O’Neill wants problem to go away

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – The Manus Island detention centre is a “problem” that has done more damage to Papua New Guinea’s reputation than any other factor, the nation’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said while visiting Australia in March.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra O’Neill also said his government could not afford to resettle those found to be genuine refugees, fuelling concern that vulnerable men on the island will continue to languish with an uncertain future.

O’Neill said the refugee centre was “a problem” he inherited from the former PNG government.

“We have issues about cost of the resettlement, who is going to pay for it,” he said.

So far it is believed that only six refugees have been resettled in the country.

The Australian Department of Immigration would not disclose the exact number and said it was a matter for the PNG government.

Asked about the effect of the detention facility on his country’s international standing, O’Neill said it had “done a lot more damage for PNG than anything else” and his communities “have been accused of many things”.

There have been reports of refugees and asylum seekers at Manus Island being threatened by locals outside the centre, and others have questioned the suitability of settling refugees in PNG, which suffers high levels of violence.

O’Neill added that the centre should be shut down.

“At some stage of course we need to close the centre, these people cannot remain in Manus forever. We need to make a determination where they should go.”

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton sought to blame O’Neill’s sentiments on unsympathetic media and those hostile to the government’s asylum seeker stance.

“PNG and Nauru have been unfairly vilified by advocates, including by some parts of the media, because of their opposition to our secure borders policy. It is unfair and the targeting of our regional partners should stop,” he said.

- PNC sources