The governor of Papua New Guinea's national capital district Powes Parkop says detaining asylum seekers sent from Australia would be illegal under the country's constitution.
Gov Parkop said he would consider mounting a Supreme Court challenge against such a detention centre, adding it would not only be unconstitutional but go against the culture of Papua New Guinea.
The Australian government is in talks about reopening a detention centre on PNG's Manus Island which was used to house asylum seekers under the Howard government's "Pacific Solution" from 2001 until 2004.
The governor, a human rights lawyer, told AAP on Friday that under section 42 of the PNG constitution, locking up detainees without charge would be illegal.
"If they are locked up, it will be illegal," he said.
"The law here is very clear ... a person cannot be locked up without charge.
"It is also not part of our culture to put them in detention ... West Papuans who come here, we put them in camps ... They are free to move around."
Gov Parkop said he had agreed with PNG prime minister Peter O'Neill on Wednesday last week to meet with officials to express his concern.
However, that meeting had not yet taken place, he said.
Prime Minister O'Neill was expected to hold a press conference on Friday to discuss recent announcements made by his government, although that conference was cancelled.
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