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Introduction
My name is Carol Hucker. I have been a case worker for many years, previously
working with disadvantaged job seekers and people with addiction issues. I hold a
Bachelor’s Degree in Counselling and a Cert IV in AOD (Alcohol and other drug) Work.
I worked on Manus Island as a counsellor (IHMS – International Health and Medical
Services) and a case worker (Salvation Army) from June 2013 to July 2014. My formal
duties included conducting relaxation, discussion and activity groups, conducting
regular assessments of my caseload and responding to a variety of requests from the
men in detention. In my free time I was able to go to compounds to get to know them.
This was done through having lunches, chatting on walks or socializing. During formal
duties and one on one counselling appointments an Interpreter was allocated to the
groups. When talking informally, some of to the men who could speak English well and
would interpret for the other men during our discussions. I have written this account so
that people can become more aware of what is happening on Manus and understand
what is happening for these men. It is my hope that through this brief account that the
men on Manus will not be forgotten.
First Rotation: June/July 2013
I first arrived in Port Moresby (POM) in June 2013 and was immediately hit by the
intense heat and humidity. This was winter in Papua New Guinea. As was the norm, to
get onto a flight from POM to Manus Island, was chaotic in the domestic airport. There
didn’t seem to be any orderly lines for boarding the flight. Then if the plane hit the
weight limit, due to freight on the flight, which was always given priority over paying
passengers, the airliner would let no further passengers on that flight. This was called
being ‘bumped’ and this happened many times to staff and to locals alike, regardless of
the fact that they had booked. People would then need to spend a night in a Port
Moresby hotel until the next available flight. Before I departed my employer briefed me
not to leave the hotel grounds. The hotel was guarded by a security fence with security
guards. We were told to ask for designated rooms in the safe part of the hotel. IHMS
staff had previously been assaulted at an area of the hotel which was considered
unsafe. We were also told not to go out of the hotel into the city, due to the high
incidence of crime.
Arriving on Manus, it was even hotter and more humid than Port Moresby. The security
company met the plane and arriving staff took the buses provided to the detention
centre. On my way to the camp I saw incredibly dense jungle on one side and on the
other side palm trees and beyond that the sea. The jungle became denser on both sides
until we got closer to the camp. On the way local people would wave to the bus from the
side of the road and smile easily and staff would wave back. The roads had lots of pot
holes and travelling over them was uncomfortable. Driving into the naval base, where
the detention centre is located, we passed the local community of houses, schools and
church
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A wire fence encompassed the camp. Security guards let the bus into the centre
through the gates. Once inside all personal luggage was searched and we were told
that it was a dry camp, meaning that no alcohol was allowed. Alcohol that was brought
in was confiscated on the spot by security. At that time staff accommodation was
located within the centre. Prior to leaving Australia I was told by my employer that my
accommodation would be in a container, and shared with one other person. At the time I
thought that this would not be difficult as two people to a container would be fine.
However the accommodation was one half of a 20 foot container. There were two single
or two bunk beds in the rooms. There was a space for minimal luggage under the beds
and some hooks for clothes at the end of the bed. The container had no windows but
was air conditioned. In the morning I would come from a darkened room into daylight
and the light would be blinding when I first went outside. There were approx. 8
combined communal shower/toilets. The quality of these blocks was very ordinary. In
the showers there were holes and some of the little local lizards would crawl in and
have a shower with me. There was no hot water and none was ever needed on the
Island. These toilet/shower blocks were used by about 100-200 staff.
The detention centre was on a PNG naval base. There were many army style buildings
left over from WWII, when the Japanese had occupied the Island. These buildings had
semi-circular tin roofs and fibro walls. Salvation Army and G4S shared their office in one
of the larger of these WWII buildings which was extremely hot. Often times the
temperature would be between 40-50 degrees Celsius, often it was cooler outside than
in the office. Some other of these buildings were also in Foxtrot Compound and
included the mess area, library, storerooms, interview room and school room.
The ground in the compounds was very white and uneven with a lot of coral and rock
protruding and minimal grass. On my first orientation tour of the camp I was taken to
the Family compound. A few families remained as they were transitioning to Christmas
Island. I had little to do with them at that time. For families, there were approximately
12x10 foot rooms in one block, 6 rooms on either side. Each room contained two bunk
beds. The rooms had fans and were not air conditioned. In the middle there was a
common area for each block where there were some tables and chairs for socializing.
Within this compound, the families had a large dining area, and somewhere they could
exercise, there were also school rooms where the children were taught. When all of the
families were relocated to Christmas Island the compound was renamed Foxtrot. The
single adult males, who had been living in tents, were housed in Foxtrot and the tent
accommodation was pulled down.
Foxtrot was close to the kitchen area. The kitchen gave off a very pungent, nauseating
odour. I would hold my breath as I walked past. It was very close to an accommodation
block. The people told me that when it rained the smell died down a little bit.
After leaving the Family compound I was led into the ‘tent’ compound which housed the
single men. Men were living in green army tents, which were hot and humid (steamy)
and had a very strong tent smell. The men often reported that snakes would come up
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under the floorboards and they would find them in their tents under their possessions.
As Manus is a tropical Island, rain would occur (most times it was torrential) on a daily
basis and it was explained that the snakes were trying to get away from the rain. The
green army tents housed about 6 men and the men were issued with big fans for the
tent. This accommodation seemed overcrowded and the men seemed to lack energy
but they were friendly. There were a couple of large white marquee tents which were
used for teaching English lessons and general groups. Men would sometimes sleep in
this area, as it was air conditioned, to get some relief from the heat. They were often
chased out and told not to sleep there by security.
At that time people had allotted exercise times on a large oval located in the centre and
opposite the staff accommodation. The oval was accessed via a walkway which went
from each compound, behind the staff accommodation to a gate. The men had to wait
for security to open the gate so that they could walk the short distance across to the
oval, which was a large grassy area. People would normally exercise by running,
walking, playing volleyball, cricket or soccer.
During this rotation I mainly got to know the men, through the groups that I conducted
with another counsellor and by socialising with them. One man was a qualified
carpenter and at the time, an open air gym with a roof was being built in the corner of
the oval. I asked him what he thought of the quality of the construction. He just shook
his head and said, ‘no good, no good’. He explained that there were no proper tools and
that there was no method to the construction. As an experienced carpenter he could
see the flaws in this structure. However, there were never appeared to be any problems
with the structure in terms of safety. Another man I met had converted to Christianity
and he would conduct Bible studies with other men, who then converted to Christianity.
He told me that his Bible study group was increasing in numbers regularly. He was
supported and guided in his endeavors, at his request, by the Chaplain from the
Salvation Army. Another man told me that he had come by boat as he had been bashed
in his country for speaking out about Government injustice. His family had sent him on a
boat as they feared for his safety. He had taught himself to play a large wooden
recorder. It was very clear that when he played it, the music came from his heart. He
told me that his original recorder had been confiscated and he asked me to find out
where it was because it was valuable. I attempted to find out where it was several times
but was consistently given conflicting information about its whereabouts and how he
could get it back. I had to tell him that I could not find out any information, which he
accepted. The recorder he played had been given to him on loan from the Salvation
Army as it had been donated by someone in Australia. Before I left he asked me to
come to his compound so that he could play a farewell song. I had tears in my eyes as
he played as the song felt so moving. He often entertained the men with his playing and
it appeared as if it had a very calming influence on them.
On Manus I had my first experience of Ramadan. It often meant that the men were too
tired to come to morning groups. Some prayed four times a day, others three and this
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often included prayers during the night and early morning prayers. Most men took part
in this religious festival. From my perspective the call to prayer was very special to hear.
Makeshift prayer rooms and tents were established in the compounds for Ramadan
communal prayer times. Even though the spaces were often small for prayer, the men
took great care to keep this space clean. Watching the men pray was touching. They
were so committed and respectful. My own Christianity was often challenged as I
watched their devotion. From this I first learnt the term Inshallah, meaning ‘God willing.’
The men would say this often about many things that were impacting on their lives. I
also learnt that when they touched their heart, with their right hand, that this was a
greeting of great respect.
New men would arrive on Manus on a weekly basis. When they arrived they often
looked exhausted. I could see the shock on their faces as they became accustomed to
their surroundings. At that time the majority of the men had a lot of hope of settling in
Australia. The announcement was made that if they had come before July 19th, 2013
they would be processed as refugees on Australian soil and people who came after that
date would be processed for PNG resettlement. Most of the men there had come before
the cut-off date and were sent to Australia to be processed. About a week after I left
nearly all of the men were sent to Australia. The camp was empty for a short time until
more recent arrivals were transferred in.
In July Tony Burke made a fleeting visit to Manus Island. I didn’t see him but I heard his
evaluation of the tent accommodation as ‘adequate’. A large white marquee tent had
been prepared for his visit but he did not stay for lunch.
There are two incidents that stand out in my mind on this rotation. The first was a huge
thunder storm. The thunder was so incredibly loud it woke nearly every one up. Some of
the men were affected by this as they had left countries where loud noises meant
bombing. The next morning we went to see if the men were ok and if they had been
traumatized. Some were clearly shaken and those who were affected were referred to
counselling with the medical team, the mental health nurse, the psychologist or the
counsellor.
