Asylum seeker on Nauru jailed after attemping suicide

Transcript

Refugee advocates are concerned for a Sri Lankan asylum seeker on Nauru who has been jailed after he attempted to commit suicide at the detention centre there.

The Tamil Refugee Council, based in Australia, says the 30-year-old man climbed up a tree where he stayed for nine hours on Sunday, and was threatening to jump.

The Council's spokesperson, Aran Mylvaganam says his refugee application was rejected recently, after being in detention for two and a half years.

Mr Mylvaganam told Mary Baines detention centre workers told the man he would receive help if he came down, but when he did, the police arrested him.

ARAN MYLVAGANAM: A 30-year-old Tamil asylum seeker on Nauru climbed up a tree on Sunday at 9am local time and threatened to commit suicide unless his family is released from detention into Australia. The man came with a five year old daughter and his wife. We have received photographs of the incident. While the man was on the tree, there were guards at the bottom of the tree and as part of the onlookers were the wife and the five-year-old child, we were able to see in the photos the five-year-old child was crying looking at her dad threatening to commit suicide. At about 6pm local time the guards convinced the man to come down with the promise that he would get a positive response within 24 hours. As soon as he came down Nauruan police came and arrested him and he is in jail at the moment.

MARY BAINES: Why is he in jail?

AM: The police came and arrested him and according to the information we are getting from the refugees inside the centre he is in jail but we don't know the reasons why the police have arrested him. It may be illegal for someone to attempt suicide in Nauru, that may be the case. But what we are hearing is that the refugee has been arrested by the local police and he is in jail, according to the refugees on Nauru.

MB: This man's refugee status recently got rejected, I understand, after being in detention for two and a half years.

AM: He has been in detention for two and a half years. First he was kept at Christmas Island. According to his wife they were promised refugee protection when they were in Christmas Island. Somehow they were transferred to Nauru two years ago and just a few days ago was told his asylum application was rejected.

MB: What would you like to see done here, what are you calling for?

AM: Firstly it is heartbreaking to see a five-year-old girl looking at her dad threatening to commit suicide. It is heartbreaking. We hope the Australian government, for the sake of that five-year-old girl will bring this family into Australia and make sure they are being looked after. Obviously the conditions on Nauru mean children and adults are not living a normal life. And we want the Australian government to free this family and free all the children, and other adults, on Nauru.