PNG MP to stop detention centre

Updated: 15:59, Tuesday August 14, 2012

A prominent Papua New Guinea politician says he will take legal action to stop Manus Island detention centre being reopened to house asylum seekers.

National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop, a member of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s coalition government, says a detention centre contradicts PNG’s law and culture.

‘You cannot detain people here in PNG – even if they are aliens from outer space – we cannot detain them indefinitely,’ Mr Parkop says.

‘That’s the law in PNG. It isn’t in our culture to lock people up without a charge.

‘So absolutely I will take legal action. I am a member of this government, but the government must obey the law.’

Mr Parkop said PNG cannot change its laws to suit a ‘good friend’ like Australia, and worried it would set a legal precedent for detaining people without charge in the 37-year-old democracy.

‘I call on both governments to obey the law and … not make a deal for conveniences sake.’

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Tuesday asylum seekers could begin arriving in Nauru and PNG within a month, after her government agreed to an expert panel’s recommendation to reopen detention facilities in both nations.

Ms Gillard said the defence force told her it can construct temporary facilities in both locations while the main centres are being reopened.

‘That means that within a month we would hope to see people being processed in Nauru and in PNG,’ she told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

‘That’s clearly subject to the work of the recon teams that could go as early as Friday.’

Mr O’Neill said in a statement on Monday he welcomed the reopening of the centre.

Updated: 15:59, Tuesday August 14, 2012

A prominent Papua New Guinea politician says he will take legal action to stop Manus Island detention centre being reopened to house asylum seekers.

National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop, a member of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s coalition government, says a detention centre contradicts PNG’s law and culture.

‘You cannot detain people here in PNG – even if they are aliens from outer space – we cannot detain them indefinitely,’ Mr Parkop says.

‘That’s the law in PNG. It isn’t in our culture to lock people up without a charge.

‘So absolutely I will take legal action. I am a member of this government, but the government must obey the law.’

Mr Parkop said PNG cannot change its laws to suit a ‘good friend’ like Australia, and worried it would set a legal precedent for detaining people without charge in the 37-year-old democracy.

‘I call on both governments to obey the law and … not make a deal for conveniences sake.’

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Tuesday asylum seekers could begin arriving in Nauru and PNG within a month, after her government agreed to an expert panel’s recommendation to reopen detention facilities in both nations.

Ms Gillard said the defence force told her it can construct temporary facilities in both locations while the main centres are being reopened.

‘That means that within a month we would hope to see people being processed in Nauru and in PNG,’ she told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

‘That’s clearly subject to the work of the recon teams that could go as early as Friday.’

Mr O’Neill said in a statement on Monday he welcomed the reopening of the centre.