The second incident was the riot on Nauru. We were advised as part of staff orientation,
prior to leaving Sydney, to have a ‘go’ bag ready in case an evacuation was necessary.
A staff member told me that previously staff and refugees on Manus had been
evacuated after a tsunami warning. We were told to put our documents in this bag as
well as some non-perishable food, water and any personal medication etc. On the night
of the Nauruan riot we were told to take our bags and to assemble in our office area.
We were told that the men knew that the riot was taking place on Nauru. All Internet and
phone connections were terminated by the security staff so that the men could not get
any information about what was happening on Nauru. Security feared that a riot would
also take place on Manus. We were put into teams to prepare medical supplies. We
were not told if our colleagues on Nauru were safe and found out the next day that staff
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had been evacuated prior to that camp being burnt down. We were told by security to
return to our rooms once there was no threat of a riot.
Towards the end of my rotation the Australian Army came and I saw them measuring
out the oval. I didn’t give it a second thought at the time because the oval was very
important for the general physical and mental health of the men. I did not anticipate that
this would change.
That was my first rotation and I was very ready to return home to process my
experiences. When I got home, I felt that my experiences had been positive, despite the
extremely difficult conditions. The men had seemed welcoming and there was no sense
of them being under any pressure. I was excited and ready to return for my next
rotation.
Second Rotation: September/October 2013
When I finally arrived on Manus the staff were not taken to the centre but to a jetty. On
this rotation staff were accommodated on an Australian navy vessel, the HMAS
Choules. To get to the accommodation, navy or army barges were used to ferry people
to the Choules. The accommodation was bunk style, with 24 people sharing a room.
Men and women were accommodated in separate rooms on the same floor. On my floor
there were 4 rooms (i.e. 96 people), 5 toilets and 4 showers. Amazingly it seemed to all
work well.
The next day I commenced my rotation at the centre. There were many changes to the
camp. First there were many more men. These men had arrived after the cut-off date of
July 19. Previous staff accommodation, within the centre, had been turned into Delta
compound. However, the accommodation in Delta now housed four men to every room.
One of the men on my caseload, was living in a very mouldy room and he and his
roommates were moved to another room. However, the bunks broke in this room and
there were two men on single beds and two on the floor. These bunk beds were
eventually replaced but as with everything on Manus, nothing happened in a hurry. Two
of the men slept on the floor and if the other two men wanted to go out it was difficult as
there was nowhere they could put their feet, without stepping on someone. The men
continually complained about the local cleaning staff regarding the cleanliness of the
toilet/shower area. Some offered to clean these areas themselves, but were not
allowed. Delta and Oscar compounds were created in response to an increase of men
transferred from Christmas Island and the Australian mainland. Delta now had a fence
around it, which did not seem secure. This was obvious when a man who was
attempting to self-harm ran at one of the fence poles. He was expecting the pole to be
strong as he wanted to seriously hurt himself. He only managed to knock down the
fence, much to everyone’s surprise. Fortunately he did not hurt himself. Whenever I
walked past this compound I would see the men near the fence saying hello, making
requests or talking to other men in the compound opposite (Oscar). Much of Delta
compound was under cover. There was not much room for exercise and only some
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areas of the compound received sunlight. Due to the lack of space in this compound,
English classes, groups, canteen and religious services were held at the end or middle
of the blocks. One room (the size of a bedroom in this compound) was set aside as a
Muslim prayer room. There was no mess in this compound. The men were sent to the
mess in Foxtrot in small groups of 5-10 at a time. To get there, they had to walk along a
track behind their accommodation. If it was raining, deep puddles would quickly develop
and the men became skillful at dodging these puddles. The men had to line up for meal
times, and they often lined up early to get a good spot. The Delta compound men were
not allowed to mix with the men from Foxtrot.
Another compound that was created became known as Oscar. Oscar had previously
been the exercise oval. All of the grass had been ripped up during the building of the
compound. The new compound consisted of a mess, accommodation blocks, shower
and toilet block and a shared group/canteen/prayer tent/case management interviews
area. A couple of the men tried to grow a vine in front of their accommodation block but
were told to take it down. Security told them they could only grow flowers outside their
blocks on a very small patch of ground. Some men were successful at doing this. There
was a large patch of ground left in the middle of this compound, half the size of the
original oval. The ground was now the same white, with coral and rock and protruding.
The men in this compound would play soccer, cricket, volleyball, gym or walk and run
around the compound. The men would divide themselves into country of origin teams
and would participate in competitions for cricket and soccer. Scrapes and bruises would
often result, especially after a competitive game of soccer or cricket. One of the men
had to receive medical treatment after being knocked out during a game of soccer. The
gym area in Oscar was the only place that had shade. It was located at the opposite
end of the compound from the mess tent. Prior to meal times the men would line up
early to get a good spot for the mess. They had chairs to sit on as they waited to be
admitted. The men would be let into the mess tent 5-10 at a time, by security. Sitting in
the sun and humidity made waiting hot for the men. Some men would not bother to eat
during the day as it was so hot or they would wait until the queue had dissipated to eat.
Counselling groups were run in the shared long marquee tent, which was airconditioned. At the end of this tent was the Muslim prayer area. It could be chaotic
trying to provide counselling groups due to the competing demands of the other
provider’s activities. Times would be coordinated between providers and Australian
Immigration, so that activities would not clash. However, in practice activities often
clashed. At this time a large number of relaxation groups were conducted by IHMS
counsellors. At the time, these groups worked well with the men. The IHMS mental
health team leader instructed the counsellors on what groups to provide and ultimately
Australian Immigration directed the provider on what groups to provide. The thinking
behind this was to give the men skills to handle their time of being in detention.
Sometimes the groups worked well with the men, however, due to a majority of men
having experienced trauma it would only help in a small way. It did not keep their
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nightmares away or help them to sleep better. We would often remind the men to do the
deep breathing techniques that we were showing them. Most of the men would do this.
Counseling was sometimes difficult for other reasons. One day, in a group that I was
conducting, a man who would come often blurted out to me, ‘I don’t want your
understanding, I want you to do something.’ I felt so confronted by this that I didn’t
exactly know how to respond. The next day he apologized to me for saying it, but I
assured him it was ok to say that and that he did not need to apologise. Men with
trauma were referred to the psychologists. During this rotation it was announced that a
specialist trauma counselling service would be coming to the detention centre to assist
with the men’s trauma issues. A list that was made for the trauma service was quickly
filled and had to be triaged. At times some men had to wait many weeks before they
were seen. This was not so much about the trauma staff but about the amount of men
who had arrived with post-traumatic stress issues from their countries.
In groups that I would conduct I would often ask the group for volunteers to run the
relaxation. The men coming to the groups had been coming since July and I would say
to them that they were the experts and would be able to run them. The men liked this
and would eagerly volunteer to do it. One time a man who told me that he was a civil
engineer, read a poem that he had written to the group. It was not translated to me by
the interpreter until after the man had finished. But I saw the emotional effect that it had
on the group. The interpreter later told me that it was about having courage, strength
and not giving up.
I also conducted activity groups. To make this more interesting I would often structure
these groups as a competition in which small prizes were given out to the men who
won. The men enjoyed these groups and were so competitive with one another. At the
end of the group there was always an ultimate champion and it appeared to have a
profound effect on the men to be named the ultimate champion. There was much
clapping and laughing during these groups. I also ran a singing group. These men had
fantastic voices and great rhythm. We would chant the name of someone in the group
so that he would sing. There was never too much persuasion. We would have
drumming on the tables, clapping, anything that could be played was played. It was a
very special time and it felt that no one was in detention but just in a backyard at home
having a relaxing time. During other groups I would allow the men to tell me their
grievances. Some of the men told me that they had insects coming from the ground
through the floorboards in their blocks. I checked on this with the person who was
responsible for spraying the camp to prevent malaria. I told him of the men’s concerns.
He told me he would look at the problem to see what was happening and I relayed this
back to the person who had asked me. Another man was angry at not being listened to.
He was from a minority ethnic group in his country. He felt that his group was not being
properly represented in the community talks in the centre. He spoke nearly perfect
English and was University educated. I approached the provider who looked after this
and I was able to go back with an answer to him. It took a couple of months but he was
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eventually recognized as a community leader for his group, which made him and his
fellow countrymen happy.
Oscar was opposite Delta with a one lane ‘road’ between them. To get to our office staff
needed to walk down this road. Some staff referred to this as the walk of shame. At staff
meetings we were always told not to talk or to look at the men behind the fences.
However, I and some other staff members could not do this and we would often stop to
have a chat. One day a man called me over to tell me that he had missed his
medication round. I immediately went to the medical staff and told them what had
happened and they brought him his meds. I often talked to the men behind the fence. It
was disturbing to do this and I thought that we should not have to talk through fences.
A new compound was also under construction at this time and it became known as
Mike. There were no more tents in any compounds.
