Immigration minister’s version of events disputed by refugees and contradicts evidence by Papua New Guinean authorities that fight was sparked by football field dispute

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, has alleged a shooting rampage by Papua New Guinea navy personnel at the Manus Island detention centre on Good Friday was sparked after refugees were seen leading a small boy into the centre.

But this version of events has been fiercely disputed by refugees – who have accused the minister of lying – and contradicts police and defence force evidence which say the fight was sparked over a football field dispute. The police said “drunken soldiers … rampaged” through the centre, shooting into the air and indiscriminately assaulting people.

Evidence from police, defence force and refugee witnesses to the shooting on Manus Island say the confrontation escalated from a fight over who was allowed to use the soccer field near to the detention centre and inside the naval base which houses the centre.

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None of the authorities on the island, or those held inside the detention centre, have mentioned a boy in the six days since the shooting.

In an interview on Sky News, Dutton said three asylum seekers were seen leading a five-year-old boy towards the detention centre.

“I think there was concern about why the boy was being led, or for what purpose he was being led, away back into the regional processing centre,” the minister said on Thursday.

Dutton said there was significant angst surrounding the incident among the PNG community.

“I think it’s fair to say that the mood had elevated quite quickly. I think some of the local residents were quite angry about this particular incident and another alleged sexual assault,” he said.

“Again, I don’t have the full details and those matters are under investigation.”

Behrouz Boochani, an Iranian journalist and Kurdish refugee held on Manus Island, said the shooting was sparked after a fight in the early evening of Good Friday, when naval personnel asked a group of refugees to leave the soccer field field, citing orders from the base commander. Security staff tried to break up the fight and were assaulted, and refugees threw rocks at the naval staff.

Boochani said the minister’s allegation about the boy’s treatment being the cause of the shooting was untrue.

“It’s a big lie, and he wants to hide the truth,” Boochani said. “He is lying and he wants to deny that he has responsibility for refugees and Australian citizens who are working here.”

Boochani said the comments were dangerous because they would create further tension between refugees and the Manusian population.

“Local people and refugees are both victims under this harsh Australian policy.”

Boochani said that from Thursday, the navy commander has ordered that refugees cannot use the soccer field until an investigation into the shooting is complete.

“If the fight started because the refugees wanted to take a boy to the centre, why did the navy commander order that we cannot use the soccer ground?”

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PNG police confirmed in a statement that “a group of drunken soldiers” had “rampaged” through the detention centre, “firing several shots into the air and indiscriminately assaulting policemen, PNG immigration officers, other service providers and asylum-seekers”.

A statement from the PNG defence force alleged an officer was assaulted by an asylum seeker “which led to an escalation of the confrontation”.

“Rocks were allegedly thrown by asylum seekers and shots fired by the members of the naval base,” the statement read.

“[A] few people [were] treated for minor injuries.”

Neither the police nor navy mentioned a boy.

Damage to the Australian-run detention centre on Manus Island after ‘a group of drunken soldiers’ opened fire. Photograph: no credit

Community tension and hostility towards refugees has reportedly increased since those detained inside the naval base were given the ability to travel into nearby Lorengau township.

In March a 28-year-old Pakistani asylum seeker was arrested for the alleged assault of a 10-year-old PNG girl, and in January an asylum seeker was charged with assaulting a 18-year-old woman.

The Manus MP Ron Knight predicted at the time there may be violence. Those alleged attacks also follows a number of others by staff working at the detention centre, including the alleged drugging and gang rape of a PNG woman who worked at the centre by expatriate colleagues, including Australian citizens.

The PNG government has ordered the Manus Island detention centre closed after nearly four years of detention, and the Australian government has committed to shuting the centre by 31 October. But the fate of the more than 800 refugees and asylum seekers housed on Manus remains unclear.

The US departments of state and homeland security are undertaking “extreme vetting” of refugees for possible resettlement in the US, but president Donald Trump has made no guarantees on how many might be accepted.

The Australian government says there will be a “balance” of refugees left on Manus Island, but that it is not in discussions with any other potential resettlement countries, and that those left must resettle in PNG.

Only about 30 refugees have resettled in PNG over four years. The government firmly maintains that no one from its two offshore detention islands will ever come to Australia.