ILLEGAL AFGHAN MIGRANTS IN BENGKULU ON HUNGER STRIKE

Bengkulu, June 16 (ANTARA) - A group of 46 illegal Afghan migrants in the custody of the local immigration office here have been on a hunger strike since Saturday to pressure the Australian embassy to send a representative to meet them.

The Afghans on Monday continued their action although seven of them had collapsed on the verge of starvation. "We will refuse to take food or drink until a representative of the Australian government comes to see and listen to us," said one of the aliens, named Fauziah, in fluent English.

She said being given an opportunity to live in Australia was the only hope they had to carry on with their lives.

They were also doing the hunger strike to in solidarity with their countrymen who were still living in danger-filled conditions in their wor-torn country.

"Life in out country now is very dangerous because our basic need for security is not met. Therefore, we will deny ourselves food until the Australian government is prepared to lend us an ear," Fauziah said.

The Afghans' hunger strike caused seven of them to pass out prompting immigrations officials to rush them to Bengkulu city's Bhayangkara and M Yunus hospitals.

Since Saturday, the Afghans had not touched the food served to them and piled it up outside the door of the hall where they were acccommodated.

Meanwhile, Hardiyanto, the head of the Bengkulu immigration office, said there was little his office could do to deal with the Afghans' hunger strike.

"They are refusing to eat or drink and there is little we can do about it," he said.

But , he said, a representative of the International Organization of Migration (IOM) had arrived in Bengkulu to handle the 46 illegal Afghan migrants.

"We will let the IOM take further steps with regard to the Afghans," Herdiyanto said.