Apparent suicide of Rohingya refugee held by Australia

By Recep Sakar

MELBOURNE (AA) - A Rohingya Muslim refugee detained by Australia on the country’s offshore processing center on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, has committed suicide, local media reported on Tuesday.

Citing police sources, Radio New Zealand (RNZ) reported that the 32-year-old man’s “death was a suicide”.

“They were traveling together with the other refugees, from the camp coming into the town for their normal activities, doing the shopping. It was very unfortunate that whilst they were traveling, the refugee jumped off the bus and got himself killed,” Manus provincial police commander David Yapu said, according to RNZ.

Another refugee on the island, Behrouz Boochani said on Twitter that the man had epilepsy, adding: “Two years ago he was sent to Australia for medical treatment but they sent him back to Manus again without providing him with medical treatment.”

He added that the death toll of refugees on Manus since 2013 has risen to seven.

“The refugees are deeply saddened by the news of another death. All of us knew him and we were aware of his illness. He occasionally used to pass out and needed urgent medical treatment. But the Australian immigration chose to ignore him,” he added.

RNZ also quoted Ian Rintoul of the Refugee Action Coalition saying the man suffered from seizures and had been detained on Manus since 2013.

“He should not have been taken there in 2013, and he should not have been returned there after he was brought to Australia for medical treatment in 2014,” Rinotul said, according to RNZ.

Australia sends asylum-seekers who attempt to reach its shores to detention centers on Manus, Papua New Guinea or Nauru, an island country in Oceania.

The detention centers have made headlines due to reports of rape, security lapses, poor conditions, and the uncertainty surrounding detainees' future.

The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012 in Myanmar's Rakhine state.