A 32 year-old Tamil refugee has been taken to hospital by ambulance after attempting suicide at the Mantra Hotel in Melbourne, at around 2.30pm, this afternoon (Tuesday 12 May).
The man was found by his room-mate, and it is understood that he was unconscious when he was taken from the hotel.
The man had been transferred from PNG, in August 2019. He is one of the 65 Manus refugees at the Mantra hotel who were transferred to Australia for medical treatment but have held in closed detention in Australia.
Another 120 are being held at the Kangaroo Point hotel in Brisbane, with others held in detentions centres in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
The serious self-harm attempt comes after a similar self-harm attempt at the Kangaroo Point hotel in Brisbane, just last Sunday night (3 May) and is yet another indication of the deteriorating mental health situation inside the hotel-prisons.
The refugees are holding almost daily protests at Kangaroo Point, and the Mantra Hotels, while safe, solidarity protests outside the hotels have been broken up on several occasions by police using the excuse of COVID-19 health regulations.
The Mantra Hotel was also the scene of a roof-top occupation and banner drop protest by refugee supporters today.
Another protest calling for the release of all asylum seekers and refugees from detention is planned for the Mantra hotel this Saturday, 16 May.
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
