Hundreds of refugees on Nauru have begun a campaign of non-cooperation with the Nauruan government, and the Immigration Department and with all authorities and organizations like Connect that are supposedly responsible for their existence on Nauru.
Already, refugee children are boycotting every level of school. Nobody is attending the English classes held by Connect (see empty adult English class photo). Refugees are refusing to talk to Connect case-managers.
More than 150 refugees who had jobs, including in the Nauruan public service, have quit their jobs or are effectively on stay-away strike.
“We are withdrawing our cooperation,” one Nauruan refugee told the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC), “We will no longer contribute to the Nauruan economy. We will not be treated like slaves.”
A major protest is planned for Friday, 27 February.
As the momentum of the campaign has gathered pace, the Nauru government has begun distributing flyers (see below) warning darkly about ‘public safety and public order’ and that unauthorised persons are prohibited from designated areas.
Last night (Wednesday 25 February) caseworkers visited refugee housing areas warning that refugees found in certain areas will be arrested by Nauruan police.
Police are conspicuously hanging around the refugee camps.
The refugees were angered by the visit of Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton, on 21 February. Dutton avoided the refugees; “Nobody saw him or spoke to him,” RAC was told.
Dutton used the visit to re-commit to a five-year agreement with the Nauruan government to warehouse refugees on the island. For its part, the Nauruan government welcomed the agreement as some bizarre development proposal to boost to Nauruan economy.
There was no consideration of the refugees who have been found to be in need of international protection. Yet there is no security and no resettlement arrangement for them. They face five years on Nauru, with nowhere to go at the end of that time.
The refugees’ anger is also stirred by the knowledge that asylum seekers who arrived in Australia on the same boats as they did over 18 months ago, are now being released into the Australian community and will be eligible for protection visas in Australia.
Refugees from all the camps on Nauru, including Fly Camp, the more remote camp of single men, will be involved in Friday’s protest.
“The asylum seekers and refugees on Nauru have been the victims of blatant discrimination,” said Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.
“They were arbitrarily selected for offshore processing on Christmas Island. They endured the appalling conditions in the Nauru detention camps. Now, as refugees, find they are still imprisoned on Nauru with no future.
“One reason the government is busily attacking Gillian Triggs is because the Human Rights report exposes the shocking conditions on Nauru.
“As long as Nauru is open, the government’s hypocrisy is exposed for all to see.”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul mob 0417 275 713
