A Vietnamese asylum seeker attempted to hang himself at the Yongah Hill detention centre, outside Perth, yesterday, Wednesday 28 August.
His suicide attempt came the day after he was interviewed by Vietnamese police on 27 August. His condition is unknown but it is believed he was taken to hospital in Perth.
“Nguyen is one of up to at least 100 Vietnamese asylum seekers, some of them only 17 or 18 years-old, at Yongah Hill and Darwin who have been exposed to danger by the Immigration Department allowing them to be interviewed by Vietnamese police,” said Ian Rintoul.
“It is inexcusable that the Immigration Department should have allowed Vietnamese government officials into the detention centre. DIAC spokesman Sandi Logan told The West Australian that is ‘customary’ for Australian governments to allow such things.
“It may be customary, but when Chinese officials were allowed into Villawood in 2005, many of the Chinese asylum seekers exposed at the time were subsequently granted protection visas because of the danger that the Immigration Department had placed them in.
“According to reports from asylum seekers interviewed by the Vietnamese police, they already had information about them and their families in Vietnam. We are demanding that all the Vietnamese asylum seekers exposed to the Vietnamese police be immediately released from detention. Just as with the PNG solution, by collaborating with the persecutors of the Vietnamese asylum seekers, the Australian government is treating its international obligations with contempt.”
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
