Beatings, arrests as police trash Manus centre in raid

Kurdish journalist and refugee Behrouz Boochani has been arrested during today's raid of the closed Manus Island detention centre in Papua New Guinea.

He was targeted by police and is now being held in the East Lorengau Transit Centre for Refugees

Hopes of a reprieve for refugees occupying the detention centre were dashed after a team of soldiers, police and government officials moved in this morning to end the standoff.

Police Commissioner Gari Baki pledged force would not be used to relocate about 400 refugees protesting against their four year detention by Australia, but Mr Boochani was arrested and taken away from the centre about 12pm local time.

Before his arrest, Mr Boochani said the men were sitting peacefully but were not going to move.

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

— Abdul Aziz Adam (@Aziz58825713) November 23, 2017

Mr Boochani said hundreds of police, soldiers and officials were in and around the centre and had been destroying the refugees' belongings.

"They are threatening the refugees on a loud speaker and they are saying that 'you must move'. Also they destroyed everything in the prsion camp, all of our properties," he said.

"They are saying that 'you no have choice' ... and 'you must leave this prison camp'."

Mr Boochani said two men with long-standing medical conditions had collapsed during the raid and needed urgent treatment.

Mr Boochani said two men had been detained by police but were released.

He could not confirm that the two were beaten, but a picture taken by a refugee in the centre shows a man with wounds on his back.

The situation is critical. Two of the refugees fell down and are in high risk. So many people are around the sick guys. The refugees are chanting this slogan "Freedom, Freedom"

— Behrouz Boochani (@BehrouzBoochani) November 22, 2017

So far about 40 people have been removed to facilities in Lorengau, but police remain at the detention centre and are terrorising the inmates.

Yesterday, the PNG Supreme Court scheduled a December date to hear the refugees' appeal against the disconnection of services and food from the centre, giving their lawyer false hope that his clients would not be harassed before the verdict.

#manus detainees allege png police are getting violent, telling them they have an hour to move (vid c/o manusalert) pic.twitter.com/x5j4eeGkt8

— maddison connaughton (@madconnaughton) November 22, 2017

Sudanese refugee Abdul Aziz Adam said dozens of police had moved into Delta compound this morning.

"They started pushing people, swearing and beating. So far two refugees have been arrested, and one of them was beaten up in front of the other peoples," he said.

"They want to arrest too many people but the refugees are all together, they chained their hands together, they were sitting on the floor shouting that we are peaceful, we don't want your country, and we don't want to move, so please stop forcing us."

Mr Aziz said that the police actions at the centre were on a level of aggression that the refugees had not experienced since a deadly riot in the centre in early 2014.

"They are throwing stones, they are carrying batons, some of them are carrying sticks ... and steel. They are swearing and shouting. This is a really crazy moment that we are in right now."

Numerous refugees said the Immigration Department has threatened them to not use phones. It's understood two men may have been arrested for trying to document this morning's police actions.

The refugees are sitting peacefully and immigration and police are asking them to leave the prison camp. The refugees are only listening and completely silent. They are talking on the microphone and shouting " Move Move"

— Behrouz Boochani (@BehrouzBoochani) November 22, 2017

Pictures from the centre show refugees climbing a structure to escape the officials, and a group of angry refugees shouting defiantly.

Video received from the centre shows refugees clustered together and chanting for help from the United Nations.