Postcard from Rubbish Dump Road, Nauru

[Violet_Crumble]

January 3, 2004

The hunger strikers say they could be dead within days, writes Kim Ruscoe on Nauru.

On a dirt road, beyond mounds of stinking rat-infested rubbish and the rusted carcasses of abandoned cars, is the dumping ground for Australia's unwanted asylum seekers.

Called Topside Camp - or the Baking Tray by its residents - the compound on Nauru is built on a disused football field on aptly named Rubbish Dump Road. This is home to the 284 asylum seekers, including 93 children, whose claims for refugee status have been rejected. Up to 45 men have been on a three-week hunger strike to draw attention to their plight. They believe they will be dead within a week. This week, New Zealand's The Dominion Post became the first media outlet to visit Nauru since the hunger strike began. One of the strikers had heart problems, two had "rotten" sores on their legs and some had sewn their lips together, other detainees said.

Most were said to be suffering severe kidney pain and were so weak they had to be carried about the camp on stretchers. They frequently dropped into unconsciousness and had to be taken to hospital by ambulance and given intravenous drugs, said Madad Razai, an 18-year-old detainee. The local hospital was ill equipped to meet the demand of the detainees and doctors had refused their requests for further medical treatment.

"They do not want to die," Ali said. "They want to live. A hunger strike is something you do when you have no other option. Believe me, we had no other option. If the world didn't know that we were alive before, they can at least know there are some tragic events on Nauru after the asylum seekers' deaths."

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/02/1072908908803.html