In 2002 there was a big hunger strike and people sewed their lips together. During the hunger strike some started drinking shampoo and attempted suicide. After no response from the government, frustration grew daily and people started rioting. One person needed hospital treatment after jumping off the roof.

I would look straight ahead and the infinite desert would stare back at me. Even the birds seemed aware of the desolateness. If I walked into the mess where lunch was served, I would see an empty space filled with flies and untouched food. Most people felt depressed, sleeping all day and with nothing to do.

Each day in Woomera was a nightmare. Sometimes I'd go to the fence on a 44-degree day and hold on to the burning hot fence thinking I was the only one. But when I turned right and left I saw many others doing the same thing.

Woomera detention centre began with about 500 asylum seekers and ended up housing close to 1500, including about 500 children. Some remained in Woomera for the entire time it existed. In the beginning, visitors including media representatives and monitoring agencies such as the United Nations and Amnesty International were not allowed in.

I was then transferred to Baxter and finally granted asylum in 2004. In total I was incarcerated for more than three years. Since my release I have studied electrical engineering and socio-work. I now help refugees rebuild their lives through a welfare and advocacy organisation that I founded.

The breakout during the Easter of 2002 was something I'll never forget. Protesters arrived at the detention centre and broke fences. Some asylum seekers managed to escape. Some tried to jump over the razor wire and got stuck. They were cut so badly they fainted due to blood loss. Others were crying, asking protesters to ''please take me too!'' and some were jammed in the middle because there were so many people rushing to escape. As people gathered closer to the fences the guards became aggressive. After a while police and the guards surrounded us and there was no escape. All went back to the sad reality once again.

The Woomera refugee and asylum seeker warehouse breached many international human rights laws and there were many untold human rights abuses. At that time Woomera was a clear bargaining tool in the border control debate for John Howard. I can't forget his famous words: ''Australia has the right to decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come.''

Before I wrote this article, I called a few friends who were in detention with me. One expressed the importance of helping those who went through experiences similar to ours. Some refused to say anything, and others made jokes to get them through.

Some of my friends are experiencing major physiological medical conditions; some are battling mental health problems including depression and alcohol abuse. Many still do not have Australian citizenship, leading to trouble with employment and housing. They have tried to bury their scars. The cruel experiences of the Woomera detention centre have affected us all, and will continue to do so.

Today Australia runs at least 10 offshore and onshore immigration detention centres holding mostly refugees and asylum seekers who have arrived by boat. Some have been detained for more than three years At last count, the number of detainees was about 6000 - about the same number detained in 2003 when Woomera closed.