2) Opposition Urge PM to Reassess Approach on West Papua
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1) Indonesia, PNG Officials Discuss Security Issues
TEMPO.CO, Port Moresby - A number of issues with regard to security were discussed by officials from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) at the Joint Sub-Committee on Security Matters (JSCM) meeting on Wednesday.
Some of the issues were old and had not yet been settled so far, while some are new and were presented by the Indonesian delegation, the leader of the Indonesian delegation to the meeting, Commodore Atok Susanto, said to ANTARA.
The old issues raised by the Indonesian delegation included joint verification that was carried out in Torasi, the case of the Papua fishermen who went missing from Merauke in 2014, the case of the lowering of the Indonesian flag in Nyakyu, and handling of an abduction case.
Among the new issues disclosed by the Indonesian delegation are the release of 14 abductors by PNG despite the fact that their weapons have been confiscated and destroyed.
The abductors should have been handed over to Indonesia to undergo the judicial process, said Susanto, who is an expert on international relations at the military headquarters.
The meeting which was attended by a number of military officials from the two countries also discussed the planned signing of a cooperation agreement and joint sports events.
The Indonesian delegation has also proposed an exchange of visits by military officials at the regional military command levels of the two countries to improve relations between security officials assigned at the Indonesia-PNG border, and joint sports activities, he said.
ANTARA
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Thursday, 10 November 2016 10:02 AM
2) Opposition Urge PM to Reassess Approach on West Papua
The Parliamentary Opposition Group has urged the Prime Minister and his Government to reassess its approach on the issue of West Papua with Indonesia.
In a statement today, the Opposition Group says the stern warning by the Indonesian Foreign Minister conveyed to his Australian counterpart must not be taken lightly by the Government.
“We all have concerns for human right issues in West Papua. But there are other means of dealing with this issue rather than the confrontational approach taken by the current Prime Minister. This is not only interfering with Indonesia’s sovereignty but also with that country’s domestic affairs,” it said.
The Opposition Group recommended that the Prime Minister embrace the relationship established by the previous government and work through the Solomon Islands Ambassador in Jakarta.
“The continuous disrespect to Indonesia as demonstrated by the Prime Minister will not help the course of West Papua at the international level, not to mention the damage this will cause to Solomon Islands relationship with Indonesia,” it said.
The Opposition Group says the Prime Minister has been ill-advised on this important issue, which will not only worsen the cause for West Papua but also hurt Solomon Islands.
“Indonesia is an important partner for our country in trade, energy, fisheries, development, training and cultural exchange. It is an influential member of some of the multilateral agencies and in the Asian region, which Solomon Islands very much rely on,” it said.
Therefore, the Opposition Group says the Prime Minister would be well advised to engage with Indonesia on the West Papua issue rather than the current confrontational approach he has taken.
Press Release: Office of the Leader of Oppositio
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