Foxtrot was another compound in which counselling groups and other activities were
provided. Most of the groups in Foxtrot were held in the back of the mess. This area had
mainly been used for tea and coffee, morning and afternoon tea. When groups were
conducted a security guard and an Interpreter were provided. It was a nice space for
groups with the doors at the back of the mess having a view of the ocean and palm
trees. Foxtrot had a mini gym, which was under cover. There were some personal
trainers among the men who would assist with the physical fitness of other men plus
give some tips to the staff. There were also staff activity officers who oversaw some
formal training with those who wanted to work out. Some men were keen to keep doing
this to maintain their physical fitness. Others would do it every so often. Other men
would run around the compound. There was a volleyball area and needless to say it
was very competitive. This was when the men looked most alive. There was only one
formal canteen in the compounds and this was in Foxtrot. At the time, Delta and Oscar
had mobile canteens where goods were brought in to be given to the men. Men could
get things like soda, chocolate and chips if they had enough points. Men were allocated
a certain number of points each week. Extra points could also be obtained if they
attended any scheduled activity. For example, counselling groups, exercise groups,
English classes. Points could also be exchanged for cigarettes. Men who didn’t smoke
would collect cigarettes as they were used for currency with the local security guards
and local people. The cigarettes were exchanged for a variety of things, for example,
portable head phones. Some deals were negotiated through the fence with the locals,
who were very accessible at that time. Razors were given out regularly but strictly on an
exchange basis, that is, old for new. Foxtrot also had computers for Internet use and
telephones. There was a rotation for men to ring home and this included all compounds.
Internet was used for those in Foxtrot.
During this rotation the men were caught making alcohol. The pure alcohol that was
being made was considered dangerous to the men’s health. To combat this, security
banned and took away all sugar from all compounds. The men had to ask the security
guards who manned the front of each compound, for sugar when they needed it. The
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men were not allowed matches or lighters in the compounds and would need to ask the
security guards to light their cigarettes.
Staff were advised not to walk to the wharf in the dark. However the one time that staff
members did this at dusk, one was bitten by a dog. This was the only time that I had
heard of a dog attacking a person on Manus. In response to this ‘Operation Shoot ‘em
Dead’ was implemented. This involved local ‘stray’ dogs being shot. When they heard of
this, most of the locals hid their dogs. Staff were advised when dogs were to be shot.
Bullets could be heard ringing out. We had to check on the men as most of them knew
the sounds of bullets, to see if they had been traumatized.
The general mood in the camp had changed since my last rotation. When I first went
into Oscar compound the most common question I was asked was, ‘What do people in
Australia think about us?’ I told them about my friends and what I had seen in the news
and what people thought – emphasizing the positive aspect of welcoming refugees.
Even though the men had arrived after July 19, they still had hope that they could be
resettled in Australia. The men would often ask staff if we thought the new Government
would change their mind about the cut-off date so that they could be settled in Australia.
We could only tell them what we knew but not commit to any answer. Most of the men
had fled from persecution and said that they had wanted to give their families a better
life and future. Some men had been deliberately sent out by their families as they had
spoken out about injustices of their government. By doing this they had made
themselves marked men and their families had urged them to leave so that no harm
would come to them. The men could make phone calls home. Their families often
reported that the local police were harassing them to find out the current location of their
son/husband.
Scott Morrison, the then Immigration Minister, visited the detention centre in September
2013. The road outside the compound, which was of clay/sand composition was
flattened and pot holes filled in so that his arrival along that stretch of road could be
smooth. Other preparations for his visit included the staff mess having one nice table
made up with a table cloth and some decorations. Morrison hosted a lunch for the
management of the providers and Immigration. Other staff members were not allowed
entry to have lunch. The Minister stayed on the HMAS Choules, for one night, but not in
the accommodation that was reserved for ordinary staff.
I accidentally met Scott Morrison when he was inspecting the facilities on the Island.
The day I met Mr. Morrison I was coming out of a staff room on my way to a meeting. I
was also with two other colleagues, a mental health nurse and psychologist. During this
brief meeting, I noticed that the Australian Head of Immigration on Manus was
continually giving the Minister details on how many men had chosen to return to their
countries. Mr. Morrison then asked us if people wanted to be resettled in PNG. I advised
him that some refugees were happy for this to happen. Although the refugees would
prefer to go to Australia, they just wanted to be safe somewhere. The Minister then
asked us what would happen when he told the refugees that they would not be coming
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to Australia. The psychologist advised him that there may be more attempts at self-harm
and suicides. Mr. Morrison listened to this and advised that he would be still giving this
message. He first went to Bravo compound to tell a group of newly arrived men and
then went into Oscar compound to give the same message to the community leaders.
During this meeting he voiced a warning that they should continue to demonstrate good
behaviour. He told the men that family members in Australia would be found and
prosecuted if they were found to have facilitated men getting to Australia by boat. I was
told by a security officer that during the meeting with the community leaders, Scott
Morrison held his hand up to indicate that he would not be taking any questions from the
men, despite their eagerness to ask questions. Morrison was quickly hustled out of
Oscar as the atmosphere became volatile. As the Minister walked down the side of
Oscar, the men were chanting something at him and they sounded angry and frustrated.
I heard it as an incredible noise, from the medical offices. I later asked a security officer
what the men were chanting and was told that it was, ‘You’re treating us like animals,
we’ll act like animals’
After this visit I chatted to an Immigration worker who told me that it would be 5-10
years before people were settled in PNG. He told me that the PNG Government wanted
the men to be able to speak fluent Pidgeon and English before they were considered for
release. The men did not know this. My heart just sank and I was completely
speechless.
It was left up to staff to enforce the message that no one would be settled in Australia.
For a long time after that the men did not believe that it was true. They would often ask
us if we thought they would still be able to come to Australia. It took a long time before
people believed that they were not going to be able to come to Australia. It was
distressing to see the men deteriorate mentally as the news sunk in and their hopes
were crushed. Near the end of my rotation permission was given to a few men to go to
an oval in the community close to the centre. They were waving and looked happy, but
more importantly they looked free. It was so encouraging to see their happiness.
On one particular occasion men were transferred from Christmas Island to Manus.
When they arrived and were checked by the medical team it was suspected that they
had chicken pox. The whole camp went into lockdown. That meant that no one was
allowed in or out of the camp. Not everyone had been vaccinated against this, locals
and refugees alike. At the staff meeting we were all asked if we had been vaccinated.
One staff member who had not been vaccinated, ended up getting the disease and was
immediately put into isolation at a Lorengau hotel. After a couple of hours we were told
that the emergency was over and that medical clearance had been given. The camp
was then reopened. I’m not sure how this was resolved, but the men who had arrived
were allocated to compounds.
My rotation was over and I was ready to go home. When I was working I tried not to
think too much about what was happening or what I was seeing. It helped me to do my
work. Once I returned home I needed a week to process what I had seen and heard.
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As I processed it all I cried for nearly the whole week. Seeing the men housed in Delta
made me think of animals in a cage. Delta just seemed overcrowded, especially as
there was not a lot of room for the men to move or exercise. I was disturbed at having to
speak to the men through a wire fence with them holding onto the fence. It did not seem
right to me to speak to another human being through a fence. The words of the man in
the group who wanted action not just words from me, still stays with me to this day and
constantly challenges me. After four weeks at home I had usually recovered enough to
return.
Third, Fourth & Fifth Rotations: November 2013-January 2014
For these rotations and the sixth rotation I worked as a case worker with The Salvation
Army. As a case worker I conducted physical, emotional, spiritual and mental health
assessments on the men. Thus I got to learn more about the men and their stories.
The staff accommodation at this time was on the Bibby Progress, which was known as
the floating hotel. The mess, lounge area, reception and other smaller rooms were on
the ground floor. Upstairs there were three floors of accommodation. Each room
accommodated 5 people and had minimal air conditioning. Most people left their doors
open due to the heat. Some slept in the corridor where it was cooler. The
accommodation was within walking distance of the centre. Buses were also provided to
transfer staff to the centre. Security briefed staff not to walk alone to the accommodation
in the dark. They strongly advised the female staff to walk with men. There had been
reports of local men carrying machetes and being drunk. The locals had the remarkable
ability to appear and disappear into the jungle. There were reports of confrontations but
no injuries to staff members.
During this employment, staff were consistently told by The Salvation Army Manager at
staff meetings, that no one would employ whistleblowers. We were told that we could be
googled by any prospective employer. We were severely warned not to say anything
about happenings on Manus. We were told that the Liberal Government did not take
kindly to staff disclosing information and they would make sure that we would not be
employed again. I found this very intimidating. When I returned home I always feared
that someone would find out that I had talked about my experiences on Manus Island. I
realized later that this was a reaction to another staff member from Nauru who had
discussed issues with an Australian newspaper reporter.
On this rotation a lot of men told me about their hopes and dreams for the future: plans
of being married, having children, working or studying. They also told me their fears of
being in detention indefinitely and never attaining their goals. As they spoke I could hear
the grief in their voices. For most of the men going home was not an option as they
feared they would be killed.
