Six months have passed since the death of Iranian asylum seeker Reza Barati in an Australian-funded immigration detention centre on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea. Over that time, the Abbott government and authorities in PNG have shown a disturbing lack of urgency in their investigations. Finally, two former workers at the centre have been arrested and charged over Mr Barati's murder. These arrests are well overdue.
One of the accused, Joshua Kaluvia, who worked for the Salvation Army, was widely accused of being a key assailant soon after the violent clashes in February that left Mr Barati dead and at least 69 others injured. A poster at the centre in the weeks after the assault displayed Mr Kaluvia's photograph and name, stating he must not be allowed to enter. The other accused man, Louie Efi, is understood to have worked for the security contractor, G4S.
The two men must be afforded the presumption of innocence and given a fair trial. But the alleged complicity of some of the very people meant to safeguard the welfare of asylum seekers held in detention serves to underline the depth of this tragedy. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison had insisted the safety of asylum seekers on Manus Island could be guaranteed. He was wrong.
Mr Barati's death was avoidable. In the months leading up to the attack, there had been persistent warnings about trouble brewing at the camp. Australian authorities were well aware of concerns about the quality of staff employed by G4S, the attitude of PNG police, and the grievances of the men detained in miserable conditions with little consistent information about their fate. Yet, after the violence, Mr Morrison sought to put all the blame on the asylum seekers and disavow any responsibility for Australia or PNG. His blustering defence was soon exposed to be wrong again.
This murder occurred inside an Australian-funded facility. That PNG has decided to host the detention centre does not absolve Australia of responsibility for what takes place inside the camp. The Age has persistently raised questions about the events leading up to Mr Barati's death and the subsequent investigation. Without this coverage, and the brave disclosures by whistle-blowers concerned at the lack of attention paid to the crime scene and the warnings beforehand, it seems doubtful a full and proper official investigation would have taken place. As it stands, there are still many questions to answer about the night when a mob of about 10 people are said to have beaten and kicked Mr Barati before dropping a rock on his head. The prospect of more arrests, flagged by the PNG police, at least suggests those believed to be responsible for this cowardly attack may be held to account.
The unrest on Manus Island and its tragic consequences illustrate one of the dangers of Australia's official policy of offshore processing and settlement of asylum seekers in the poor countries of the region. PNG, which has a raft of domestic problems to confront, is being exploited by its wealthy neighbour. Likewise Nauru, where a riot last year at the Australian-run detention camp caused an estimated $60 million in damage and could just have easily cost lives. Now the Australian government is seeking to offload asylum seekers to Cambodia, a country heavily criticised for its human rights abuses. The very idea should be dismissed out of hand.
Irrespective of the toxic politics in Australia surrounding asylum seekers, justice must be done in the case of Mr Barati. A man has been murdered after seeking refuge in Australia. It should not have happened. It must never be allowed to happen again.