Wednesday, November 14, 2012

1) PNG assured Indonesian military not building up on border


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RNZI Posted at 06:19 on 15 November, 2012 UTC
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says he has been assured by the President of Indonesia that it is not escalating its military presence near the common border.
This week, Indonesia’s Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono hosted bilateral talks with Mr O’Neill in Bali.
The two countries have agreed on a number of joint projects around the border areas in the oil, gas and electricity sectors.
Mr O’Neill says they had a genuine discussion on PNG government’s concerns about rights abuses in Papua province.
He says he’s not concerned over reports of Indonesian troop build-up in the far east of Papua province.
“The President has assured me, they are not increasing military activity in West Papua. In fact they are now slowly withdrawing military to allow for economic development on West Papua and so that they can empower and improve the living standards of our people there.”
Peter O’Neill says he encouraged Indonesia to address human rights issues in Papua.

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RNZI Posted at 01:48 on 15 November, 2012 UTC
A former Vanuatu Prime Minister says the move to bring Indonesia into the Melanesian Spearhead Group is unacceptable because Fiji, as the current MSG chair, does not have a democratic government.
Under the chairmanship of Fiji’s interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama, the MSG granted Indonesia observer status last year.
This is despite indigenous West Papuans in Indonesia’s Papua region unsuccessfully lobbying for MSG observer status over many years.
Barak Sope says Indonesia manipulates diplomatic relations with regional governments to silence concern about human rights abuses in Papua.
“We are very worried that Indonesia is at the MSG. Fiji does not have the mandate to take such action. It is a military dictatorship. So I’m worried that a dictator comes in and brings Indonesia into this organisation. All of us are democratic countries, we all get ourselves elected, except Bainimarama. That decision cannot be accepted.”
Barak Sope
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RNZI Posted at 03:11 on 15 November, 2012 UTC
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister says his government is considering a number of joint projects with Indonesia along their common border.
Peter O’Neill this week held talks in Bali with Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The leaders agreed to increase bilateral trade and investment and to consider joint projects, including utilising Indonesian expertise and technology to develop gas reserves in PNG’s Gulf of Papua.
Mr O’Neill confirms PNG is also looking at engaging Indonesian companies to build roads in PNG, and at buying power from a hydro-power station being built in Indonesia near the border.
“That was mooted by both the President and myself, that we should look at opportunities of improving economic activities along the border area so that the standard of living for people living in the border areas can be improved at the same time.”
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill
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