Manus deal under threat

By Gorethy Kenneth

THE Manus asylum seeker deal is in jeopardy with the province’s leaders saying they now want Australia to find another location to accommodate and process the asylum seekers.

And the leaders are also threatening to “look north”. They say they want to extend an invitation to China to negotiate a reputable Chinese fishing company to set up a canning factory and also fast-track the plan to establish a free-trade zone in Manus Province.

Manus leaders claimed yesterday that Australia has hijacked the Memorandum of Understanding on the Manus Assessment Centre by no longer honouring their anticipated K400 million package. They say major contracts on Manus have already been awarded to Australian firms despite arrangements to engage companies of 50/50 local and Australian composition that could do the same job.

Manus Governor Charlie Benjamin has sent a protest note to the Government of Australia to “reject” the asylum seekers coming to PNG, specifically Manus Island.

Last night Mr Benjamin told Post-Courier, “I am the Prime Minister of Manus and if they have breached what we agreed to then I don’t think the processing of asylum in Manus is welcome.”

An Australian soldier walks past a dwelling at the disused Manus Centre.
Inset: The processing centre has become rundown and is currently being
renovated. Picture by Gary Ramage, The Australian

Just last month Mr Benjamin and Prime Minister O’Neill met to discuss these issues and the Government announced to PNG and Australia that the Manus Provincial Government leadership had given the green light to the project. This has now changed.

“….I courteously register my Government and people of Manus’s total dismay in the manner in which the Government of Australia has seen fit to fast track the MOU without any workable consultation with us,” Mr Benjamin said on behalf of the Manus leaders.

“If such has transpired between the Government of PNG, which we were not informed, then something is missing. This is because the fast tracking of awarding of all operational contracts has been completed and awarded to all Australian-based companies and who are now on the ground. This was done without due regard to common courtesy of consultation, a requirement of the MOU.”

Prime Minister O’Neill was not able to comment last night. Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato could not also respond to the matter yeaterday.

The Australian Government was not able to respond through their High Commission, saying the response will have to come from Canberra.