Photos from Nauru reveal the Australian government’s real priorities

While millions of dollars are splashed for lavish reception rooms for government officials, the Nauru hospital does not even have the most basic of facilities. Below are photos of the Nauru hospital taken Monday 6 September, and photos of one of the reception rooms for the Pacific Islands Forum, in the Nauru Civic Centre.

Behind the facade of the Forum, Nauru administration and services are stretched to breaking point. The IHMS clinic in the detention administration compound RPC 1 is full of refugees, many of them mentally distressed children. The IHMS senior medical officer left Nauru on Saturday. It is understood that his visa was cancelled by the Nauruan government for showing sympathy to the cases of the sick children.

Staff of two of the refugee service provider organisations, Canstruct and HOST staff, have been confined to RPC 1 for the duration of the Forum to make room for the Forum and to prevent any contact with media or international government officials. Canstruct workers had to attend compulsory media workshops last week and have been warned against speaking to any media. A majority of HOST case managers have been sent off the island.

“The media on Nauru could visit the RON hospital or try to get into RPC 1, if they wanted to get the real picture of life on Nauru. Nauru has been turned into an island prison by the Australian government and they are doing everything they can to cover up that reality, while refugees and ordinary Nauruans are deprived of desperately needed services,” said Ian Rintoul spolesperson for the Refgugee Action Coalition.

“Behind the scenes of the Forum, the human rights abuses business continues as usual. Even during the week of the Forum, it is expected that the court will make orders for more children and families to be sent to Australia for medical treatment and help that they are denied on Nauru.”

For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713