Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Evicted Papuans camp outside UNHCR office in PNG capital

Posted at 03:42 on 24 September, 2007 UTC

A group of Papuan refugees, who fled Indonesia more than 20 years ago, have camped outside the United Nations refugee office in Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby.

The group are demanding to be given a haven in a third country.

Their protest was prompted by their impending eviction from 8 Mile settlement on the outskirts the capital, where the refugee group has lived since squatting there in 1987.

On Saturday, police raided the settlement to hack down banana plants as a warning to residents they must leave their homes or face forced eviction.

This morning about 90 men, women and children were camped with their belongings outside the UNHCR office with another 120 expected to arrive later today.