Release children from asylum centre

 THE Australian Council for International Development has en­dorsed the call by Paris Aristotle, a member of the Australian go­vernment’s panel on asylum seeker­s, to remove children im­mediately from the Manus detention centre.

His call is based on evidence 

that necessary safeguards are not put in place by the Australian and PNG governments at the detention centre.

Evidence provided by mental health ex­perts shows that child de­tainees experience clinical de­pression, post-traumatic stress disorder and various anxiety disorders.

Symptoms for children suffering such abuse can include self-harm, acting out the depressive behaviour of adults, delayed speech, aggressive behaviour and acting below their age levels, for example through soiling themselves.

Under the United Nations’ convention on the rights of children, which the governments of Papua New Guinea and Australia have signed, all children, including children held in immigration detention centres, have a right to the “highest attainable standard of health”.

PNG and Australia need to act immediately to remove children from Manus.

Marc Purcell

Canberra