As a case worker I found out a lot more about the men’s health. I met men who needed
to see an optometrist. Some men had glasses with cracks down the centre, others had
broken irreparable glasses. Some had difficulty seeing but nothing was done. It was not
12
until June 2014 that an optometrist visited the camp for the first time. Finally, people
were assessed with proper eye examinations. Some were given glasses. The
assessments brought to light other eye problems. Another health problem prevalent
throughout the camp was dental pain. There were many men who needed dental
attention. However, the dentist on Manus would only pull teeth out. Sometimes the
dentist was reluctant to treat the detainees and gave preference to the local people.
Staff were required to check on men who missed three meals in a row. Sometimes men
missed meals because it was too painful to eat. When I left Manus in July 2014, there
were over 300 men on the dental register for treatment and the list was continuing to
grow. There were other severe health problems. One man I saw had a knee support
bandage as his knee would pop out when he walked on uneven surfaces, at every step
he took. He was very bow legged because of it. I could not believe that he was in such a
condition and still walking. I never saw him on future rotations so I don’t know if he went
home or to the Australian mainland for treatment.
On this rotation I found Delta and Oscar compounds the same as before. In Foxtrot,
however, a white marquee now served as the mess. The old mess and the counselling
group area where now used as accommodation for approximately 100 men. It was the
old World War II building with the dome shaped tin roof. There were no single beds only
bunks. There was no air conditioning and limited personal space for the men. It was so
hot in there that I could not help but cry when I went past. It was so bad to see how
some men were now living. Large fans were provided but it did not seem to help with
the heat in this area.
During this rotation I heard some of the men’s stories which I will relate here.
I became very aware that trivial things could cause great distress, such was the fragile
psychological state of the some of the men. I spoke with one man who was very upset
that the sugar had been taken away (this was due to a small group who had made
alcohol during my last rotation). I made him a cup of tea with sugar which he greatly
appreciated. He explained to me that in his country he was used to having a sweet tea,
which included a lot of sugar. A couple of times I would smuggle some sugar in to him
because I felt it was unjust to punish the whole camp for the actions of a few. Normally
the men would have to ask the security guards if they wanted sugar. This man had been
an officer in the army and had a bomb explode near him. He had fled his country due to
persecution and he had wanted to live in safety, with his family.
Some men in Oscar, in protest at being indefinitely detained, put empty water bottles
down the toilets which caused them to block. Bottled water was then stopped and was
replaced by one large bottle with cups. On many occasions I reported to my supervisor,
as did other workers, and to security staff that there was no water or cups and that the
bottle had to be replaced. Security would often say they were too busy to do it. I was so
appalled that the men could not get easy access to drinking water as I thought this was
a normal human right. However, this issue continued unchanged for many rotations.
Every rotation I would complain about it and sometimes I would ‘smuggle’ in some bottle
13
water for the men. However the men would not take the bottles. They said if they were
caught the bottles would be taken from them.
There were constant problems with the supply of basic toiletries such as soap and
toothbrushes. Because it was so hot and humid it was necessary to have more than one
shower a day. If the men wanted to do any form of exercise they would want to have
more showers. The soap they were issued with would often run out before the next
issue and sometimes it would not be stocked in the canteen for them to buy with their
points (Points were earned by engaging in scheduled activities). Soap was given out
about once a month and it was always a small bar. Something that was meant to be so
easy was so difficult. Just to ask the staff who managed the toiletries when the soap
would be issued again was a nightmare. We were always being told that it would be
given out in a week’s time or that it would be in the canteen the next day, but more often
than not this did not happen and it would be weeks before the soap was distributed. A
majority of staff would ‘smuggle’ soap in to give to people as it was cheap to purchase.
It was the same experience for anyone who needed a toothbrush. I was told that one
man would receive a toothbrush in a couple of days. It was more than two weeks before
he finally got one. I could never understand why it was so difficult to get in enough
supplies. They usually came via a cargo boat from PNG mainland. Sometimes all of the
goods would arrive, sometimes there would be things missing. If a detainee requested
something, we would have to say “Wait until the boat arrives”. Staff said this so many
times that before we could answer the men they would say, “We know, the boat hasn’t
come in”. Our frustration increased as it often took a long time for the boat to arrive. If
the detention centre was onshore in Australia these difficulties would not arise.
In contrast, if a case manager advised the office that a detainee was very depressed
and not coping they would automatically be given some clothing or whatever else they
needed to try and lift their mood. There was a young man on my caseload who became
very depressed. He would not go on outings as he believed that he would be eaten by
the locals. I tried to speak logically to him about this but he would not change his
opinion. He had a severe toothache which became infected and it made it difficult for
him to eat. Over time his interactions with staff did bring about a positive change in him.
He just wanted someone to tell him that he mattered and was important. When I left the
Island a colleague took over and mothered him. He was completely different during my
next rotation and I often saw him smiling.
A young unaccompanied minor told me that his mother had urged him to come out to
Australia with his uncle. When I asked him how she could afford it, he said that the
people smugglers dropped the price so he could get on the boat. Initially he had been
accompanied by his uncle to Indonesia, but when it came time to get on the boat, the
uncle had married an Indonesian woman and stayed in Indonesia leaving him to make
the journey alone. In the detention centre young men who were identified as being
under 18 were either segregated in a separate area or sent to Nauru as an
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unaccompanied minor. When they turned 18 they would then be integrated into the
adult population.
I also spent a lot of time with The Tamil refugees in Foxtrot compound. The individuals
in this group were very committed to each other and bonded well together. Most of the
men talked about their families. They discovered that their families were being
persecuted and threatened by the authorities. The families were constantly being asked
where their sons/husbands/brothers had gone. Many spoke of their families being
extorted for money. Some of their families went to another country as refugees. The
majority of these refugees advised that if they were to return home, their fate would be
certain death. Some were quite happy to be resettled in PNG as they did not want to
return to their country. Nearly all of the men has been persecuted and imprisoned as
they belonged to a minority group in their home country. One man told me that after he
had served his time in prison, government officials did not know what to do with him so
they returned him to jail.
There were many other stories from men from many countries (e.g., Sudan, Somalia,
Afghanistan) who talked about persecution as the reason they had fled their homelands.
Most said that their parents encouraged them to go as they feared for their lives. One
man had witnessed a murder in his country and lived in fear during his entire time on
Manus. He feared being found and killed by the gang involved in the murder. He told me
that most of the witnesses had been killed. It was difficult to reassure him that he would
not be found or sent home as we had no idea what would happen to him. He was
convinced that if he was sent back he would be murdered.
Other men apologised to staff for coming by boat. They would say to staff, ‘We know we
have come illegally’. Some of the case management staff would correct them by saying,
that it is not illegal to seek asylum. We would try to convince them that they had nothing
to apologise for. Sometimes I would apologise for them being in detention.
One man told me how a bomb had landed on his house which killed his immediate
family, his mother and brother. He advised that he still had shrapnel in his leg and head
from the explosion and had to be careful how he moved. He was also prone to some
intense headaches. His wife gave birth to a son in his home country. This was common
for the men on Manus who had left wives in the early stages of pregnancies. I asked my
supervisor if I could give him a present, but as usual the response was, ‘If you can’t do it
for all of the men you can’t do it for one’.
A lot of men on my caseload told me that they were missing property from Christmas
Island (CI) and that it had not come with them. At first I was doubtful and I thought
surely all property would come with the men. I checked it out first with welfare who told
me that they had signed paperwork from CI advising that all of their property had been
accounted for. Upon further investigation, some of the men advised that they felt
threatened and were told ‘You’re going to Manus, you just have to sign this and we’ll
send your property after you leave’ (Serco). This was not a rare occurrence. An
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Interpreter who was working with me one day, confirmed that refugees were told this as
he had acted as interpreter for the security company on CI. Missing items included gold
necklaces, money (US dollars), clothing, passports and a gold and ruby wedding ring. I
reported all of this to my supervisor, who informed Security. They advised that they
were waiting for a reply from Serco on CI, but no answer ever came. I still find this
difficult to reconcile in my mind as it happened on Australia’s watch. Maybe my
standards are too high, but I just thought that out of respect for vulnerable people,
things should not go missing. The men who had things missing told me that, when they
first arrived on CI, they had seen their property go into a bag tagged with their
identification. However, they did not see their property again.
On my first meeting with one particular man he was very angry. I asked him what was
happening and he told me that he had been living in Syria and had to leave his house
on business for a couple of days. He said that when he returned there had been
unexpected fighting in his area and his family home had been destroyed. His family
(wife and three children) were no longer there. After trying to find them without success
he eventually got on a boat to come to Australia. He told me that he just wanted to know
if his family was alive or dead as he had not heard from them for 2 years. After hearing
his story I discussed his situation with my supervisor who contacted the Red Cross to
see if they could trace his family. During that rotation no information was received on his
family. When I returned for my next rotation I heard that Red Cross had found his family.
