Dear Australia: We Need to Talk About Manus Island

I'll be honest, it wasn't until this weekend that I became aware of what has been happening with Manus Island. So this may seem like me jumping on a bandwagon, but the very fact that I didn't know is a large part of why I'm writing this.

We need to talk about Manus Island.

But first, do you remember the horror that happened in Aleppo nearly a year ago? Do you remember little Bana Alabed tweeting her story, begging for help?

Because I didn't.

I cried when it happened. Then I forgot. I got distracted.

Yesterday, I picked up her book. I read her story all over again. I felt sick.

Sick that I had forgotten. Sick that I had contributed to the struggles of refugees around the world by my silence. So I made a decision: no more.

Manus Island is full of Bana Alabeds. Men, women, children. None of whom asked for this. They didn't ask for the situation at home to get so bad that running was all they could do. They did not ask to be stripped of freedom, safety and security. But they were.

So, they did what every living creature does when threatened: they chose between fight, flight or freeze.

Well, I say "chose". There want much choice, really. Freezing was deadly, and fighting not much better. That meant flight, as risky as it was, was the only option left for them.

They fled to what they thought would be safety, only for it to disappear like a mirage in the desert.

We did that to them. That is not okay.

I understand how easy it is to forget that those on Manus Island are people, fellow human beings. People that could have been our friends, our family.

They have fled from a destroying boulder, only to find themselves at a precipice. Please don't push them off. Please don't abandon them.

They have thrown themselves at our feet and begged us for mercy.

Now we must decide.

We must decide what kind of people we want to be. Do we want to be a people of compassion? Or a people who despise those who are different? Do we want to be a people who help the hurting? Or a people who cause the hurting?

Our history is marred enough. We have a chance to chance our narrative. Let's change it.

PNG is not safe for refugees. We know that. Don't ignore it.

Bring them here. Allow them to go to New Zealand. Help give them freedom. Help establish them with safe homes and food.

If these words have made you want to find out more, or do more, I'd recommend visiting The Australian Refugee Action Network. Please, please, please, don't do nothing.

With love,

Laura Dee