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600 refugees in Australian detention centre write open letter demanding assisted suicide 600 refugees in Australian detention centre write open letter demanding assisted suicide
(2 days later)
Hundreds of refugees are thought to have signed an open letter calling for mass assisted suicide in the Australian immigration detention centre where they are being held.Hundreds of refugees are thought to have signed an open letter calling for mass assisted suicide in the Australian immigration detention centre where they are being held.
Around 600 asylum seekers at the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre, on an island off the coast of Papua New Guinea, are believed to have put their names to the letter.Around 600 asylum seekers at the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre, on an island off the coast of Papua New Guinea, are believed to have put their names to the letter.
Manus Island, home to 900 refugees, is one of several detention centres responsible for processing people attempting to get to Australia on boats. Manus Island, home to 900 refugees, is one of several detention centres responsible for processing people attempting to get to Australia on boats. 
Australian immigration lawyer Julian Burnside posted a transcript of the letter on his blog on Monday.Australian immigration lawyer Julian Burnside posted a transcript of the letter on his blog on Monday.
It called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton for "a navy ship that can put us all on board and dump us all in the ocean... a gas chamber... (or) an injection of a poison".It called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton for "a navy ship that can put us all on board and dump us all in the ocean... a gas chamber... (or) an injection of a poison".
It said: “As previously we wrote and asked for help and there was no response to our request to be freed out of detention we realised that there are no differences between us and rubbish - but a bunch of slaves that helped to stop the boats by living in hellish condition. It said: “As previously we wrote and asked for help and there was no response to our request to be freed out of detention we realised that there are no differences between us and rubbish - but a bunch of slaves that helped to stop the boats by living in hellish condition. 
“The only difference is that we are very costly for the Australian tax payers and the politicians as our job to ‘stop the boats’ is done.“The only difference is that we are very costly for the Australian tax payers and the politicians as our job to ‘stop the boats’ is done.
“We are dying in Manus gradually, every single day we are literally tortured and traumatised and there is no safe country to offer us protection.”“We are dying in Manus gradually, every single day we are literally tortured and traumatised and there is no safe country to offer us protection.”
Speaking to Vice Australia, a refugee living on Manus, who gave his name only as Mahmud, claimed to have written the letter. Speaking to Vice Australia, a refugee living on Manus, who gave his name only as Mahmud, claimed to have written the letter. 
He said: “Recently Immigration is telling us there is no country that will accept us on this planet. He said: “Recently Immigration is telling us there is no country that will accept us on this planet. 
Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border
A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany
Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees
A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos
A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said
Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year
Firemen carry the body of a child after refugees arrived on the Greek island of Lesbos. Greek leaders were among those at the meeting in Brussels
The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos
Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija
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A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija
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Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos
Reuters
An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey
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A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos
EPA
A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey
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Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija
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People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija
AP
Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day
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An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France
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A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea
EPA
Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey
Getty Images
“They are literally torturing and traumatising us with their system (which is a planned proper system to break us down). “They are literally torturing and traumatising us with their system (which is a planned proper system to break us down). 
“So when we found out they will keep doing this and we will be experiencing gradual death for the rest of our lives in here why not ask them to execute us instead?”“So when we found out they will keep doing this and we will be experiencing gradual death for the rest of our lives in here why not ask them to execute us instead?”
The Independent has contacted the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection for comment.The Independent has contacted the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection for comment.