He was told that his family members were accepted as refugees and had been living in
a safe country for the last two years. When I next saw him he was a totally different
man. He was glowing with happiness and thanked me profusely for helping him locate
his family. He gave me his son’s Facebook page and from this I printed out some
pictures of his family for him. I set him up with a Facebook account so that he could see
other pictures of his family. He was also given his family’s phone number by Red Cross
and he could speak with them. His young daughter immediately wanted to come and
visit him.
Another man had gone to Indonesia with his family (wife and three children). He told me
that the whole family was meant to make the trip. He said that on the day they were
meant to make the journey the sea was very high and looked dangerous. He decided
not to let his family come and sent them back to his country. He said that the last
memory he had of his youngest son (who was about 2 or 3) was of him turning around
and crying as he left his father. He had tried to come to Australia as his young daughter
had been kidnapped in their country. He said the kidnappers would ring the family
regularly to negotiate a ransom while telling him that if they did not pay they were going
to rape and kill his daughter. The ransom was eventually negotiated and his daughter
was returned. He described from that experience, how his daughter was reluctant to go
outside the family home. He also said that he owned a women’s clothing store. He said
that he was often reported by his neighbours to the police, for not complying with
Muslim rules, such as observing daily prayer times and attending the Mosque. He told
me that he had chosen not to, but he was continually harassed for this. He arrived on
16
Manus 10 days after the cut-off date. One day in his compound on Manus he fainted.
The medical staff attended to him in the compound. A note left by the medical staff on
his file read that he had fainted ‘due to extreme sadness’. After being on Manus for
approx. 18 months he decided to go back home. On Manus he suffered from
depression, migraines (he did not suffer from these conditions prior to coming), and
would sleep most of the day in a dark mouldy, air-conditioned room. I am still in contact
with him and he told me recently that fighting was near his city. It has been difficult to
keep in contact with him as the Internet has been restricted in his area due to the
fighting. He only wanted to come to Australia with his family for safety. He was also in
his second year of studying to be a lawyer before he came.
I had arranged for family photos to be given to another man. When I told my supervisor
that I had done this she advised me not to do it again. The reason given was once
again, if I could not do it for all of the other men I could not do it for this one. I never
agreed with this and would have been quite happy to do it for all the men. Even
prisoners are allowed to have pictures of their loved ones. Next time I saw this man he
had already put the pictures up and was looking at them and crying. When he saw me
he kissed me on the head and thanked me profusely.
When the Syrian war escalated in 2013, some of the Syrian men were quite distressed.
Due to the war, they could not be sent back to their country as it was considered unsafe
for them. One man sat at a compound gate with all of his belongings wanting to go
home to protect his family. His eyes were expressionless, dead. After another man
heard that his brother had been killed by a bomb blast in his country he was on his
knees screaming, in great distress. His friends looked on, not knowing what to do.
The detainees were in fear of the local police on Manus. One example of why they
feared them was their way of dealing with a suicidal young man. He was an
unaccompanied minor who threatened to kill himself. The PNG police were told and he
was taken to jail while his room was searched thoroughly for razor blades. Whilst he
was in jail he was mouthing off to the police so they held a gun to his head and told him
to shut up. He came back scared and did nothing to harm himself. When he turned 18
soon afterwards he was integrated into the adult population. Another man who had
been in Charlie compound, had been reported by G4S Security to the police for writing
his name and identity number on the walls. The police advised him that they had to
investigate because of the security report. He was extremely anxious as he explained to
me that he had tried to scrub it off before the police had come. He was worried because
if he was charged he could not be processed as a refugee.
There were also Iranian men who identified as being gay. These men had hoped to
come to Australia as homosexuality in Iran is a crime, which is punishable by death. In
PNG it is also a crime and the use of condoms is not permitted. Eventually negotiations
with PNG immigration were successful and condoms were allowed into the compounds.
Two of the men who identified as being gay decided to return home to Iran. They
planned to let their friends know that they were safe in Iran. Not long after they returned,
17
a report was brought to my attention which stated that two homosexual men had been
hung. To this day the veracity of the report has not been determined, but we did not
hear from the men again. Their friends did not hear from them again.
Other men had converted to Christianity in their home countries and had to flee for their
safety. In their country religions other than Islam were not tolerated, hence their trip to
Australia, in search of religious freedom.
Some of the men told staff how they have family in Australia. It is sad to realise that
through their bad luck (as one man told me) they did not make it to Australia. Some of
the men were ashamed to tell their families that they had not made it to Australia. They
would say they had failed. A couple of the men even went so far as to tell their families
that they were in Australia.
Many of the men were quite resourceful. One day hats were being given out to the men
in Oscar compound. One of the men found a way to get to that compound. When I saw
him he came up to me to tell me his story. He was so happy he had got a hat. After he
had been in Oscar compound for a few days he told me that he was ready to go back to
his own compound. I thought it was funny that he managed to do this.
On my way home from rotation, as I was waiting at Manus airport, a plane carrying
refugees arrived, so for the first time I saw how they were processed to go to the
detention centre. Immigration, welfare representatives and Interpreters first went onto
the plane to talk to the men. There were security guards at the top and bottom of the
stairs. The men who arrived were short in stature. Each man was held in turn at the top
of the stairs. They then walked down the stairs to be met by two security guards, who
were much taller and more solid. They were walked the 20 or so steps to a waiting bus
and then told where to sit. If they sat in a seat of their choice they were quickly told to sit
in the seat they had been allocated. I watched the unloading of this plane for a little
while, but I became too emotional, was on the verge of tears and could no longer
witness the process. Other workers were also crying.
When I got home from these rotations I really struggled with the thought of being
complicit in what was happening on Manus. One person put it to me that I didn’t agree
with the Government policies and so I was not complicit, but it was not as simple as
that. I struggled with being powerless and not being able to do anything to help these
men. I struggled knowing that men were not getting the medical attention they needed,
that in one compound it was difficult to get water and that men felt they had let their
families down. Staff found out during this rotation that a new provider had been
appointed to take over welfare on Manus. I was given one more rotation for the
transition period.
18
Sixth Rotation – February 2014
The Riot: February 2014
When I arrived on Manus for this rotation, all staff were briefed about the peaceful
demonstrations that were taking place amongst the men in some of compounds. The
most active compounds were Oscar and Foxtrot. Delta and Mike, at this time did not
take part in the demonstrations. There were some protests during the day but most took
place at night. The protests would commence by the men whistling from their
compounds to get the attention of men in other compounds. The whistling would
continue for approximately one minute, followed by chants of freedom. The men would
then march up and down in their compounds, arm in arm. In some compounds the men
had made signs from bed sheets, which they would carry around the compound. At this
time the protests were peaceful and there was no trouble. After a few weeks, Australian
Immigration officials, decided to hold a meeting with the community leaders, so that the
men could ask questions regarding their detention. I was told by an Australian
Immigration official that this was to prevent ‘another Nauru happening’. The community
leaders from Oscar, Delta, Foxtrot and Mike compounds met in Mike canteen with
officials from PNG and Australian Immigration. The community leaders asked their
questions and were told that it would take a couple of weeks for Immigration to get back
to them with answers. The men agreed to this. The main questions were focused on
how long they would be held in detention.
After this meeting the peaceful protests continued at night. There was an air of tension
but it wasn’t too bad at that point. One night a couple of local cleaners went past Oscar
Compound as the men were protesting at the fence. The locals started to mock the
men, which made the men very angry and agitated. This resulted in a heightened level
of noise and it was thought by security that the men may push the fence down. This
frightened other staff on duty. There was a subsequent increase in the number of
security staff on duty in the compound.
Over the next couple of days some other minor incidents occurred. For example, one
person attempted to climb onto an accommodation roof in Foxtrot compound and men
were encouraging other men to join the protests. At one point the identified ring leaders
of the peaceful protests were relocated from Oscar to Mike compound. However, when
the men were transferred to Mike compound they encouraged others to join the
protests. Many of the men I spoke with in Oscar, Delta and Mike compounds told me
that they did not want to be involved in the protests as they thought this would affect
their refugee determination interviews. The peaceful protests were filmed and
photographs were taken of the participants by the security guards. Because of this
some of the men greatly feared that participation in the protests would be used against
them.
After about two weeks Immigration officials advised the community leaders that a
meeting would be held that afternoon. They would provide answers to the questions the
19
men had asked. The meeting was held in Mike compound again. I saw a man I knew
well from Oscar getting onto the bus to go to the meeting. I remember wishing him good
luck and hoping that he and all the men would get the answers that they were seeking.
He thanked me out of the bus window and shook my hand as he left. The case
management staff were feeling hopeful that the men would get answers that would
address their questions and that they would have a way forward.
After the meeting, and feeling hopeful myself, I visited a community leader in Delta. He
told me that the meeting had not gone well and that his understanding was that the
refugees would be held in detention, indefinitely. Later an Australian Immigration Officer
told me that at a preliminary meeting the PNG Immigration official had told Australian
Immigration officials the message he would be giving to the men. During the meeting at
Mike compound however, the PNG official told the men something that was completely
different. He told them they would be in detention indefinitely.
