Sunday's Fairfax media reports that a lone journalist, Kim Roscoe from NZ's Dominion Post has managed to infiltrate the Australian government's media exclusion zone to find out what's happening on the island of Nauru, 2800km North of Brisbane, where 45 asylum seeers have been on hunger strike since December 10, 2003. (article 1)

Sunday's Farifax media reports that a lone journalist, Kim Roscoe from NZ's Dominion Post has managed to infiltrate the Australian government's media exclusion zone to find out what's happening on the island of Nauru, 2800km North of Brisbane. The Australian government has also denied the asylum seekers on Nauru legal or advocacy visitors.

See Ms Roscoes report here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/0,2106,2773358a6000,00.html

45 men have been on hunger strike at the Topside Refugee Detention centre on Nauru since December 10, protesting the Australian government's denial of their visas and the inhumane conditions at the camp. This Friday will mark day 27 of their hunger strike. Their bodies are steadily declining, most suffering kidney failure. Several are reported to be close to death. The Topside authorities are periodically admitting individuals to hospital to be ‘revived’ from imminent death by intravenous fluids. Refugee advocates think this is not enough to prevent serious damage to vital organs.

Detainee Ali Madad Razai told Ms Roscoe that "They do not want to die, they want to live. A hunger strike is something you do when you have no other option. Believe me, we had no other option," he said. "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."

The Australian government has absolved itself of responsibility for the psychological and physical state of the refugees on Nauru, Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone claiming first that it was an internal matter for the administration of the camp, and then sending representatives to tell hunger-strikers to accept repatriation to Afghanistan. The protestors, afraid for their lives if they are forced to be return to Afghanistan, have pledged 'freedom or death'. Four detainees who have sewn their lips together have now pledged to sew their eyelids shut in a desperate attempt to have their people's cases heard by Minster Vanstone.

Brisbane refugee advocates have organised a protest this Friday, January 9, outside the offices of the Department Of Immigration & Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) at 313 Adelaide St, Brisbane city. From 12 noon.

ON Monday Jan 5th I talked to Frederika Steen in Brisbane, a refugee advocate who has been in contact with events on Nauru.

Frederika, along with others, will speak at this Friday's protest, DIMA 313 Adelaide St, Brisbane, from 12:00 noon.

Track 1 - 9:35

Track 2 - 9:43

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For the latest news on Nauru, visit http://www.nauruwire.org

To sign the Petition to http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/975950129?ts=1073194942&sign

To get involved in refguee issues in Brisbane go to http://www.barc.org.au