HUMAN rights advocate Anne Moon refuses to sit by while men on Manus Island endure injustice.
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A community of around 200 men that live in Hillside Haus have been denied refugee status.
For now, they sit in limbo – unable to return to their own countries and barred from any other.
“Their only option now is indefinite jail in Papua New Guinea,” Ms Moon said.
“I started doing a court case for those people with negative assessments probably 18 months ago.
“Up until six to 12 months ago men would chat to me, talk about their families – but as time has gone on so their depression has deepened.
“Things have become more difficult and they chat less.”
Her first contact with Manus was in 2014, since then she has visited three times.
Her goal is to have a judicial review of each man’s case.
To do that, Ms Moon has to hire a PNG lawyer, made more difficult by the current political climate.
“I had one lawyer who decided he wouldn’t do refugee cases anymore,” she said.
“I suspect there’s been pressure applied.”
It’s estimated to cost $4000 per case review for the men that have been denied refugee status.
Ms Moon said many of them have documentation that proves they cannot be returned to their home countries due to legitimate fears of persecution.
She visited Armidale last week to speak with advocacy group Rural Australians for Refugees.
Her Facebook page is a port of call for many looking for information about the conditions on Manus Island.
“I need more help,” she said.
“We used to be a fair country, if my government won’t do it – the opposition won’t do it, I believe it’s up to us as Australians.
“It’s an injustice done in my name, your name, Australia’s name.
“These are concentration camps, that’s not the Australian way. I have to fight that, I have no choice but to fight that.”
Ms Moon plans to take the cases to the PNG Supreme Court.