Papua New Guinea starts refugee evictions at Manus
Papua New Guinea police raided a closed Australian detention camp yesterday, removing dozens of refugees to try to end a stand-off that has drawn global attention to Canberra’s tough asylum-seeker policies.
Hundreds of men sent to the remote camp on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island refused to leave the site, which Australia closed on October 31.
Over three weeks only 200 of about 600 men held in Manus have agreed to leave for three nearby transition centres run by Papua New Guinea, with the others insisting they should be moved to other countries. Yesterday, police moved in and took 50 men to the camps.
“We are doing the best we can and the refugees cannot continue to be stubborn and defiant,” said Gari Baki, the police commissioner.
“We are not moving them into the jungle. They are being relocated to two centres where there is water, electricity, food and medical services.”
Australia’s immigration minister, Peter Dutton, indicated the police operation would continue and that a “small number” of men were arrested, including Iranian refugee and journalist Behrouz Boochani, who has been acting as spokesman. He was later released.
Detainees posted photos and videos on Twitter and other social media of police sweeping through the camp, pulling belongings from rooms and shouting at them to get into buses.
Boochani wrote on Twitter that police had destroyed their shelters and water tanks, and said the refugees were on high alert and under attack but there were no reports of injuries.
Australia’s prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, yesterday confirmed his government’s stance on barring refugees because they tried to reach Australia by boat.
“They think this is some way they can pressure the Australian government to let them come to Australia. We will not be pressured,” Mr Turnbull said.
Amnesty International said there were “risks of serious injury if the authorities use force”, and called for the refugees to be brought to Australia.
It said some had been attacked and seriously injured by locals “who have made clear they do not want the men on Manus”.
The Australian Medical Association wants Canberra to allow doctors to help the refugees, warning that the situation on Manus was getting worse.