While I was talking to the community leader I heard a loud noise coming from Oscar
compound. All of the men and guards in Delta also heard this and ran to the entrance
gate. At that point I decided that I needed to leave the compound. I had to push my way
through the men to get to the entrance so I could be let out of the gate. None of the
guards were interested in marking my name off as I was leaving. I quickly headed
towards the office. As I was leaving men in Oscar were running towards the front of
Oscar (near the road side). I could see in the gym area that there were chairs being
thrown around. The noise was incredibly loud. I thought this was a predictable response
from the disillusioned, disheartened, frustrated men.
A head count took place of the staff in the office. Some staff members were caught in
other compounds. They were locked in rooms by security until it was safe for them to
return to the office. It wasn’t until early evening that all were accounted for. The office
was near the road and I could see men running down the road being chased by the
security guards in riot gear. Over the radio there were many calls about detainees
escaping. Staff assembled in the office and waited for a clearance to leave. Many staff
members rang home that night. We were told that we could not speak about what was
happening. A lot of us were scared. We did not know what was going to happen or if we
were safe. Eventually after a couple of hours we were allowed to leave for our
accommodation, under tight security.
The next morning we were told by management that it was business as usual and we
were sent in groups to try to engage the men in conversation, games or sports in their
compounds. The atmosphere was very tense in the compounds. Some of the men were
just as frightened as we had been, others were still clearly angry. We were given
instructions of where men could go for safety if they did not want to be involved in
continuing protests and we tried to convey this to as many people as possible. We were
told to do this in secret because if agitators knew that there was a safe place being
offered, they would attempt to infiltrate the safe group and cause trouble.
20
When we entered the compounds the men told us of their experiences during the
previous night. Some told us that police had entered their rooms and hit them for no
apparent reason. Men in Foxtrot showed where they had been hit on the back and I saw
bruising and cuts. These men claimed that they had not participated in this protest and
had been in their rooms. They said the police had entered their rooms and hit them.
Men in Delta compound told us that they were having dinner in the mess tent in Foxtrot
compound and that locals had thrown stones at the mess tent. Other men from Oscar
compound told us that they had gone to security guards and wanted to be taken to
safety as they did not want to get involved in what was happening. A group of men from
my caseload told how they had been taken to a secure place. They told me, that when
they returned, they had only what they were wearing. All their other belongings were
gone. They claimed that the police had raided their belongings and taken everything
they owned. One man told me that even his underwear was taken. I tried to tell them
where to go to safety for the coming night, if there was trouble. Before I could see if they
understood this advice I was called out of the compound by security. In Foxtrot
compound there was a group of men sitting down who seemed very angry. They would
not look at us or speak to us. Non- essential staff were then evacuated from the Centre.
This was very unusual but security advised us that they were expecting more trouble.
Late in the evening I heard a series of loud noises coming from the detention centre.
Not long after that all staff were requested to go down to the wharf, where the staff boat
was moored. As I made my way to the wharf, I wondered what was happening. I saw
security men coming onto the boat with blood running down their faces, for treatment.
When I got to the wharf, it was covered with injured men. Cars kept arriving with more
injured men. The injuries were horrific. We were directed by the medical staff to tasks
that needed to be done. Our main tasks were to comfort the men and hold I.V bags.
Many men had been injured. After being driven to the wharf some could sit in the chairs
provided. Others were unconscious. There was so much blood. I replaced a local
security guard who had been comforting one of the refugees lying on the ground. I
walked past a man who had a deep gash to the back of his head which was bleeding
profusely. I walked past another man I knew who had told me previously he did not want
to be involved in the protests. He was sitting in a seat with other men all with injuries, all
bleeding. He had a lot of blood on his shirt. As I walked past all I could do was to put my
hand on my heart and say sorry. I had to go to hold an I.V. bag for a man who was
unconscious, lying on the ground. It was very distressing to hear the loud prolonged
moans of the injured men.
When I got my surroundings I noticed that there were more men from Mike Compound,
also from my caseload, who were unconscious, lying at my feet. My colleague who was
standing close by holding an I.V. bag saw some of her clients at her feet and fainted. All
I kept thinking was that these men matter to someone. I attempted to stroke the men’s
foreheads to comfort them. One man who was lying on the ground, kept saying thank
you, thank you to me. He had been hit very badly on his face and he had purple bruising
on the right side of his face. I often wonder if I was in the same situation would I be
21
gracious enough to thank the person offering me comfort. I am still astounded by his
gratitude and will probably remember it for the rest of my life. During the night spent with
those who were conscious, I asked the men their names and when the Doctors or
nurses came around I would tell them the men’s names to them so they could be called
by their names and not just the boat ID or “he”.
The more critically injured men were being treated at the end of the wharf. Reza Berati
was one of these men. Earlier that night I was told that no one had died. But the next
day I learnt that the Doctor treating Reza had held him while he died. Due to the severe
nature of his injuries the medical staff could do little for him, although they tried their
hardest. I could see what was happening from where I stood and knew that it was
something serious. I asked a colleague from the medical staff if someone had died. He
told me that one of the men had to have a tracheotomy and that he had to be
resuscitated but that he was alright. On the wharf that night a nurse, who was triaging
people told me that another victim with gunshot wounds had been brought in. I was
shocked that people had gunshot wounds because I knew that the security guards did
not have weapons other than batons. I remember thinking “How many have been
wounded by bullets?” and “Who had the guns?” I was later told by a colleague that the
PNG police had used guns and the local people had used machetes during the riot. The
staff accommodation area was heavily guarded that night as there was fear of an attack
by the local people. However, all of the detainees that could walk were returned to their
compounds. Those in a more critical condition went to IHMS medical clinic or to the
local hospital at Lorengau.
The next day we were told who had died as we were preparing to leave the Island.
Management advised us only of the boat ID of the person who had died, but not his
name. I thought that this was particularly insensitive that a person who had died was
referred to as an id number and not a name. The staff were in shock that someone had
died and even more so when they used the computer to find the person’s name. Some
of my colleagues in the activities team knew Reza Berati very well.
Non-essential staff could not enter the compounds after the riot. A staff member from
STARTTS, the trauma counselling service, was allowed in and she told me that Mike
compound looked like a war zone with many rooms ransacked and destroyed and the
compound littered with debris. She told me that many of the men had to sleep outside
under a covered area that night. We were given updates of what was happening and
the next day a Salvation Army manager from the mainland informed us that the
refugees had attacked each other. The staff reacted to this announcement with shock
and disbelief. They refuted this claim by recounting witness accounts that the detainees
had told them on the night. The men from Mike compound told us that they had been
attacked by the police and locals. They said that the locals had broken into the
compound and attacked them. The PNG police also entered the camp and attacked the
detainees. As a staff we were very concerned that there was going to be a cover up of
what happened. One staff member made the observation that the stories told by the
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men (who were from different compounds and spoke different languages) to the many
different staff members were consistent. The detainees’ version of events did not match
what the manager was saying. The manager refrained from saying any other comments
about the night as he could see that we did not believe what he had said.
The next morning two staff members attempted to clean the blood off the wharf. I
offered to help but even with three people we only managed to clean off some of the
blood. I was told by a security guard who was cleaning the blood that they were doing it
as some of the other security guards had been in war zones. She said the blood was
being cleaned so that they would not be adversely affected by it. The blood was cleaned
with coke and then washed away with sea water. The coke ran out and some blood
remained.
When I was at Manus airport waiting to go home, I was told by a security guard that
they had been close to losing control of the centre to the local people and the PNG
police. He told me that the PNG police were firing bullets over the security guards heads
during the riot. The security guards’ had to retreat so that they could protect at least one
section of the security centre.
My rotation ended and I went back to Australia. I had many concerns for the safety of
some of the men whom I knew well. I had to leave before I could check on their
wellbeing. I could only hope that they were uninjured. All I knew to do was to pray.
However, I struggled when I returned to Australia. Mentally I did not know where to put
what had happened in my mind. It still refuses to be settled anywhere.
After I returned home I needed to go to Sydney on business. After I had finished I
walked around Sydney until I came to St Mary’s Cathedral. I went in initially just to look
around. After a time of wandering around in there I found a little place where I sat
quietly. I was then hit with a lot of intense emotion. I just remember saying over and
over to God, ‘Please don’t forget these men’. I said this for some time and amidst many
tears. I’m not into lighting candles, but it just felt right to do this for the men, for Reza
and his family. I then had to decide what I would do next. Would I go back or find
something else to do?
Seventh Rotation, Christmas Island – April/May 2014 Christmas Island (CI):
This was the first time I had worked on Christmas Island (CI). The staff accommodation,
to me, was luxurious. I shared a house with two other people but I had my own room. It
was hot on CI but not as humid as Manus had been. The Island itself is very beautiful
and good for bush walking.
There were separate compounds for families and for single men. The single men’s
compound was a 30 minute drive from the family compound. The single men’s
accommodation on Christmas Island looked to me, like a prison. Even the outdoor staff
area had a cage around it. A series of buzzers allowed entrance to nearly every area. In
the single male accommodation there was an area that was set apart from the rest of
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accommodation. It had distinctive red doors. This area housed people who needed
behavior modification. I did not work in this area, but attended staff meetings there on
several occasions.
