Lisa Dillon, Ballina
The government just doesn’t get it! All the money in the world can be pumped into medical facilities on Christmas Island, but the only thing that’s going to cure mental illness amongst refugees is the promise of a meaningful life.
A meaningful life has a purpose, with opportunity for fulfillment and satisfaction. This is never going to be possible for refugees incarcerated in detention centres.
How many talented people is Australia missing out on? In the past we’ve welcomed ‘boat people’, and many have contributed enormously to their new country.
These include artist, writer and comedian, Ahn Do; film director and screenwriter, Khoa Do (2005 Young Australian of the Year); and Associate Professor in orthopaedic surgery and specialist in prosthetic limbs, Munjed Al Muderis.
Current Manus Island detainees include Abdul Aziz Muhamat who just received an international human rights award, and Behrooz Boochani, journalist, novelist and poet, who recently won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award with his book about life on Manus Island.
How many other intelligent, determined people is Australia missing out on? How many more are going to have the hope crushed out of them by the Australian government?
