Pamela Anderson has cemented herself as a passionate vegan, advocate for animal rights and an active member of PETA, but her letter to Peter Dutton has us scratching our heads.
Australia has made headlines around the world for our deplorable treatment of refugees, prompting condemnation from the UN and multiple celebrities including Russell Crowe and Ita Buttrose.
However, the Baywatch alum’s concerns seemed to lie squarely with the animals on Manus Island rather than the men starving and thrust into a life of purgatory and fear.
Pamela wrote to Immigration Minister Peter Dutton demanding an investigation into Manus Island because a dog called Foxy was reportedly thrown from a bus.
“Animals feel pain, stress, and fear just as we do, and such callous abuse is unacceptable and threatens everyone in your care on Manus,” the Canadian actress wrote.
“Foxy’s primary caregiver is understandably distraught by the guard’s actions. Displaced people often form close bonds with animals, who provide unconditional love and hope. Of all the things that refugees endure, emotional trauma is often the hardest to bear.
“May I hear from you soon that you’ll launch an investigation into this incident and give Foxy and her guardians the justice they deserve?”
The wellbeing of Foxy’s guardians is positioned as a notable afterthought.
The actress also described the prolonged detainment of the refugees as “appalling”, claiming “recent reporting from the camps indicates a new level of violence and suffering”.
In 2016, Australians only took 27,600 of the 65.6 million individuals who were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations.
With climate change, the number is only going to get higher and based on our treatment of those at Manus and Nauru, we’re headed for a catastrophe.
The culmination of rising sea levels, diminished food production and fresh water as well as oil and resource wars will result in an exponentially higher number of refugees – are we still going to be using this ‘offshore processing’ system that clearly doesn’t work?
If Foxy is the thing that gets asylum seekers the help they need, so be it.