During this rotation I was assigned to work in the family compounds. As I approached
the family camp on my first day I was reminded of children in child care centres waiting
at the fence for their parents to come. However, I had to remind myself that the children
I could see here were not waiting for someone to pick them up but were being detained
for an indefinite period. It was not uncommon for children to demonstrate acts of
aggression and regressive behavior, such as bed wetting. When I was on CI children
would go outside the compound on a daily basis, however there was no school
available for the children to attend. I was told by some of the parents that they were just
going out to play. Most of the parents were frustrated that the children were getting no
education. They would raise this in counselling groups. Most of the families lived in fear
of being sent to Nauru. People told me that every Saturday they feared that someone
would knock on their door to tell them that they would be transferring there. People had
information about Nauru and did not want to go there. During meetings IHMS staff were
sometimes told in advance who would be going but could say nothing to those being
transferred.
Within the family compound there was a separate compound for unaccompanied male
minors. This group was designated to be transferred to Nauru. The unaccompanied
female minors were accommodated in the family compounds. Families who had single
male members had them removed when they were 18 to the single adult male facility.
Once a week these young men could visit their families.
On Manus Island I had met some men who had been split from their families on CI.
Once this happened it was very difficult for consistent contact to be kept. Although
special consideration would be given for one off telephone calls they could not be made
regularly.
Sometimes it was easy to please the children with small gestures. For example, one
day I was surrounded by a group of little girls (no older than 8). They began to quiz me
on certain princess characters and asked if I could get them colouring pictures of them.
A couple of male children also approached me to get colouring pictures. I was able to
do this and as I was giving them out one day, many more children approached me
asking for copies as well. They were very happy to get these pictures. One of the
mothers asked for copies as well and she coloured some in and gave them to me as a
present.
A Sri Lankan family, that I had become close to, had had their refugee status rejected
and were designated to return home. When I arrived they had already had their first
refugee determination status refused. After the interview a young female member of the
family chose to return home. I was told that when she arrived back home the authorities
asked for a relative to pick her up. Her mother came to pick her up and the authorities
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arrested the mother and put her in jail. On this basis the family on CI decided to appeal
the decision regarding their refugee status determination as they believed they had a
better case for their appeal. As they waited for this decision, one of the young children
of the family approached me and asked if she could come to counselling. She explained
to me that she would get angry and didn’t know why, but that it scared her. This child
(who was 8 years old) was so considerate of others. One day while I was conducting a
group for the children I gave out some treats. One little girl didn’t like what she had
taken and spent about 10 minutes crying. The other girl gave her, her lolly even though
she did not have an extra one for herself. The other little girl stopped crying.
During one counselling session we discussed what she had left behind (including her
mother and father) and it was clear where her anger/sadness was coming from. During
one interview she was quite distressed and said to me, ‘Don’t you understand if we go
back to our country we will be killed.” She was so fearful. A couple of days later the
decision was made by Immigration to reject their appeal. It was often up to the mental
health staff to check on people when negative decisions were given. I was not part of
this, but went across later in the day to see the family who were still distressed by this
decision. They sat in silence. One family member had his head in his hand, while
another family member had a hand on his shoulder. I don’t know if they were returned to
their country as I had left before the situation was resolved.
Pregnant women would often have cravings. One had a craving for tomato and
cucumber, but when she asked, she was told she could not have it and had to accept
what she was given. So I smuggled some tomatoes in for her, which she greatly
appreciated. The refugees then began to grow tomatoes in their designated garden.
She and her husband were designated to go to Nauru but I don’t know if this happened.
One day a colleague told me what he had seen when the refugee boat had smashed on
the rocks at CI, killing many people. The saddest thing he told me was that many
children were standing by themselves as they had become orphans that day. I felt
incredibly sad at hearing this story.
Another family received a call from their family in Myanmar, to tell them that the majority
of family members had been slaughtered unexpectedly by the military. The details of
this were gruesome and the family was greatly impacted and traumatized on hearing
this story. It appeared that the family had been attacked because they were minority
Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. This story made it clear why the refugees were hoping
to live safely in a country where they would not be persecuted. The IHMS worker who
listened to them after the phone call was so traumatized by what he had heard that he
had to stop them from telling him more details. He could not bear to repeat much of
what he heard.
One older lady from Somalia, told me that she had chosen to go back to her country.
She said most of her family had been shot and killed and that was why she had come
by boat, to be safe. But she did not see an end to her detention and there were no
25
details from Immigration regarding what was going to happen to her. She said that she
would rather go back home than wait in limbo. She had made that decision and was just
waiting for transport back to be organized. She talked about being killed, with
acceptance, on her return to her country. To this day I don’t know if she is alive or dead.
Most of the families would ask me to have lunch with them, which I did at times. They
always just wanted to share a meal with me, or anyone else who was interested. One
family I met had young children. I often took treats to them. This family was moved to
the Australian mainland for medical reasons not long after I had left. They were given a
letter from an IHMS psychologist advising Immigration that it would be unsafe to return
them to offshore detention due to medical and mental health reasons. The mother was
told by Australian Immigration Officials that the medical staff had no right to interfere
with their processing and that they would ignore the letter. I later confirmed with a
lawyer that this was the case, that Immigration were ignoring all letters given by the
medical provider, regarding people’s welfare. The mother was also berated by one of
the Serco security guards who accused her of being irresponsible for bringing her
children out on a boat.
In general, most of the women I spoke with on CI had University degrees of some kind –
for example, accounting, I.T, Bio Chemistry. Most of the people in detention could also
speak English.
Some women had acquired injuries on the journey over. One woman who was using a
crutch to get around, told me that she had sustained a back injury when she fell over on
the boat. Another woman had suffered severe trauma as a result of the boat trip.
Most of the women wanted to cook for their families but when I investigated this I was
told it was not possible as it was an OH&S issue. I found a place in the community that
offered activities for men and women but I was told by Welfare Services that because
they charged $5 per person for each activity that it would not be paid for.
I came to the end of another rotation. It had been difficult seeing men in detention on
Manus, but seeing the children was heartbreaking. I didn’t think that there were enough
activities for the children. Also, seeing competent people with university degrees, having
to ask the permission of security guards to do simple things like use the Internet, I found
dehumanizing and insulting.
Eighth Rotation, Manus Island – June/July 2014
I returned to Manus for the first time since the riot. I didn’t know what to expect or what
the condition of the men would be. I was apprehensive during my travel to the Island
and my mind was racing. Driving to the accommodation I noted that the locals seemed
less friendly and would not wave to the staff bus. On Manus, staff accommodation was
still on the boat. A new permanent site was being built for staff accommodation. The
wharf was still the same and some blood stains could still be seen. The only other
change of note was that the desalination plants would often break down. On these
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occasions staff were directed to have one minute showers. However, for the men they
did not have this luxury. They were given bottled water to ‘shower’ in.
The day after I arrived I commenced work. There were now two new providers for
welfare (Transfield Services) and security (Wilson’s). The security company was stricter
and more military like than the previous one. One of the more interesting changes was
that the gates to the compounds were left open, but closed at night. Although the gates
were open the men respected this and did not charge out of them. It was confusing for
me to see at first. To me it seemed like freedom was being offered but it was a false
freedom. The other change I saw was that Delta was given its own mess area attached
to their compound.
The other counsellors told me what was new regarding the counselling program. There
were two changes. One change was that we took the men on walks (they were known
as Mindfulness walks). The other change was that counsellors were engaging with the
men by having lunch with them. I often had lunch with the men. I have to say that often
the food was really inedible. It was quite disgusting and I knew why the men would often
throw it out and opt not to eat that meal. One time I had lunch with the Sudanese men
and they told me that I was now their sister because I had had lunch with them. They
also went on to say that single females would stay in the oldest brother’s house and be
looked after. One of the young men told me that he had been called by his boat ID so
often that he had been having dreams of his boat ID being his name and sometimes
could not remember his own name. I then went in every day to call him by his name so
he did not forget it. If I went into the compounds with something to give out such as
puzzles I had to record who took the puzzles and I would always ask the men for their
names first. However, the men would always give me their boat numbers and I’d have
to say no, what is your name. I could see that most of the men were taken aback by
this. One day I was giving out some puzzles and there was a group of men sitting
around doing the puzzles as I was still giving them out. As new men came up to take
puzzles they’d always start by giving me their boat IDs. The other men at the table
quickly pulled them up and said, “No she wants your name not your boat ID”. I thought,
“It’s working. They know they have names. “
Being able to take the men out for a walk was a highlight of this rotation for me. On the
walk there was a church and some of the men wanted to pray there, even though they
were not Christians. One day I took a group of men to the church. They were respectful
as they laid flowers on the altar, bowing and praying. When I got back to the camp,
however, I was told by the welfare services provider that none of the men could go
inside the church as approval needed to be gained from the Navy Commander and the
Pastor, even though permission had been given when the Salvation Army had been
doing welfare services and the men were able to go regularly to the Sunday service. So
I would go for a walk past the church and stop at the side of the church near the trees in
the shade. All of the men respected the directive that they could not enter the church.
