Alex Broun
It was an extraordinary moment — not just for Australian television but for the battle for more humane treatment for abused and neglected refugees in Australia.
It was Sunday night on Channel Ten — another mundane eviction episode of the reality television show Big Brother. The night's evictee was Merlin Luck.
Then something surprising happened.
As Luck walked down the gangway, through the crowd, he produced something from his jeans. He fumbled trying to open something and then it was up — a political banner: "Free th refugees." The "e" fell off the hastily made banner as he was unravelling it.
On prime time, a young Australian was making a political statement. You could hear the sounds of tinnies dropping to the floor across the nation.
But there was more to come. A piece of black gaffer tape was produced and rudely slapped across the mouth.
Then Australia's prime-time protester, to the horror of sardonic host Gretel Killeen, sat stony faced holding the banner in front of him, refusing to speak in a silent show of support for the hundreds of asylum seekers still held against their will in Australian-run detention centres.
The response from the large studio audience was immediate and mostly hostile — boos and jeers as those who paid for overpriced tickets to hear Luck's eviction interview realised they were not going to get what they paid for.
Despite Killeen's ongoing urging, Luck refused to break his silence and soon he was escorted off the stage by two burly bouncers as the producers quickly tried to re-jig their live-to-air format.
But for many refugees and refugee supporters in Australia, Luck's action had spoken louder than a million words.
The day after his now famous protest, as the controversy raged around him, Luck spoke to 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly on the phone from a Brisbane radio studio as he waited for his umpteenth interview of the day.
Still coming to terms with the enormity of what he had pulled off, Luck was surprised that in all but one interview (George Moore on 2UE), his opinions had been listened to respectfully and he had been able to air his views on asylum seekers.
"[2UE] was a mutual hang-up", laughed Luck. "But that's okay. This is an issue I feel passionately about and my major motivation was to get it back on the political agenda. Honestly, it's been the most powerful moment of my life so far.
"I know there were people booing in the audience but there were also little pockets of people who were supporting what I did and I know they represent the millions of other Australians who feel like I do — that the treatment of refugees in this country is wrong."
Luck was partly inspired to his protest by his own arrival in Australia.
"I came to this country from Germany when I was four years old" he explained, "and then we overstayed our tourist visa — as so many people do — so we lived illegally in Australia. I guess this gives me a little insight into how refugees feel.
"Refugees and asylum seekers have risked their basic human right to life to escape, persecution and they are greeted with utter inhumane disrespect when they arrive here. We lock up these people for indefinite periods of time.
"Whatever happened to the notion of caring for others in need? The treatment of refugees in this country is the most blatant undermining of the most basic human rights", said Luck.
One of those touched by the silent protest was Iranian actor, playwright and asylum seeker Shahin Shafaei who lives in Newtown on a temporary protection visa, and was watching Big Brother on the now famous night.
Shafaei, who spent 22 months in Curtin Detention centre, including 10 months in an isolation compound, knows more than most the cruelty of Australia's immigration "policies".
"When I saw what [Luck] was doing I was amazed and very, very happy", said Shafaei, "that he would have the courage to be so brave and make this protest."
"What he did means so much for those of us on temporary protection visas and for others still in detention centres. It will help us a lot in our battle for understanding."
Luck was overjoyed to hear of Shafaei's response and revealed to GLW that, while in the BB house, he had spoken often about the need for more humane treatment for refugees, but the producers had simply chosen to edit his comments out.
Refugees have proven to be a ratings winner, however. It was revealed later in the week that Luck's post-eviction interview dragged in an extra 150,000 viewers and articles about Luck's action had been the highest viewed on the Sydney Morning Herald web site.
Luck finished his GLW interview by re-affirming his commitment to the cause and said he would continue using his new found fame to re-ignite discussion on Australia's harsh refugee policies.
"Look I am not an extremist, not a hard-core activist" he said. "I'm a normal dude, talking about sport, hanging out with my mates but I just feel there should be a lot more discussion on this issue. Raising the debate — that's half the point I was trying to make.
"I was amazed afterwards that Gretel said this was 'reality television' and wasn't the place to make statements like I did. Then when is?
"This is a real issue. It may be a different type of reality but kids going skateboarding also need to be confronted with real issues. To talk about those issues and give them exposure at seven o'clock on live to air prime time.
"And I will continue to talk about this issue in all my interviews, with Gretel on my next interview, on Rove Live. The whole point of Big Brother is seeing all of people's personality. This is my personality."
Luck also addressed the World Refugee Rally in Sydney on June 20.
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, June 23, 2004.
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