A second hunger striker on Nauru was hospitalised yesterday, Saturday 17 November. The Iraqi man, who has been on hunger strike for eight days, had refused water for the previous two days. The camp doctor indicated that one of his kidneys has failed.
Omid, the Iranian asylum seeker now on hunger strike for 38th day of his hunger strike was reported yesterday as being “stable”. There has been no update on his condition today, Sunday.
Meanwhile the five Iranians, into the 18th day of their hunger strike protest, remain in the camp.
The asylum seekers were disgusted yesterday when the Australian DIAC manager brought a Transfield representative to try to show the asylum seekers plans for the more permanent extensions to the camp.
The Australian official repeated that the asylum seekers could be on Nauru for months before their processing begins. However she also indicated that “not all asylum seekers who arrive in Australia after 13th of August are subject to be shifted to Nauru and Manus Islands,” and that “those who are in Australia arrived after 13th august will be processed according to Australian law.”
In a statement issued by the “Asylum Seekers of Australia in Nauru Hell”, they said, “So it is clear… that this is a lottery system and that [one] law will be not implemented for all asylum seekers.”
“Chris Bowen and the Labor government have deliberately discriminated against the 400 asylum seekers on Nauru,” said Ian Rintoul. “Chris Bowen has an immediate responsibility for the fate of one life on Nauru. When 7000 asylum seekers have arrived by boat since 13 August, why is Chris Bowen willing to sacrifice the life of one asylum seeker for a policy that is so obviously a catastrophic and costly failure?”
For more information: contact Ian Rintoul, mob +61 [0] 417 275 713