"Hangings, men trying to suffocate themselves with plastic bags, stitching their lips, cutting across their eyes..." says a former Salvation Army volunteer, describing the routine suicide and self-harm attempts she witnessed at the refugee camp. This woman calls her stay at the Manus refugee camp "one of the worst experiences of my life". Hundreds of asylum seekers are detained indefinitely in 50 degree heat without private habitations or everyday provisions. In response to an official complaint, a G4 security guard asks: "Why would you expect clean drinking water?" With revelations of security brutality and threats to the livelihoods of the refugees, the pressure is on for the Australian and Papuan authorities to find a humanitarian solution for the detained.

Produced by Dateline, SBS Australia