Gillard stands by Malaysia asylum seeker deal as boy leads hunger strike

• Paige Taylor
• From: The Australian
• August 06, 2011 3:26PM

The small boy whose subdued expression captured the mood of asylum seekers destined for expulsion to Malaysia has begun starving himself on Christmas Island, according to the refugee advocate with unparalleled access to detainees, workers and compounds on the tiny Australian territory.

Asylum Seekers Christmas Island director Michelle Dimasi said the boy, whom she believes was aged seven or eight, had joined men, women and other children in refusing to eat food or take water.

They refused to go to their beds last night and instead slept on the ground outside in the rain, Ms Dimasi said.

The boy was on the front pages of newspapers across the nation yesterday when he was pictured on the jetty at Flying Fish Cove walking to the bus that would deliver him to detention and, excluding extraordinary circumstances, a charter flight to Kuala Lumpur.

The woman with him smiled but his face was blank.

At noon local time today (2pm AEST), the boy and others were lying out in the sun as part of a peaceful protests against their impending deportation, Ms Dimasi said.

As a big visiting media contingent on the island tried to catch a glimpse of the protesting asylum seekers, workers began putting up shade cloth to block any view into the high-security compound.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship said late yesterday it was unaware of any hunger strike and a spokeswoman said that just because a person skipped a meal or two it did not mean they were on voluntary starvation.

Ms Dimasi said her organisation was deeply concerned.

"We think it is important that independent human rights observers and representatives come to the island because there is clearly no transparency in how these people are being cared for," she said.

"Our other concern whether people are receiving adequate psychological care. There is no child psychologist on the island."

At about 6.30pm AEST time yesterday, Ms Dimasi became the first refugee advocate to have contact with any of the group of 55 slated for deportation.

She said an extremely distressed man phoned her from inside the Bravo compound where 22 men, women and children are being held pending deportation.

She said the man told her: "People in here are going on hunger strike".

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said today the hunger strike reports would not change the government's position.

"I have seen reports to that affect. Obviously, our immigration department officials will handle any issues," Ms Gillard told reporters in Melbourne today.

"But, as we have made clear all along, the returns to Malaysia aren't a question of volunteering. This will be done."