West Papua

Murray McCully is part of the New Zealand delegation attending the Forum leaders meeting in Port Moresby this week.

The situation in West Papua is one of the five big issues on the Forum agenda and there have been calls from both NGOs and West Papuans for a mission to look into allegations of human rights abuses in the Indonesian province.

However Mr McCully says he does not back the calls.

And already, the host country Papua New Guinea has refused entry for West Papuan activist, Benny Wenda, an indication of the controversy that surrounds the issue ahead of the 46th annual summit of Pacific Leaders in Port Moresby.

In Fiji, the Secretary General of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Octovanius Mote was ‘quietly’ asked to leave the meeting of the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF).

Topics on discussion for the Pacific Island Forum leaders’ summit are;

1.            Increase return from fisheries and maritime surveillance

2.            Climate risk and disaster risk management

3.            Information and communication technology

4.            West Papua

5.            Cervical cancer  

The Pacific Ocean is the largest in the world and accounts for three thirds of the world’s tuna stock but this does not translate into revenue.

The Jakarta Post reports that conflicting details have emerged over what exactly happened, but the victims have been identified as Imanuel Mailmaur and Yulianus Okoare.

Soon after the incident, a Papua military spokesperson, Teguh Pudji Rahardjo, said the shooting happened when a soldier was attacked by a mob in Timika, prompting troops to fire into the crowd.

But the commander of the Merauke Regional Command, Brigadier General Supartodi, told the newspaper that the officers were drunk when they opened fire into the crowd, and have been arrested.

Indonesia's government has reportedly guaranteed Mr Karma's security and freedom of speech once he leaves prison.

Late last week, he rejected an offer of remission on Indonesia's National Independence Day, which was two days ago, saying he would only accept an unconditional release.

Mr Karma has been serving a 15-year jail sentence for treason in Papua's Abepura Prison, after he raised the banned Morning Star flag at a political rally in 2004.

He said he would be happy to walk free the day after National Day, as long as his release was "unconditional".

During the visit, PM Sogavare will be briefed by the Secretariat executive management and meet Secretariat staff. In addition, he will pay a courtesy call on his Vanuatu counterpart, Sato Kilman and meet Solomon Islands law students and the Solomon Islands community.

He is accompanied on the visit by the newly appointed Solomon Islands Government Special Envoy on West Papua, Matthew Wale, four officers from the Prime Minister’s office, two Foreign Affairs officials and one Police Close Protective personnel.

The delegation will return on Sunday.

Karma is serving a 15-year jail sentence for treason after he raised the banned Morning Star flag at a political rally in 2004.

The former public servant was told he could be freed from Abepura prison on Indonesia's Independence Day, August 17, due to usual remissions in a sentence for good behaviour.

But Karma rejected the package of release on the national holiday.

He said he would be happy to walk free the day after, if his release was “unconditional”.

Mr Karma is serving a 15-year jail sentence for treason after he raising the banned Morning Star flag at a political rally in 2004.

The former public servant was told he could be freed from Abepura prison on Indonesia's Independence Day, August 17, due to usual remissions in a sentence for good behaviour.

But Mr Karma rejected the package of release on the national holiday.

He said he would be happy to walk free the day after, if his release was "unconditional".

A boy was killed and around eleven people injured in the shootings in the Tolikara centre of Karubaga, amid unrest in which shops and a small mosque were burnt.

Religious leaders signed a peace treaty following the incident a month ago.

The Jakarta Post reports Papua's police chief Paulus Waterpauw has said closure resulting from the treaty would not last long as it would not be accepted by certain groups.

He says the incident must be legally processed and not just dealt with by customary settlement.

In a break from tradition where announcement of the MSG Leaders decision is supposed to be made by its chair, host of the summit, Prime Minister Mannaseh Sogavare of Solomon Islands, O’Neill’s office announced that Indonesia is an associate member of the MSG and that the United Liberation Movement of West Papua has been granted observer status.
 
“Today is very a important day for peace and goodwill for our brothers and sisters living in Indonesia’s Melanesian provinces,” said O’Neill’s press announcement.