From Manus prison to Australian voters --> via @KateSusabu


https://twitter.com/KateSusabu/status/742921974926606337

Behrouz Boochani, journalist illegally imprisoned by Australia on Manus Island [15/6/16]:
 

From Manus prison to Australian voters:

The Labor party says that if they get power in the next election that they will immediately allow journalists to visit their Guantanamo prisons. The Liberal party countered saying that they don't have to allow journalists to visit the prisons. This absurdity, this ridiculous game is the Australian political space running up to the election on July 2nd.

The Labor party exiled people to offshore prisons.

The Liberal party continued to hold these people hostage and torture children, women and men in these same prisons. In opposition, the Labor party has remained calm and supportive of these tortures and killings people in these prisons.

The Labor party has not supported the refugees and has chosen not to hear the voices of the refugees over the past 3 years.

The Labor party supported Morrison and Dutton as they continued to grow their power base and their ability to torture people with impunity. Labor even supported the Bill that gave the Immigration Minister unheard of powers in Australia. This barbarous policy of deterrence has been supported and enacted by both the Labor and Liberal parties and it is important to remember that the Labor party cannot exonerate itself in regards to the cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, the torturous and murderous treatment, that so many of us who have sought asylum continue to experience as international law is flouted.

Why is it that people, journalists, human rights defenders in Australia do not continue to ask the Australian state why they will not allow independent journalists into their Guantanamos?

It seems from here that many Australian people are accepting of the pale excuses the government gives or, aware of the reality that the government does not want the true depth of torture in these prisons to be known, stop asking, stop demanding that the Australian government answer to its people.

Why is it that the Australian polity do not take up their rights and responsibilities that are supposedly inherent in a democracy? So much news, documents, writings and interviews have been sent outside of this prison to Australia and even some refugees lost their lives in these Guantanamos.

How is it that many Australians can say they are not aware? How much more do we need to report? How many more people have to die, lose their sanity and health in order for Australian citizens to listen and act?

When all responsibility is placed onto the Australian government, the citizens of Australia become limpets, refusing to take responsibility for the treatment of fellow humans. We cannot say that it is only the Australian government responsible for these policies, it is also the responsibility of the Australian polity.

I want to speak about my experiences inside this prison as a journalist who is trying to work at the best of his ability. I have experienced systematic censoring of my work over the past 3 years. Most of my articles are published in independent media, with a notable few exceptions.

I believe that when Labor speaks of granting journalists access to these prisons that this is a cruel joke, a dirty political game. Over the past 3 years, Labor could have supported and forced access for journalists to these prisons, they could also have listened to the works of writers, journalists, artists and human rights defenders and amplified our voices, made our voices and reports part of the mainstream. They chose not to.

I believe that the independents and the Greens should raise these questions and highlight the very obvious propaganda that the Labor and Liberal parties are spreading. It is clear that these two parties are playing with Australia's international interests. It is clear that these two parties are invested in the torturing of children, women and men.

To the Austrailan people, think deeply, use your own thoughts and ability to question. Watch and examine how the Australian political parties will use advertisements and propaganda to try to make your minds up for you, to stop you thinking independently.

We in these prisons, are being used for political aims, women, children and men are used in this power play.

You too are used in a power play.

Hold your government and all the political parties to account.

You have a voice. Use it.

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