Beaten and tired #refugees protest rough sleeping at East Lorengau after removal from #Manus RPC: @jansant reports

Refugees are currently holding a protest at the new East Lorengau prison on Manus upon discovering at least 65 are without anywhere to sleep, after being forcibly removed from the closed Regional Processing Centre (RPC).


There are reports locals are blocking the road to West Lorengau and Hillside camps and men injured over the last two days are still waiting for treatment.


Refugees have posted online some men at West Lorengau are being forced to sleep in local classrooms because of a lack of facilities.

Journalist Asher Wolf (@Asher_Wolf) posted a tweet via @manusalert telegram app alleging at least 4 busloads of men were abandoned on the side of the road by drivers because there was not enough room for the men at the new camps.


Refugees also say the West Lorengau camp is still under construction and has no water in the bathrooms.
In a statement Minister Dutton said:

The Australian Government has been advised that some equipment has been sabotaged at the alternative accommodation centres, including damage to backup generators.

Vandalism has also occurred to water infrastructure.

Huffington post and various other news outlets previously reported locals turning off a generator at Hillside Haus. It’s been reported angry locals have taken generator cables and keys, and have made threats about the noise.

“Last night some local men went inside the [Hillside] camp there and turned off the generators and took the cables. There are about 30 refugees there,” said Iranian refugee and journalist Behrouz Boochani, on November 18.

“Police entered Hillside and told security officers there not to turn on the power because locals are angry. Refugees in Hillside are living in darkness and heat tonight.”

“The locals are extremely angry because the generators are very noisy. The disturbing point here is that security officers could not prevent them and were really scared.”

A operation using force to remove protesting refugees from the closed RPC was completed today by Papua New Guinea police and immigration officials.

Reacting to questions about videos posted online showing refugees beaten with steel poles, Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) said:

there are lots of claims made on social media ….. a lot of this doesn’t add up to the facts


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