PACIFIC ISLANDS LEADERS ARRIVE IN PORT MORESBY FOR FIPIC SUMMIT

Pacific Islands leaders arrive in Amazing Port Moresby to attend the Forum for India and Pacific Island Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit. Traditional dancers gave a rousing welcome to the leaders at the Jackson’ International Airport as the capital city host, Governor Hon. Powes Parkop and Deputy Governor, Hon. Dadi Toka Jnr, received them.

The leaders in order of arrival are; Prime Minister of Tonga, Hon. Hu'akavemeilik Siaosi Sovaleni; President of Nauru, His Excellency Russ Kun; Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Mr Henry Puna; President of Kiribati, His Excellency Taneti Maamau; and Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Hon. Manasseh Sogavare.

Governor Parkop welcomed each of the leaders on behalf of the Prime Minister, assuring them that Port Moresby was their home away from home and bid them a pleasant and memorable stay.

More leaders of the Pacific will be arriving today and tomorrow for the 3rd FIPIC Summit hosted in Amazing Port Moresby.

FIPIC LEADERS ARRIVE FOR SUMMIT

All Pacific Island leaders will be arriving today, for the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation summit or FIPIC.

The summit will be held tomorrow Monday 22nd May in Port Moresby.

PNG and India are co-hosting the summit, which was last held in India in 2015.

It is part of India’s Act East Policy, where much of its engagements with Pacific countries, is through development assistance under the south – south cooperation. 

Fiji had a head start with Prime Minister Rabuka arriving for a state visit on Thursday, Tuvalu on Friday and Palau and Micronesia earlier this morning.

The other Island nations, Tonga, Nauru, Mashall Islands, Solomon Island, Vanuatu, Niue, Kiribati, and New Caledonia will all arrive later today.

Among those who will be arriving today, is the first Female Prime Minister for Samoa, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa this evening at 6pm.

Pic: Palau President - His Excellency Suranges Whipps Jnr (Blue Shirt) being escorted to his vehicle, upon arrival at the Jackson Airport - Port Moresby.

Kausea Natano new PM of Tuvalu; Sopoaga ousted

WPRA Congratulates New Tuvalu Prime Minister

In a statement issued today, Secretary-General of West Papua Revolutionary Army (WPRA), one of the tree affiliate commands of West Papua Army (WPA), congratulates

Kausea Natano as new PM of Tuvalu .

The Secretary-General of WPRA, Amunggut Tabi, Gen. WPRA expresses thanks for the support from Tuvalu for the protection and promotion of human rights in West Papua, including the rights to self-termination.

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via IFTTT September 19, 2019 at 01:21PM

Surge in Papua violence prompts stronger stand from Pacific leaders

Tuvalu’s Prime Minister on Australia’s Statements at PIF Retreat

“I thought the Australian labour scheme was determined on mutual respect, that Australia was also benefiting,” said Mr Sopoaga. “We are not crawling below that. If that’s the view of the government, then I would have no hesitation in pulling back the Tuvaluan people as from tomorrow.”

“I don’t think the Tuvaluan people are paupers to come crawling under that type of very abusive and offensive language,” he said. “If New Zealand is thinking the same way, we’ll have no other option but to do that [there too].”

Source: Facebook.com

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via IFTTT August 19, 2019 at 09:08PM

Pacific leaders want action on West Papua human rights issues

By Nic Maclellan in Funafuti, Tuvalu, Source: https://islandsbusiness.com/

Members of the Pacific Islands Forum have urged Indonesia to take action on human rights violations in West Papua, and strongly encouraged Jakarta to facilitate a long-mooted visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.

Regional Prime Ministers and Presidents met this week in Tuvalu for the 50^thPacific Islands Forum. Echoing the language of the Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting in July, the leaders “welcomed the invitation by Indonesia for a mission to West Papua (Papua) by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and strongly encouraged both sides to finalise the timing of the visit and for an evidence-based, informed report on the situation be provided before the next Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in 2020.”

Human rights groups have long reported on violations by Indonesian police and military forces deployed in West Papua. However, concern has escalated since the Indonesian army extended operations around Nduga in West Papua last December, following the shooting of construction workers on road-building operations through the regency. Since then, West Papuan human rights monitoring groups have reported that more than 30,000 people have been displaced, with healthcare facilities and schools damaged during Indonesian military operations. The Jakarta Post has reported that at least 182 displaced people have died from exposure and lack of food after fleeing their homes since December.

Lobbying the leaders

In recent years, West Papua has been a constant topic on the agenda of the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum. This week in Funafuti, members of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP), including chair Benny Wenda and spokesperson Jacob Rumbiak, have been lobbying island leaders for support. Indonesia too has a delegation in Funafuti to participate in the Post-Forum Dialogue, including West Papuan lobbyist Nick Messet.

West Papua was a key issue raised in the formal dialogue between Forum leaders and civil society organisations (CSO) on Wednesday. CSO leaders presented a wide-ranging statement which included the request “that Forum Leaders call on Indonesia to immediately allow access of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN special mandate holders to West Papua….None of us can speak of an inclusive and peaceful Pacific and remain silent on the serious human rights issues for West Papuans. We call on Pacific Leaders to observe the importance of human rights in all parts of our region.” 

Tongan Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva responded emotionally to their call for action on West Papua.

“We should not let others control us. We should stand together in solidarity in support of the people of West Papua”, said Pohiva.

Speaking after the CSO dialogue, General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches Reverend James Bhagwan said: “I’m very encouraged by the discussions and that they have made this a priority in the leaders retreat. We try to look at this not just as a moral issue, but to be pragmatic about the realities, knowing that there are strong partnerships between Indonesia and some Forum island countries – that was mentioned by Fiji and Australia.”

