Email per <a href=\"http:\/\/billshorten.com.au\/contact\">http:\/\/billshorten.com.au\/contact<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Canberra office\u00a0 \u00a0(02) 6277 4022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Electoral office: \u00a0\u00a0(03) 9326 1300<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The Hon Richard Marles, Shadow Minister for Immigration<\/span>, \u00a0\u00a0( c\/- Electoral Office 17A Yarra Street Geelong, VIC, 3220)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0or\u00a0 PO Box 6022, Parliament House, Canberra\u00a0\u00a0 ACT\u00a0 2600\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Email <a href=\"mailto:richard.marles.mp@aph.gov.au\">richard.marles.mp@aph.gov.au<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Canberra office\u00a0 \u00a0(02) 6277 4330\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Electoral office: \u00a0\u00a0(03) 5221 3033<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Dear (MP\/Minister etc)<\/p>\n<p>I am writing to ask you to do all in your power to bring about the closure of the detention centre on Manus Island, and to bring the 1035 men who are currently detained there to Australia.\u00a0 The reports of their desperation, hunger strikes and self harm \u00a0are deeply troubling.\u00a0 These people have been held in limbo for up to 18 months, and it is clear they fear further violence \u2013 it was reported recently that locals massed outside the centre and that local staff smashed the kitchen in one of the compounds. \u00a0It is nearly 12 months since the terrible violence last year when locals broke into the centre, leaving one dead, several others seriously injured. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The detention environment, prolonged detention with nothing to occupy time and the unrelenting anxiety about their future erodes hope, and naturally leads to desperate actions.<\/p>\n<p>It is well known that many locals are hostile towards the refugees, and the prospects for their successful resettlement are very poor indeed, given the poverty, insecurity and lack of services in PNG communities.<\/p>\n<p>Australia has a duty to ensure the safety of these people.\u00a0 They \u00a0should be immediately brought to Australia and given at least temporary visas with work rights. \u00a0Australia can and must treat \u00a0asylum seekers with dignity and decency, and ensure that their refugee claims are processed thoroughly and fairly.<\/p>\n<p>I strongly object to the current costly, damaging, and punitive offshore regime.\u00a0 Many PNG nationals and community leaders also strongly object to these arrangements which have been \u2018sold\u2019 to PNG by Australia in return for aid assistance.<\/p>\n<p>What will you do to bring this \u00a0shameful situation to an end?<\/p>\n<p>Awaiting your reply<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(your name)<\/p>\n<p>(Address)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Once more we are hearing reports of self harming and desperation amongst the asylum seekers held in detention on Manus Island in PNG. It is almost 12 months since the violence directed at the detainess by locals and staff, which left Reza Berati dead, and several other men seriously injured.\u00a0 There are over\u00a01000 men held on Manus Island, who are anxious about their future, fearing for their safety if they are &#8216;resettled&#8217; in PNG, and fearful of being deported to&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":43,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,230],"tags":[231,232,215],"class_list":["post-1298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archived-press-releases","category-letter-writing-and-lobbying","tag-letters","tag-lobbying","tag-manus-island","post-has-thumbnail"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>URGENT ACTION - Desperation on Manus Island - contact your MP - Refugee Advocacy Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/refugeeadvocacynetwork.org.au\/?p=1298\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"mhapke\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/refugeeadvocacynetwork.org.au\\\/?p=1298#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/refugeeadvocacynetwork.org.au\\\/?p=1298\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"mhapke\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/refugeeadvocacynetwork.org.au\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4a309304f27d7eb54c33df6d8adaa83e\"},\"headline\":\"URGENT ACTION &#8211; 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