Refugees at the Manus Regional Processing Centre said Papua New Guinea police trashed the facility after threatening to remove them on November 23.
Iranian refugee Behrouz Boochani, who has served as a journalist documenting conditions within the refugee camp, said in a statement to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre that police arrived around 6:30 am and told the refugees to leave and hand over their phones.
“The refugees were extremely scared and some were crying, but sitting peacefully and otherwise completely silent. Immigration and police kept ramping up the tension, shouting and searching the rooms and saying ‘Move, move, you only have an hour to move.’
“Those inside started to break the shelters and water tanks shouting ‘move, move,’ taking people’s phones and searching rooms, taking the refugees there out by force.
“They destroyed everything. Shelters, tanks, beds and all of our belongings. They’ve put our belongings in the rubbish bins. The refugees are so scared and have remained peaceful but begun chanting ‘Freedom! Freedom’.”
Boochani was reportedly arrested while trying to photograph police, refugees said. Credit: M via Storyful
