Port Macquarie journalist Nikala Sim says she wasn’t arrested or detained on Manus Island.
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Last Wednesday, April 5, Nikala Sim was photographed having lunch with several detainees on the island.
On Friday April 7, the Federal member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker said he’d been advised that the government was providing consular help to an Australian woman in Papua New Guinea, who’d been questioned about immigration matters.
It is understood the woman was Nikala Sim.
BuzzFeed News quoted a detainee on the island who said Nikala had been detained.
"Apparently she has been escorted [by] almost 10 PNG police officers. We are really worried about her, she is Aussie," the detainee said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told BuzzFeed News it was aware that an Australian woman had been arrested on the island and that the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby was trying to contact her.
Nikala Sim's friend Phoebe Crane said Ms Sim had been flown from Manus Island to Port Moresby where she was expected to touch down on Friday afternoon.
"This whole mess came about because a person contacted the press and told them that Nikala was on Manus under false pretences. Nikala was there as a private person who happens to be a journalist. This visit was not a work visit but a visit to see friends.
"She is devastated and hopes that the PNG government will see that she wasn't there under false pretences,” added Ms Crane.
Nikala Sim, who recently worked for the Hastings and Macleay Valley Independent, has often posted information on Facebook about her friends on Manus.
On Saturday April 8, Nikala Sim wrote on Facebook that because she is a journalist, it was considered that she should have applied for a journalist visa.
She says she applied for a tourist visa because she went on holiday to Manus Island to visit friends.
“I would like to thank PNG Immigration officials for their kindness and understanding during this unfortunate event,” she wrote.
“They were at all times respectful and worked with me to resolve the matter. It has been reported that I was arrested and detained but this is not the truth.”
Ms Sim said she’d been invited by officials to return to PNG and that her interest in it goes beyond her few friends seeking asylum with Australia.
“I intend to return to gather information for a cook book, which was my intention on this trip. I am also working with a Manusian friend who is creating programs for the island in his official capacity with the government of PNG.
“I was blessed to celebrate a birthday in the company of good friends but of course am disappointed this celebration was cut short. I look forward to returning to PNG and picking up where I left off,” she added.