Enquiry onto Manus Island attack - horrifying submission

An Australian G4S guard has made a submission to the inquiry set up to examine what happened on the night an asylum was murdered. He tells a harrowing tale, and one that at the time immigration minister Scott Morrison tried to hide from the media. This is the most detailed description I've heard so far from that night.

Why the PNG guards thought to go on a "killing spree" I can't imagine.....

The G4S guard, who has asked to remain anonymous, has graphically detailed the bloodshed of the February violence, saying the 23-year-old asylum seeker who died in the attack, Reza Barati, was kicked in the head numerous times before being hit with a lump of wood by a local PNG "Spic and Span" cleaner. 

"I was told later that Reza had died," the guard said. "IHMS (International Health and Medical Services) staff at The Bibby (the floating hotel for staff) got him breathing again but his injuries were quite severe and he died. 

"I was under the belief they wanted to kill every single one of the clients.'' 

The guard said he also believed it was the PNG police who fired between 20 and 40 shots on the night of the violence. And it was the police who then made an attempt to collect every shell casing that had been fired – "I believe to cover up their actions that evening." 

After the shootings, during which one Australia G4S guard was shot at and called a "traitor", local PNG staff made their way to the accommodation where many of the asylum seekers had barricaded themselves. 

"PNG guards were trying to attack the clients," he said. "The PNG guards dragged out a metal bunk bed and started to pull it apart to make their own weapons. Most clients started to run back to their accommodation and barricade themselves in. Expat G4S guards were trying to keep the clients inside their accommodation and stop the PNG guards going in and beating the shit out of the clients. 

"I noticed one expat security officer physically holding up a client at the gate's entrance. The client had his throat slashed. I ran straight to the client. We tried to put him on the ground to give him medical treatment. He would not go on the ground so we had to kick his legs out.'' 

The guard said despite the violence occuring more than two months ago, no staff members had been debriefed about the violence. 

"I am still in shock at how unprofessionally the operation was run." Read more