One day on the walk a man who identified as being a Christian, went up to the church.
27
The security guards who were always present on the walks, chased after him saying,
“You can’t go in.” He knelt outside the church near a cross in the wall and prayed.
Another day two men had brought some lollies with them on the walk. As we were
having a break these two men went up to the security guards and asked if they could
give the lollies to the local children who were across the road from us and they were
allowed to do this. Sometimes what the men could and could not do depended on who
the guards were. The men really missed their children left behind in their countries.
One day I went into Mike compound to speak with a group of men I knew well and they
offered me some chocolates they had obtained with their points. I knew that they had
next to nothing and I declined their offer. I didn’t want to take anything from those who
did not have a lot. However, they insisted that they had bought the chocolates for me
and I had to take them, for which I thanked them. This happened a lot, the men were
always willing to give. It was emotional for me to see this level of generosity and
graciousness. Another example of this occurred one day when I visited Delta
compound. A man approached me as I was talking to someone and said to me, ‘Thank
you for being so kind to us’. I was flabbergasted that a man who was living under these
kind of conditions could even muster the energy to say that. I often ask myself if I were
in those conditions would I be able to say the same thing to a staff member. It was just
another example of the graciousness that I saw in the majority of the men who were
detained.
When I went into Mike compound, I wanted to find out how the men were doing after
being in the riot. They told me stories of how locals had come with garbage bags to
ransack their belongings. They told me how they had hidden under their beds but had
still been beaten. Some men told me how they tried to negotiate with the guards
reminding them that they had behaved favorably for them and that they were their
friends. Some told me that they had bribed guards with cigarettes when they were in
their rooms so they would not get beaten. However, when the cigarettes ran out other
guards came and beat them. There were injuries other than those reported in the
media. I spoke to one man who had a permanent concussion, due to a heavy blow to
the head during the riot. He was frustrated as his mind did not work like it used to. He
also struggled with memory and balance issues. He was sent to Australia for treatment
but did not receive any rehabilitation before being sent back to Manus. As I was talking
to him he would take lengthy pauses as he tried to remember what he was talking about
and what he wanted to say. His eyes looked blank as though he were absent. When I
had left a colleague gave the following information about the man’s health. “‘Roommates of a man severely bashed on the head during the riots, were constantly seeking
assistance from the medical service provider to further assess and assist him. Roommates were constantly reporting the assistance they were required to give to their
friend. He needed to hold on to the walls for stability, sit down often because his head
was ‘spinning and dizzy” and required assistance. The room-mates were able to bring
food from the mess for him. I am unsure whether this was sanctioned by the canteen
officers or simply smuggled. Apparently his appetite was poor, partly because he was
28
consistently feeling unwell and partly because of his inability to concentrate on any task.
I was unable to visit this man in his room because female staff were not permitted into
the accommodation blocks, however, I did on several occasions request an
appointment with an IHMS GP for reassessment of this man and just prior to the end of
my rotation a SMO (specialist medical officer) appointment had been scheduled, the
result of which is unknown to me’.
Another man who had also been hit on the back of the head and whom I had seen on
the night with a bloody shirt, talked of his panic about having an inability to learn English
and Pidgeon, which he said were requirements for resettlement in PNG. He put his
slowness down to being hit on the head during the riot and sustaining a head injury. He
was worried that this would affect his refugee interviews, by limiting his ability to put his
case forward. Although they still had the memories from the night of the riot, most of the
men were trying to readjust so that they could present for their refugee interviews.
Many men suffered from mental health issues and these seemed to become more
severe the longer they were detained. Self-harm behaviours were common, sometimes
even among men who I thought were ok. One man who self-harmed required 72
stitches. He was always active, exercised, looked after himself and had, for most of the
time maintained a positive attitude. Another man I had known well had made three
attempts at suicide over the last year. When I was last on the Island there was a man
who was so unwell mentally that he was isolated from the other men, so that he could
have personal care and be watched over. He constantly had his head down and could
be seen muttering to himself constantly. It was rare for him to have eye contact with
anyone. He was just in his own little world most of the time.
I heard many other distressing stories during this rotation.
A young man told me how his boat had nearly sunk on the way over from Indonesia and
that the people on the boat had to use buckets to remove the water so that it would not
sink. He said that people had to do this for many hours and just as the boat was about
to sink they were rescued by the Australian Navy. He had been through the riot and
about 4 months after, he had decided to return home to his country. He discussed how
he was in fear of returning as people could be taken from the airport and arrested on
their return. He told me that he had a plan with his friends for getting through the airport
and he said if he made it through he would be safe. He is in contact with a colleague of
mine and he did make it safely through the airport. However, he continues to suffer from
depression because of experiences on Manus.
Some of the other men I met included a young professional who had to escape
persecution by the Taliban. His family suggested he go as they greatly feared for his
safety if he stayed. This man was able to speak many languages fluently. He still had
career hopes. He spent his time studying, mainly from books sent to him by his friends.
He still had hopes of settling in Australia.
29
A man whom I knew on Manus, asked me to visit his family who have resettled in
Australia and are now Australian citizens. He said that the anniversary of his wife’s
death was coming up and he wanted to make sure that his family was alright. I agreed
to visit his family. When I visited his family, they showed me a photo of him prior to his
being on Manus. The man in the photo was completely different to the man I knew on
Manus, as he had lost a significant amount of weight. Family members told me that he
had been persecuted for his Christian faith in his country, had been beaten by the
authorities and put in jail. They told me that he was crammed into a cell where the
inmates would take turns at sleeping on the beds provided, as there was not enough
room for everyone. They also described how they had taken him food when they had
visited him. He told me how his family had come to Australia but that he had stayed at
home as his wife was dying and he stayed with her until she died. The thing that struck
me about this man was that, although he was detained on Manus and had suffered
many things, he still wanted to look after his family.
A young man told me that he was from a minority group in his country. He told how his
family had a prosperous business. He told a story about his father being kidnapped by
the Taliban. He said that this was a common practice which could happen at any time.
He said that one day the family had found a bag outside their house and that when they
opened it, it contained a hand. The family recognized it as their father’s hand as it still
had his rings on it. They were told that they would never see him again and, to this day
they have not. As a result they could only bury the hand. During his refugee interviews
with PNG Immigration it was determined that the fighting that he had described in his
area could not be confirmed and therefore, he was denied refugee status. I don’t know
what happened to him as when I left he was appealing the decision and I do not know
the outcome. He was upset that he was unsuccessful and worried about his appeal and
his future. His main concern was that he had not been understood during his interview
as there appeared to be inconsistencies in the transcript he was given of the interview.
I was in Mike compound one day talking to the men when all of the staff were removed
from the compound due to some trouble that was happening in Delta. The camp went
into lockdown. When I returned to my employer area, there was one man unconscious
and in a neck brace and another one moaning. When I could, I went into Delta to find
out what had happened. A community leader told me that the security company had
come in because some of the men were asking questions about some procedural
matters. These men were to be taken to Chauka (for behavior modification). The
community leader told me that when he asked the security team about what was
happening, he was pushed and told to be quiet or he would be next to go. This
happened often when I was on Manus with the new security company. They did not like
to be questioned by the men. They said that this incited discontent among the others.
As a result men would frequently be sent to Chauka. Usually there was no aggressive
behavior, just asking questions.
30
One evening I was having dinner with local staff members who were working at the
centre. They told me in no uncertain terms that they thought that most of the men were
not real refugees. I told them some of the stories that I had heard and they told me,
‘Well we should keep those ones’. I was shocked by their attitude and I did not ask them
where they had formed their opinions.
Returning home I reflected on the deterioration of the men. For a lot of the men
detention fatigue had set in. General tiredness from being in detention was evident. It
became more difficult to know what to say or to do for the men. I felt helpless. I was left
with a sinking heart of desperation. I did not know at the time that this was to be my last
rotation on Manus. Due to an unexpected illness and a cancelled contract from my
employer, I was unable to return.
I have been in contact with some of the men who have returned to their countries. They
and the men who remain on Manus are never far from my thoughts.
I liked working with the men on Manus. Most of the men were warm, engaging and
respectful. I think I am lucky to be an Australian and live in Australia. I am lucky that
there is no war here, and I am not from a minority race or religion and I don’t have to
flee to ensure my safety. It is often said that Australia is a free country and that
Australians in general like to give people a fair go. When I look at this situation with
people in offshore detention, I wonder where these values have gone from Australian
society. Is it just for people living in Australia? I am just an ordinary Australian but I
believe in showing kindness to anyone who crosses my path. I find it difficult to
understand any reason for keeping people in cruel and inhumane environments. If you
are like me you write letters, attend protests, meet with refugees already in our
community. Keep doing it. Pray for them. Fight for them. Kindness has to prevail. Don’t
forget these men.
Thank you for reading this. If you would like to ask any further questions you can email
me at [email protected]