A friend, Mervyn, tells me that the Malaysian solution involves putting refugees in detention centres with bars.
Mervyn says that all the refugee centres he has seen in Malaysia seem to be equipped with bars on the windows (sic).
He said that Australian jails/detention centres have done their best to get rid of bars because they are a hanging point which facililtates suicide by a desperate etainee.
Mervyn says that to send refugees to barred jails where suicide appears to be the only option may result in deaths that would not occur if the refugees are kept safe here – preferably in the community.
Mervyn asked me if I would pass this on to refugee activists in case you think it important to raise in your media statements about the Malaysian solution and to bring pressure on the labor government.
Ian Curr
Time will tell; Chris Bowen says special conditions have been negotiated with Malaysia & UN for those he sends there.