West Papua

Mr Sope, who had been a longtime supporter for independence in East Timor, was speaking after being awarded the "Order of Timor Leste" in the capital Dili, for his contribution to that country's successful struggle for freedom.

It is the highest honour East Timor can bestow.

RNZI reports Mr Sope has long been an advocate for West Papua and West Papuan self determination

At the end of last year he was pushing for Vanuatu to become a member of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation to counter Indonesia's influence.

The ACP Council of Ministers in Brussels reportedly heard a joint statement on Papua from seven Pacific countries - Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Nauru, Palau and the Marshall Islands.

The statement condemned Indonesian human rights violations in Papua and called for a resolution supporting the right of West Papuan political self-determination.

However, Indonesia's embassy in New Zealand says the ACP agreed in April that the group would not cover the issue of Papua in future meetings.

Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Nauru, Palau and the Marshall Islands delivered a joint statement at the ACP's Council of Ministers in Brussels.

It condemned Indonesian human rights violations in Papua, including alleged crimes against humanity and called for an eventual resolution that includes support of the right of West Papuan political self-determination.

Reuters reports that the losses appear to be pushing the Indonesian government and Freeport to resolve the row.

Tabloid Jubi reported this call came after the expulsion of French journalists Franck Escudie and Basile Longchamp on visa violations last month.

RSF's Benjamin Ismail said the Indonesian president had undertaken to scrap the restrictions that obstruct the work of foreign journalists in West Papua.

But he said Jakarta's repeated refusals to issue press visas and the growing number of journalists on its blacklist, shows it falls far short of qualifying as a country that supports freedom of expression and media freedom.

The office's head Samuel Enock said Jean Pierre and Basille Longhamp were sponsored by Garuda to report on a number of stories in Indonesia, but they started their work before obtaining the necessary documents, which were still being processed

Mr Enock said as a consequence, the pair had been banned from entering Indonesia for the next six months.

The pair was deported from Timika to France via Jakarta on a Garuda flight on Friday.

The 34th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, was told that Indonesia has not curtailed or halted various widespread violations.

Vanuatu's Justice Minister Ronald Warsal was speaking on behalf of his country and six other Pacific nations: Tonga, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, and Solomon Islands

Indonesia's president Joko Widodo has just completed his first state visit to Australia where he had talks with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

It marks the resumption of a close working relationship between the neighbouring countries' armed forces.

Indonesia partially suspended military links with Australia at the start of the year.

This followed discovery of what was deemed "insulting" material at a Special Forces base in Perth where Indonesian troops were training.

Mogu, is part of the Rebel Musik collaboration taking the stage of XO state in Melbourne, next Friday, February 24.

Rebel Musik, he says, will raise awareness on the struggle of West Papua and other ignored issues.

Put together as an initiative of Aireleke – a musician and recognised activist for West Papua, the group of talented musicians from PNG and West Papua will voice the concern on the musical stage.

 “Music is an art form but should not be taken for the aesthetics of it only – the beauty of art as an organised sound.

Last month, the MSG secretariat scheduled this week's meeting in Port Vila for leaders of its members to discuss a West Papuan bid for full membership.

However RNZ reports there will not be a leader’s summit component at this week's meetings, with the expectation that they will now meet early in the New Year.

But yesterday in Vila, MSG senior officials met, and today the group's foreign ministers are to meet, to discuss the findings of a constitutional committee that has reviewed MSG rules on membership.