This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Papua New Guinea police have spent Thursday attempting to forcibly clear the Manus Island detention centre, corralling refugees and asylum seekers on to buses, destroying property and food, seizing phones and arresting those communicating with the outside world.

But the operation – which a day before had been codenamed in pidgin “Helpim Friends” with the promise of no force used – did not clear the centre: more than 300 men remained inside on Thursday evening, refusing to move.

Kurdish Iranian refugee Behrouz Boochani, a journalist by profession, was specifically targeted by police, who arrested him before most of the forcible removals began.

Mobile phone footage from inside the centre shows Boochani being led away, held by two men wearing the uniform of PNG police’s Mobile Squad. Boochani is surrounded by several other uniformed officers. He does not physically resist.

Abdul Aziz Adam (@Aziz58825713) They are looking for me and Behrouz they found him but they are not going to find me. These are police are taking Behrouz. pic.twitter.com/G01bA46ETC

Other refugees said police told them they were looking for him.

Boochani tweeted late in the day that he had been released after being held for more than two hours near the camp. A source on Manus Island said Boochani had not been charged with any offence.

Behrouz Boochani (@BehrouzBoochani) I’ve just been released. They hancuffed me for more than two hours in a place behind the prison camp. The police commander yelled at me ‘you are reporting against us.’ They pushed me several times and broke my belongings. Will write more about it later.

Boochani has been the most outspoken advocate for the refugees held on Manus Island, filing reports regularly for the Guardian and other news outlets and giving interviews with media across the world.

At least 50 refugees and asylum seekers were moved out of the centre over the course of the day, taken on buses to a new, partially-built accommodation block called Hillside Haus in the town of Lorengau.

Boochani tweeted that he had met some of them and seen their injuries on Thursday night.

Behrouz Boochani (@BehrouzBoochani) Police beat up some of the refugees and forced them to the new prison camp in East Lorengau, Hillside Haus and West Haus. I just met some of them who are injured. #Manus

Refugees and asylum seekers have refused to move because they say they are not safe in Lorengau – they have been subject to violent attacks in the town – and are asking for a permanent resettlement solution after four-and-a-half years in detention.

Police entered the decommissioned detention centre early on Thursday morning, sweeping through the now-derelict compounds and telling refugees and asylum seekers they had one hour to move.

Two refugees collapsed, according to refugee Walid Zazai, who filmed the men apparently unconscious. One was feared to have had a heart attack, the other suffers from epilepsy.

Play Video 1:46 Papua New Guinea police move to clear Manus detention centre – video

Neither could receive medical treatment inside the centre, but regained consciousness and remained in the centre into the afternoon.

Zazai said police were using sticks to control refugees and coerce them into leaving.

“They are beating guys, and putting them by force on buses and trucks. They have big rods and sticks in hands. Police and immigration are doing it together.

“We can’t take pictures or video. Whole area surrounded by them. When they see anyone filming they catch him, beat him and take him.”

Refugee and journalist Behrouz Boochani arrested in Manus as squad steps in Read more

Before he was arrested, Boochani tweeted that police were ransacking the detention centre.

“They are destroying everything. Shelters, tanks, beds and all of our belongings. They are very aggressive and put our belongings in the rubbish bins,” Boochani wrote on Twitter.

“We are blockading right now. So many police and immigration officers are around us at this moment. They destroyed everything and our belongings and right now are shouting at us to leave the prison camp.”

Video from inside the compound showed police overturning furniture in the men’s rooms, destroying property, standing on and destroying food, and befouling wells by pushing rubbish into them. The officers reportedly confiscated phones and told refugees they must leave immediately.

“We are on high alert right now. We are under attack,” Boochani said.

Detainees chanted “human rights, help us, they want to kill us”, holding their arms above their heads. Some fled to the centre’s roof to escape the officers.

The operation was led by PNG police and immigration officials. The PNG navy – which operates the base in which the detention centre is housed – had no involvement other than cordoning off the area, its commanding officer, Begsy Karaki, told the Guardian. Karaki said he had hoped the operation would be carried out “smoothly and safely”.

Pakistani refugee Ezatullah Kakar appealed on social media for a peaceful solution.

“Australia govt you brought us here by force, now PNG immigration police … they are beating my friends front of me.

“We are peaceful people and PNG police … they beaten very bad my friends [in] front of us, we are still respect PNG govt, but we don’t want PNG and we didn’t come for PNG.”

In Australia the government took no responsibility for the operation, declaring it to be PNG-led. However, the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, lashed out at the refugees, accusing them of trashing the centre and “living in squalor” while refusing to move to facilities which “Australian taxpayers have paid about $10m for”.

Malcolm Turnbull echoed his minister.

Twelve former Australians of the Year condemn government and urge action on Manus Read more

“They should obey the law and the lawful authorities of Papua New Guinea,” the prime minister said. “There are alternative facilities that have been made available with food, water, security, and medical services.”

Turnbull also said those inside the centre were hoping to force the Australian government into bringing them all to Australia. “We will not be pressured,” he said. “Our border security, the integrity of our borders, is maintained by my government and we will not outsource our migration policy to people smugglers.”

The Australian government claims that the alternative accommodation units are ready and suitable for detainees have been consistently debunked by independent observers – including the United Nations – and videos and photos of blocked toilets, bathrooms without water, and buildings still under construction have been published.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The West Lorengau alternative accommodation units, which remains unfinished and without reliable power or running water. Photograph: Anonymous

Labor’s immigration spokesperson, Shayne Neumann, said the men at the decommissioned detention centre should accept the PNG and Australian government’s demands that they move to other Australian-built accommodation centres “to access security, health and welfare services”.

But he said Australia needed to take responsibility for finding a resettlement solution for the men.

“It’s time Turnbull showed some leadership and immediately secured other third-country resettlement options for eligible refugees, including accepting New Zealand’s offer and negotiating appropriate conditions – similar to those in the United States refugee resettlement agreement – to ensure people smugglers do not exploit vulnerable people.”

The Greens senator Nick McKim said the forcible removal of men was a “sad, dark day in Australia’s national history”. “It’s a foul and now-bloodied stain on our national conscience.”

McKim said the situation on Manus “stands on a knife edge” and called for the men to be brought to Australia.