Evicted and arrested
On Thursday 29 August 2019, twenty-six refugees were arrested in Makassar, Indonesia after a peaceful demonstration in front of the Australian consulate.
Around four hundred had gathered to protest against Australian border policies and their long stay in Indonesia.
I met with the men the day before they were arrested.
Australians have kept their attention focused on Nauru and Papua New Guinea, but the impact of Australia’s border policies in Indonesia is thoroughly overlooked.
I’ve been following the situation faced by refugees and asylum seekers in Indonesia for three years. This reporting was supported by a Walkley grant for freelance journalism, and is explored in The Wait, episode 3: The place where we are kept.