Religious leaders in the country, are seeking urgent talks with both Australia and P-N-G, on the mental health of asylum seekers on Manus.
Father Victor Roche, who's General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference in P-N-G, says counsellors should be sent into Manus, in an effort to maintain calm by offering psychological assistance to the asylum seekers. Father Roche told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program, the inmates human rights must be respected, although it would be preferable for them and Manus Island residents if the centre was closed down. "The Catholic Bishops conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Island has been always with this view that the processing of the asylum seekers who are coming to Australia should be done on in the shores of Australia and not in any other country," Father Roche said. Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot says, the government won't change its policy in relation to the incident. "The Australian government will not be deterred or intimidated by anyone when it comes to doing what we need to do to protect our borders. "We will not succumb to pressure, to moral blackmail, we will ensure that these camps are run fairly, if necessary, firmly," Abott said. Radio Australia Comments are closed.
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