Around 4.30pm , Manus time, Delta Compound, the Manus Island detention centre that has been deprived of water for 24 hours has been attacked by what seems to be a combined group of Australian guards and Transfield riot squad. It is unclear whether any PNG police are involved.
A photo of guards outside Delta just before the attack is attached, and another taken from Oscar when the Delta was attacked.
The compound has been barricaded since Friday when Transfield emergency response team tried to enter the compound to break the hunger strike protest.
There are reports of people being handcuffed and dragged along the ground, and around 30 people being arrested.
The attack seems to have been partly precipitated by medical staff saying that the situation was impossible to manage any longer.
The attack does not seem to have altered the determination of asylum seekers in other compounds to continue their hunger strike protest.
For more information contact Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713.
