Lombrum

“The agreement to have a joint naval base on PNG territory faces a ‘democratic deficit’ because the Papua New Guinean input was never sought. The Manus naval base agreement is an example of a foreign policy strategy that does not reflect Papua New Guinean designs,” UPNG academic, Patrick Kaiku, said.

Bradshaw represents the PNG Immigration Minister, Petrus Thomas, in an application that was filed by Kurdish-Iranian journalist, Behrouz Boochani, which went before the Supreme Court today.

He submitted before the court that all services, comprising food, water, electricity, full medical cover and attractive allowance, were available at the other facilities.

“Refugees are offered one-off relocation allowance of K250 when they move from Lombrum to the East Lorengau Transit centre.

Principal applicant, Kurdish-Iranian journalist Behrouz Boochani, filed the application on behalf of others also at Lombrum. 

It has been one week since the cease of services at Lombrum.

Their lawyer, Ben Lomai, went before the Supreme Court today with an application seeking enforcement of human rights under the PNG constitution.

Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia heard the application seeking interim orders, and will give a ruling tomorrow.

This notion has prompted a group of Catholic mothers from Manus Province to travel more than 300 miles to visit the relocated Manam islanders in Madang Province.

A group of 17 women, including their spiritual group known as the warrior mothers, left Manus last Wednesday, September 27.

These mothers are from the St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Lombrum, Manus Province.

The group arrived in Madang and took the trip to Bogia District to visit one of the Manam care centres.

Their lawyer, Ben Lomai, on Friday verbally asked the court to issue orders to stop the dismantling at the Lombrum centre, restore electricity, power, security and stop the possibility of their resettlement in PNG.

Lomai told the court there have been breaches to their human rights, and the court had the power to grant the injunctive orders they are seeking.

He said right now they are being overcrowded in two compounds after the dismantling of some of the compounds commenced early this month.

Lawyer for the asylum seekers and refugees in Manus, Ben Lomai, told the court this week that the PNG Immigration refused the section 5 notice which was served to them prior to the appeal being filed on Nov 4.

The fresh application is seeking enforcement orders from the Supreme Court decision on April 26, from the case filed by then Opposition Leader Belden Namah.