The children Dutton tried to hide

Journalists can't reach them, and staff on Nauru sign agreements not to talk – but I taught these children, and I have watched the life slowly drain from their eyes.

In 2014, Australian paediatricians said this detention constituted child abuse.2 The conditions have only worsened since. On Monday night, three medical experts who worked on Nauru appeared on ABC's 7.30 Report to blow the whistle on the medical emergency for children detained there. One said it was only a matter of time till a child dies.3

But we know that with enough pressure, things can change. This year, Australian judges defied the Federal Government multiple times and evacuated children urgently from Nauru to Australia.4

So while our Government is trying to hide the 112 children remaining on Nauru – these photos are our chance to show the Australian public the truth. If enough of us speak out now, we can confront politicians with the faces and the stories of the children imprisoned on Nauru, and force them to act.

Will you join me and call on PM Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten to evacuate these children and their families to Australia before Universal Children's Day on November 20?

No matter what your political view – the indefinite detention of children is astoundingly cruel.

As a teacher on Nauru, I saw the impacts of this policy. I watched a young girl, initially so eager to learn English and read Harry Potter, curl up in a corner of my classroom and cry uncontrollably for hours.

I saw children watch on, terrified as their parents were handcuffed with zip ties and assaulted, simply to attend medical appointments.

When former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the US deal to resettle refugees there, I heard hope flower in the voices of these kids, but nearly 2 years later, only a handful of people have been moved to safety.

Despite being assessed as a refugee – this little boy is still waiting. How long can we do this to him?

So far, 157 children and their families have been brought to Australia from offshore detention on doctor's orders.5 But 112 kids remain on Nauru, some never knowing a day of freedom in their lives.

Please, will you join with me and call on Scott Morrison and Bill Shorten to evacuate the remaining children on Nauru and their families to Australia before Universal Children's Day?

A photo tells a thousand words. That's why the [taxpayer-funded] Australian Broadcasting Corporation was banned from accessing Nauru6 – but the bravery of those imprisoned there means this country can now see the photos of the children detained in our name.

These photos shatter the government's lie and demand we stand up – everyone one of us – to bring these kids to safety.

I can't do this alone – so thank you for standing with me.

Gabby Sutherland

Former Save the Children teacher on Nauru

PS - I'm so thankful for all the support I've had so far. But I know that to change this little boy's life, I urgently need thousands of people speaking up, all at once. So please, stand with me to call for his evacuation, and pass this on to friends, family and people you know.

References:
[1] 'Manus Island detention: Adam Bandt calls Immigration Minister Peter Dutton 'a terrorist', ABC, 4 November 2017.
[2] 'Paediatricians say mandatory detention is child abuse', The Conversation, 6 October 2014.
[3] 'Refugee children on Nauru are Googling how to kill themselves, whistleblower warns', ABC, 27 August 2018.
[4] 'Nauru hunger strike: 12-year-old boy at imminent risk of dying', The Guardian, 16 August 2018.
[5] 'Federal Government to launch crackdown on asylum seekers', The Age 26 August 2017.
[6] 'Outrageous: Nauru bans ABC from Summit', SBS News, 2 July 2018.

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