PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Refugees on Manus Island are demanding the body of a Pakistani man who drowned this week be sent home to his family.

Pakistani refugee Kamil Hussain died at a waterfall on Manus Island on Tuesday.

He was one of more than 850 men who remain on Manus Island because of Australia’s border protection policies and ongoing uncertainty about the legality of offshore processing arrangements in Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea Immigration authorities said they have spoken to his family but are yet to decide what will happen to his body.

The Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection said PNG was responsible.

“Funeral arrangements for refugees and transferees dying in Papua New Guinea are matters for the PNG government,” a spokesman said.

“The department is aware that the PNG government has made contact with the deceased person’s next of kin and that local arrangements are being made for his burial.”

Radio New Zealand reports that Papua New Guinea authorities have now given refugees on Manus Island one week to make arrangements to send the body of the 33-year-old back to Pakistan.

PNG authorities say neither they nor Australian immigration and security contractor Broadspectrum would take any responsibility for repatriating the man’s body.

The refugees have been told they are on their own.

Fellow refugee Behrouz Boochani said there was great anger among Hussain’s friends after they were told his body might not be returned.

“PNG Immigration came to the Pakistani people and said they want to bury Kamil on Manus because they don’t have facilities to send his body to Pakistan,” he said.

“The Pakistani guys talked to Kamil’s family and they want him sent back to Pakistan.

“This is incredible that Immigration want to bury him by force and it is immoral and inhumane.

“The Australian government is responsible and must send his body to Pakistan.”

Refugees held a small protest in the detention centre on the island on Thursday night.

They said they have offered to raise money for Hussain’s body to be sent to Pakistan if Australia refuses to pay.

SBS News reports the Refugee Action Coalition’s Ian Rintoul saying on Friday night that the Pakistan’s Australian embassy had agreed to take responsibility for the body to be repatriated to Pakistan.

“A letter from the Pakistan embassy has been sent to the Australian and PNG immigration offices notifying them that they will organise for Kamil’s body to be sent home,” Rintoul said in a statement.

“The embassy has also notified PNG immigration that they will cover the costs of flying the body home and will cover any costs associated with maintaining the body on Manus Island.”

- PNC sources