Almost 200 refugees have been arrested and locked up on Nauru following protests.
Justice Minister David Adeang, in confirming 183 were in custody at the island's jail on Thursday, accused Australian refugee advocates of supporting public disorder and coaching refugees to use social media.
"Police in Nauru took action and arrested them in the same way police in Sydney would if this happened in Pitt Street," he said in a statement.
Refugees have been staging protests and a campaign of non-co-operation amid growing tension with locals.
Mr Adeang rejected reports the refugees had been subject to police harassment.
Refugees had ignored the peaceful protest guidelines they were given and instead opted to block traffic and refused police requests to move on, he said.
Mr Adeang said they had also disrespected Nauru's Christian culture by protesting on Sunday.
Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said about 40 children had also been arrested but had been returned overnight to their compounds after the intervention of case managers.
Several children were alone while their parents were in police custody.
Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says authorities on Nauru acted with restraint in the face of provocative actions.
So far, Nauru has temporarily resettled 500 refugees.
Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said she's spoken to a 17-year-old refugee who was arrested with 18 other unaccompanied minors, but they've since been released.
The boy named Ali told her 20 families with kids as young as three to six were arrested.
He claimed the arrests were violent, some refugees were hurt and police hit one of the unaccompanied minors.
He also said two Australian police officers watched on during the arrests.
Senator Hanson-Young said the refugees resettled on Nauru are not safe.
"Using force on children like this is totally unacceptable," she said.
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