Locals unhappy with detention camp

The principal landowners on whose land Australia’s Papua New Guinea detention centre has been built are frustrated by the way things have turned out.

One of the landowners, Porou Papi, says they initially saw the facility as an economic opportunity for Manus Island but Canberra has not used any of their resources.

Papi says they are upset with the much publicised ill-treatment of asylum seekers at the complex and the way this reflects on Manus people.

“Why do we have to detain them for? We Manus people love to look after people, not detaining them. We don’t like it. We don’t like the way the Australians are treating this detention centre.

“That’s what we are cross about. These people were seeking for asylum. We should be helping them.”