This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/26/pictures-of-misery-what-children-draw-in-detention-on-christmas-island
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Pictures of misery: what children draw in detention on Christmas Island | Pictures of misery: what children draw in detention on Christmas Island |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| An alarming aspect of the pictures drawn by children detained on Christmas Island, and revealed by the Human Rights Commission's national investigation into their plight, is what is blanked out – the children’s boat IDs. | |
| In every detention facility I have visited, children sign their artworks with | In every detention facility I have visited, children sign their artworks with |
| this ID; they respond to this ID; they know each other’s ID numbers. The | this ID; they respond to this ID; they know each other’s ID numbers. The |
| institutionalisation of these children is all-pervasive and will take a very | institutionalisation of these children is all-pervasive and will take a very |
| long time to recover from if they are ever released into society. | long time to recover from if they are ever released into society. |
| The sadness and pleas in these drawings are fairly evident, | The sadness and pleas in these drawings are fairly evident, |
| sometimes literal. “I need your help. ples help me” says the speech bubble above | sometimes literal. “I need your help. ples help me” says the speech bubble above |
| the girl with curly hair. A child is crying out for help, pleading to | the girl with curly hair. A child is crying out for help, pleading to |
| strangers. Parents know they cannot help their own children. These drawings | strangers. Parents know they cannot help their own children. These drawings |
| show the complete breakdown of the family unit. | show the complete breakdown of the family unit. |
| Inside detention, parents are | Inside detention, parents are |
| stripped of the right to make nearly every basic decision about their child: | stripped of the right to make nearly every basic decision about their child: |
| what will he or she eat, shall I set a nice | what will he or she eat, shall I set a nice |
| family table for dinner, what type of education will my child receive, what | family table for dinner, what type of education will my child receive, what |
| will he or she wear? Cultural norms cannot play out, and adults break without a purpose. Children with broken parents suffer - they create drawings calling out | will he or she wear? Cultural norms cannot play out, and adults break without a purpose. Children with broken parents suffer - they create drawings calling out |
| to strangers. | to strangers. |
| Nearly every drawing references bars. Successive governments | Nearly every drawing references bars. Successive governments |
| have gone to great lengths to tell us that there is no longer razor wire at | have gone to great lengths to tell us that there is no longer razor wire at |
| facilities; that where possible, Christmas Island included, fences are | facilities; that where possible, Christmas Island included, fences are |
| relatively low. Sometimes it is the type of fencing you would see at a | relatively low. Sometimes it is the type of fencing you would see at a |
| residential building site. It makes no difference: the children are trapped, | residential building site. It makes no difference: the children are trapped, |
| they are held captive and their drawings reflect this. Overbearing bars, giant | they are held captive and their drawings reflect this. Overbearing bars, giant |
| locks, guards with keys on their belts. It looks repressive because it is. It | locks, guards with keys on their belts. It looks repressive because it is. It |
| looks terrifying from the eyes of a child: uniforms, places you | looks terrifying from the eyes of a child: uniforms, places you |
| cannot go, restrictions that hold you in a place filled with suffering. The low | cannot go, restrictions that hold you in a place filled with suffering. The low |
| fence may as well be a 50ft concrete wall topped with broken glass. | fence may as well be a 50ft concrete wall topped with broken glass. |
| Even the sun is locked up. The sun shines but | Even the sun is locked up. The sun shines but |
| it cries. | it cries. |
| This is the perfect metaphor for these children. I was | This is the perfect metaphor for these children. I was |
| recently in a detention facility where a staff member pointed to a child of | recently in a detention facility where a staff member pointed to a child of |
| around four playing in a sandpit. "Isn’t she cute?" remarked the staff member. The | around four playing in a sandpit. "Isn’t she cute?" remarked the staff member. The |
| child’s eyes were vacant. She was mindlessly digging and could not hold our | child’s eyes were vacant. She was mindlessly digging and could not hold our |
| gaze; her play showed no joy or | gaze; her play showed no joy or |
| even amusement. Yes, the child was cute but it was obvious that inside she was crying. | even amusement. Yes, the child was cute but it was obvious that inside she was crying. |
| In one drawing a child shows herself and many other children | In one drawing a child shows herself and many other children |
| in the periphery all held in by a huge padlock. Another drawing shows two girls | in the periphery all held in by a huge padlock. Another drawing shows two girls |
| holding hands. Drawings by detained children quite often show many children. | holding hands. Drawings by detained children quite often show many children. |
| These kids are not alone. People looking in often think "the kids would be | These kids are not alone. People looking in often think "the kids would be |
| fine, they’ve got each other, kids find the positive in any situation". That | fine, they’ve got each other, kids find the positive in any situation". That |
| may be the truth for the first few weeks of detention but as time goes on and | may be the truth for the first few weeks of detention but as time goes on and |
| the realisation that they are not going anywhere sinks in, children are not | the realisation that they are not going anywhere sinks in, children are not |
| immune to the anguish. They see their friends depressed and families withdrawing, | immune to the anguish. They see their friends depressed and families withdrawing, |
| spending more time in their small rooms. Children worry and take | spending more time in their small rooms. Children worry and take |
| their cues from one another. Time and time again we see children draw sad groups, collections of broken people. They mourn their own lost | their cues from one another. Time and time again we see children draw sad groups, collections of broken people. They mourn their own lost |
| freedom but also feel grief for their friend who is not as much fun to play | freedom but also feel grief for their friend who is not as much fun to play |
| with as she once was, for the child they saw crying in the dining room. | with as she once was, for the child they saw crying in the dining room. |
| Sometimes children in detention draw flowers. When we visit | Sometimes children in detention draw flowers. When we visit |
| they often give us something sweet. One boy explained this to me. “You are nice | they often give us something sweet. One boy explained this to me. “You are nice |
| people, you visit us, we don’t want to make you sad.” | people, you visit us, we don’t want to make you sad.” |