lang: en
Summary
In January 2015, over 700 asylum seekers at the Manus Island Regional Processing Center in Papua New Guinea went on a hunger strike to protest harsh conditions and demand faster processing of their asylum claims. The strike lasted two weeks, during which some detainees sewed their lips shut and consumed razor blades. The Australian government responded by deploying riot police, arresting leaders, and relocating them to a local jail. The strike ended with minimal immediate change, but the center closed in October 2017, partly due to the campaign highlighting the facility’s harsh conditions.
Tactics used
Tactics used
Background
The Manus Island Regional Processing Center was an offshore immigration detention center in Papua New Guinea that opened in 2011 to process refugees arriving by boat to Australia. Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s policies led to overcrowding, with detainees held for over 18 months with little progress on their cases. The facility became known for harsh conditions, and a riot in February 2014 left 77 detainees injured and one dead, drawing global attention.
What happened
In January 2015, over 700 asylum seekers began a hunger strike to protest their treatment and living conditions, after the Australian government planned to relocate 50 asylum seekers to a local jail [source: nv-database]. Days into the strike, many detainees collapsed due to lack of food and water, and officials cut off running water, prompting human rights organizations to intervene [source: nv-database]. Some detainees sewed their lips shut and consumed razor blades in protest [source: nv-database]. The Australian government publicly refused to negotiate and placed protest leaders in solitary confinement [source: nv-database]. After two weeks, riot police forcibly removed over 90 leaders, arresting them and relocating them to Lorengau Jail [source: nv-database]. Local residents then protested outside the jail, holding knives and machetes, reinforcing the asylum seekers’ lack of safety [source: nv-database]. The strike ended with detainees resuming eating, while leaders faced harsher punishments [source: nv-database]. The Manus Island Processing Center closed in October 2017, partly due to the campaign highlighting its harsh conditions [source: nv-database].
Key people & organizations
- Manus Island Asylum Seekers
- Manus Island Processing Center
- Australian Home Affairs (Immigration and Citizenship)
- Tony Abbott
- Peter Dutton
- Sarah Hanson-Young
- International Health and Medical Services (IHMS)
Outcome
Verdict: partial.
The campaign achieved minimal immediate change, scoring only 1 out of 6 points for specific demands, but it contributed to the eventual closure of the Manus Island Processing Center in 2017, partly due to the attention it brought to the facility’s harsh conditions [source: nv-database].
Lessons
- Hunger strikes can generate significant media attention and pressure, but may not lead to immediate concessions if the opponent refuses to negotiate.
- External allies such as human rights organizations and sympathetic politicians can amplify the campaign’s message and provide support.
- Self-harm tactics can escalate the moral stakes but also risk alienating public sympathy and invite harsh repression.
Sources
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
nv-database— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via
worker_casestudies_v2.py