A young man was killed, another was shot in the buttocks and 61 other asylum seekers were injured in riots at an Australian-run immigration detention centre in Papua New Guinea.
There's widespread confusion about what happened on Manus Island last Monday night and concern about the safety of the men still detained there.
Inquiries have been launched in Australia and PNG, where a criminal investigation is underway into the riot and the death of 23-year-old Iranian Reza Berati.
But the Abbott government is resolved to keep sending asylum seekers to Manus Island and that's got the backing of the Labor opposition, which restarted offshore processing last year.
Labor's immigration spokesman Richard Marles joined Immigration Minister Scott Morrison in dismissing calls for the centre to be closed, saying it plays an key job in border protection.
"What we say in relation to Manus Island is that it is the single most important piece of public policy which has seen a reduction in the flow of boats from Indonesia, and in the process which has seen a reduction in people dying at sea," Mr Marles told reporters on Friday.
"Manus Island is absolutely fundamental to Australia's strategy in dealing with boats coming from Indonesia. It's why it's so important that it not be allowed to fall over."
What they want is a full, arms-length, independent inquiry about what is going on at Manus Island and why it was "melting down" under the coalition.
Mr Morrison says he's ordered an independent review, led by Robert Cornall who undertook a previous inquiry under the Labor government into sexual abuse allegations on the PNG island.
"There are many questions that need to be answered," Immigration Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra on Friday.
"This was a very serious incident and it is one that will take some time to collect information to determine the facts and get the answers we are all intent on getting."
It was the fourth time this week that Mr Morrison, who's weekly Operation Sovereign Borders press briefings had dwindled from press conferences to statements this year, faced reporters to update the public on what happened there and dispel "wild" stories about what happened.
But with reviews underway the minister wasn't going to speculate about what happened.
The allegations include claims PNG nationals working as guards for G4S, which runs the centre, were involved and may have stomped on Mr Berati's head
PNG MP Ron Knight says asylum seekers made threats to rape the mothers and sisters of local detention centre guards. But Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has insisted that no New Guineans were involved in any of the troubles.
A PNG newspaper also reported the riots broke out on Sunday and Monday nights after detainees asked for information about what was going to happen to them.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Tony Abbott vowed not to succumb to pressure or "moral blackmail" as his government attempts to stop people smugglers sending asylum seekers to Australia in boats.
Mr Morrison says the centre is continuing operation and G4S says its duty of care to "transferees" is its highest priority.
Mr Morrison says the tragedy occurred outside the centre.
"This was a very dangerous situation where people decide to protest in a very violent way and to take themselves outside the centre and place themselves at great risk," Mr Morrison said this week.
The tension is not a surprise and would remain because of the nature of where people are and where they don't want to be, he said.
Asylum seekers taken to PNG and Nauru for offshore processing are told they will never be resettled in Australia.
