Attack highlights danger for Manus refugees

The latest attack on a Manus Island detainee shows it is too dangerous for refugees to settle in Papua New Guinea, according to advocates.

The refugee from Bangladesh was flown to Port Moresby last week for emergency surgery after his arm was nearly severed during a mugging outside the detention centre. The centre is due to close by November and about 700 refugees are under pressure from the Australian government to move to an open facility in nearby Lorengau town. But advocate Ian Rintoul said the attack highlighted the dangers refugees faced in the Manus Island community

“He suffered a savage machete cut right through to the bone,” said Mr Rintoul.

“And that’s just the most recent attack. They’re very common now and the more people are forced into East Lorengau, the more we’re likely to see these kinds of attacks.”

The Kurdish journalist and detainee Behrouz Boochani said the refugee was walking in Lorengau when he was accosted by several men, one of whom was brandishing a knife.

“When the refugee refused to give his phone to them they attacked,” said Mr Boochani, who reported last month that two other refugees had been mugged at knife point in Lorengau.

Despite the attacks, Manus refugees not taken in by the United States were still expected to resettle in PNG. Mr Rintoul said the government was “turning the screws” on detainees to leave the center by making conditions intolerable.

“They’ve been cutting back services. They’ve cut everything out of the canteen except for cigarettes and phonecards,” he said.

“The two gyms have been closed in Mike compound and in Oscar compound, so they’ve removed all the exercise equipment from those areas.”