Pato: Lack of communication stalls asylum bid

Source: The National, Tuesday 23rd October, 2012 FOREIGN Affairs Minister Rimbink Pato has admitted that there was lack of communication between the government and Manus provincial authorities and landowners over Australia’s asylum seekers processing centre in Los Negro. However, he is confident the issue will be solved with the setting up of a liaison committee made up of local MP Ronny Knight and the landowners as well as Foreign Affairs Department officers. He said the decision came after a meeting in Port Moresby last Friday with Manus Governor Charlie Benjamin, Knight and Los Negro landowners. “There has been a lack of communication. Locals will be involved in the permanent processing centre. “We have now resolved the matter and will continue to resolve any matter that comes up,” Pato said. Benjamin had last week accused the Australian government of arrogance over the establishment of the processing centre. Benjamin said Manus people wanted details of the development package promised by the Australian government. He said that locals were worried Australian companies would get the contracts to build, maintain and service the centre. Another report last week also said landowners, who felt they had been left out of the loop in the re-establishment of the John Howard-era centre, had warned they could sabotage proceedings. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported about 100 Australian Defence Force soldiers had cleared the jungle and refurbished the run-down facility before the first asylum seekers arrived. Pato said Australian soldiers as well as expatriates who dealt with asylum seekers’ conditions such as health and hygiene had come in to assist because all the events had occurred so quickly in a short space of time.