Asylum seekers on hunger strike in Indonesia

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Asylum seekers on hunger strike in Indonesia

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The group of 169 asylum seekers started their hunger strike on Monday.

04 May,2012 06:14 pm

An official in Indonesia says more than 160 Afghan asylum seekers have been on a hunger strike demanding a transfer to Australia.Muhammad Yunus Junaid, the head of the detention centre on Bintan island, told AFP news agency the group started their hunger strike on Monday.Mr Junaid says there are 169 male asylum seekers, aged between 17 and 40, involved in the protest.He says some of the asylum seekers had been detained at the Tanjung Pingang city detention centre up for two years.They said they could not stand staying in the centre any longer. They want to go to Australia and live a normal life there, he said.He says 40 asylum seekers were taken to hospital on Thursday, suffering from anaemia and others losing consciousness.Thirty-five have since been released and have resumed their hunger strike.Mr Junaid says about 50 Burmese asylum seekers at the centre went on a hunger strike last week for three days, but they were not granted refugee status.