’Humanitarian emergency’ on Manus Island, says UN

Bill Shorten says the UN human rights office ‘has a point’ in its criticism of the ‘deeply disturbing’ standoff with refugees.

Bill Shorten says Malcolm Turnbull must ask President Donald Trump to speed up the resettling of refugees in the US as the stand-off at the Manus Island detention centre enters a fourth day.

Responding to strong United Nations human rights office criticism of the treatment of the almost 600 men today, the Labor leader said “the UN’s got a point”.

“We don’t want to see the people-smugglers back in business but there is something going on at Manus which is deeply disturbing,” the Labor leader told reporters.

He repeated his call for the government to reconsider an offer from New Zealand to take 150 people, a call rejected by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton yesterday.

“I think there are a lot of people who would like to see our government behave in a more humanitarian fashion,” he said. “I think that the government needs to take an active interest in their welfare.”

Mr Shorten said the Prime Minister was meeting Mr Trump in coming weeks, in Asia, and “he should raise again the possibility of taking some people”.

The Obama administration agreed to resettle up to 1250 people from Nauru and Manus Island.

Mr Trump was unimpressed with the deal but has reluctantly agreed to honour it, and so far about 50 people have moved to the US.

Meanwhile hundreds of people gathered at Sydney’s Hyde Park this afternoon to call for an end to the stand-off at the island’s detention centre, with about 600 men barricading themselves inside the facility despite its formal closure this week.

Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul told the rally the Australian government was trying to drive the refugees and asylum-seekers out of the centre and “into even more unsafe conditions”.

A rally in central Melbourne has been called for today to support the Manus asylum-seekers and protest against their treatment.

“We are calling for human rights observers, for an end to the siege, and for all the men on Manus to brought here to safety,” Refugee Action Collective of Victoria said on Facebook. Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt is expected to speak at the rally.

‘Emergency’ on Manus: UN

The United Nations Human Rights Commission called on Australia to restore food, water and health services to the ­about 600 remaining refugees at the Manus Island detention centre.

The men have defied attempts by the governments of Australia and PNG to close the camp this week, saying they fear for their safety if they are moved to other “transit centres”.

“We call on the Australian government ... who interned the men in the first place, to immediately provide protection, food, water and other basic services,” UN rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a news briefing overnight. Australia has an obligation to do so under international human rights law and the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, he said.

There was no immediate comment from Australia or its representatives in Geneva.

Mr Colville joined the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in warning of an “unfolding humanitarian emergency” in the centre where people began digging wells to try to find water as their food supplies dwindled.

“We repeat our overall concerns about Australian offshore processing centres which are unsustainable, inhumane and contradictory to its human rights obligations,” Mr Colville said.

He urged Canberra to transfer the men to the mainland for processing.

But the Immigration Department insists those barricading themselves in the old detention centre have access to food, drinking water and health services at the alternative accommodation facilities.

“We appeal to PNG-determined refugees and failed asylum seekers to move to these locations and to access the services and supports that the PNG government has provided,” a spokesman said in a statement on Friday.

UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch said: “We have conveyed to the Australian government and to the local government of Papua New Guinea as well that until the time the accommodation is ready, refugees should not be moved there.

“But also we have urged Australia and PNG to de-escalate the situation, resume basic services - water, electricity, medical services as well,” he said.

Dutton lashes Shorten over Manus

Yesterday Immigration Minister Peter Dutton lashed Bill Shorten over his call for the Australian government to consider New Zealand’s offer to resettle some of the ­remaining Manus Island refugees, saying any such move would embolden people-smugglers.

Following New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s offer to accept 150 men, Mr Shorten said the proposal shouldn’t be ignored by Malcolm Turnbull.

“Turnbull should take Prime Minister Ardern’s constructive offer seriously,” Mr Shorten said.

“Manus was never intended to be a place of indefinite detention. The Liberals have been in charge for four years and haven’t done anywhere near enough work on resettlement options.”

However, Mr Dutton accused the Opposition Leader of “sounding a lot like Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd”, arguing his statement would be a “green light” to people-smugglers.

“Mr Shorten has not sought any briefings on the government’s work to clean up Labor’s Manus legacy,” he said.

“It is … a reminder to Australians that Labor under Bill Shorten would fold to internal pressure once again and it would be a green light for people-smugglers.”

The government has previously rejected resettling asylum-seekers in New Zealand, arguing it would encourage people-smugglers.

Ms Ardern is expected to discuss the issue with Mr Turnbull when they meet in Sydney tomorrow.

Just fewer than 600 men are ­refusing to leave the Manus Island processing centre for new accommodation at other locations in the region, arguing it is unsafe to leave.

Australia’s Immigration Department yesterday rejected claims the country had “abandoned” the asylum-seekers and refugees.

“Former-residents who choose to stay at the (centre) are doing so fully informed that PNG has provided them with suitable alternatives and that these can be accessed at any time. Any claims to the contrary are simply not true,” the department said.

Tactic backfiring

But the Australian government’s apparent tactic of hoping a lack of food, water and basic comforts would drive the remaining asylum-seekers out of the closed detention centre appeared to be backfiring yesterday with the men bringing in boatloads of food supplies and being given access to power and water by locals.

Up to 30 asylum-seekers were yesterday reported to be involved in running the loads of food into the centre using the unsecured back entrance on the beach within the Lombrum Naval Base.

At the same time, PNG residents living near the centre within the base were regularly allowing the men to access water and to ­recharge phones.

The practice was being unofficially condoned by PNG authorities. A senior policeman who asked not to be named said his ­officers had not received any ­instructions to move the men out of the centre.

He also said police knew the ­refugees were bringing in food and being given access to power and water — but that was something his men had not been instructed to stop.

“It is part of the Melanesian way. If you come to my village without anything, then I will look after you and give you food,’’ he said.

The officer said he thought it was unlikely any move would be made to forcibly oust the men.

“It could take months,’’ he said. “They will wait for them to leave.’’

The refugees have repeatedly stressed they do not wish to leave the centre as the locals around ­Lorengau may attack them.

But the Australian Immigration Department yesterday hit back at their claims, saying security services were in place at the ­alternative accommodation sites.