“Coming from a human rights perspective, you cannot talk about a Pacific household if people are excluded from that,” Reverend Bhagwan said. “You can’t talk about Pacific regionalism if there’s no Pacific solidarity. The inaction by Pacific leaders on West Papua speaks very loudly to that, and I think that was recognised. The responses from Tonga, from Samoa, even Kiribati and of course Vanuatu – with their consistent support – was very important today.”

Rev. Bhagwan stressed: “You can’t build a house and then ignore people. That recognition of one family, the Pacific family, is very key to this.”   

Leaders want action by Indonesia

In their final communique, Forum leaders “reaffirmed recognition of Indonesia’s sovereignty over West Papua (Papua). Leaders acknowledged the reported escalation in violence and continued allegations of human rights abuses in West Papua (Papua) and agreed to re-emphasise and reinforce the Forum’s position of raising its concerns over the violence.”

ULMWP Chair Benny Wenda said: “I welcome all the leaders’ decision. This is the first time that Forum leaders have called for a United Nations human rights visit. It’s time for Indonesia to allow the UN Human Rights Commissioner to come to visit West Papua. I think it’s an important step now.”

While the resolution makes no mention of the right to self-determination, Wenda welcomed the decision as a positive move forward: “This is step by step. This is the starting point and the fact that the resolution is a really, really important step for us to go to another level.”

Vanuatu has long championed the West Papuan cause and lobbied strongly for action. Vanuatu Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu said: “It’s the resolution we wanted so we’re very grateful to all the Pacific Island leaders. The resolution from the leaders and the very strong statements made in the CSO session on this issue shows that they all recognise that something more has got to be done, because the human rights situation is worsening.”

Regenvanu said he hoped that the UN Human Rights Commissioner could provide an “honest and frank account” to the next Forum leaders’ meeting

“The resolution is the result of the worsening situation just in the last year for human rights in West Papua,” he said. “In the last few years, the resolution has been about constructive engagement with Indonesia on the issue. But I think the leaders realised that the open and constructive engagement had not necessarily achieved the improvements in human rights that are desired. I think the situation in Nduga over the last year has caused Forum leaders to elevate the tone of the resolution.”

With his country scheduled to host the 51^st regional summit next year in Port Vila, the Vanuatu Foreign Minister said: “We also want a report back by the next Forum so the leaders can consider it under this agenda, which is a standing agenda of the Forum.”

“The onus is now on the Secretariat of the Forum and the member states of PIF, including the members that are part of the Human Rights Council, that they need to make sure the Commissioner gets to go,” he said. “Indonesia should see that there is a very clear concern and we hope this this statement will make them come to the table and work with the Commissioner to make sure this mission does happen.”

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via IFTTT August 17, 2019 at 12:36AM

Tongan PM blasts Pacific regionalism ‘myth’ and silence over West Papua

Pacific leaders to discuss alleged human rights violation in West Papua

AQELA SUSU, FijiTimes

THE alleged human rights violation in West Papua is expected to be discussed at the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Tuvalu this week.

Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat secretary-general Dame Meg Taylor confirmed this was one of the key issues considered by foreign ministers during the recent Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting (FFMM) at the PIFS in Suva.

Other key issues considered at the meeting included progress and recommendations on the leaders’ priorities on climate change advocacy, regional security and ocean governance.

Read the full report in today’s edition of The Fiji Times.

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via IFTTT August 15, 2019 at 08:53PM

50th PIF Leaders Meeting: Fiji reaffirms support to the people of West Papua

TALEBULA KATE, FijiTimes

PRIME Minister Voreqe Bainimarama today reaffirmed Fiji’s continuing support to the people of West Papua on the alleged human rights violations in West Papua.

Mr Bainimarama said he respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states, including Indonesia.

In supporting the vision of a Blue Pacific, Mr Bainimarama said that Fiji supports the 10 year moratorium on seabed mining to allow for a decade of proper scientific research of our economic zones and territorial waters.

“I reiterate my call to PIF Members during the opening of our Climate Change Sautalaga event to step up and support this ambitious venture,” he said.

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via IFTTT August 15, 2019 at 08:48PM

Support for West Papua ramped up ahead of Pacific leaders meeting

As the clock ticks down to the annual meeting of Pacific Leaders next week in Tuvalu, West Papuan activists have ramped up their lobbying efforts to get Pacific countries to support a resolution on the proposed visit by the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner, to investigate allegations of human rights violations in West Papua.

The head of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Benny Wenda has met with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare as part of his campaign.

“Most of the Melanesian leaders they are concerned and they are willing to support. Because this issues never go away from the Melanesian leaders,” Mr Wenda said.

Pacific Island leaders will discuss a resolution that is calling for the UN Human Rights Commissioner to visit the Indonesian region of West Papua and investigate human rights allegations.

Indonesia issued an invitation to the UN earlier this year, but the visit has yet to eventuate.

The resolution, if adopted by Pacific leaders, would also encourage a deadline to be set for the timing of the visit, and a report on the situation, to be submitted at the 2020 Pacific Forum Meeting.

Vanuatu’s special envoy to West Papua, Lora Lini said Vanuatu had championed the resolution during Forum officials and ministers meeting last month in Fiji, which set the agenda for next week’s Forum.

“We are looking forward to the outcomes from the leaders communique from the prime ministers of the Pacific Islands Forum country and Vanuatu will take this resolution to UN General Assembly,” Ms Lini said.

Mr Wenda was accompanied by PNG Governor Powes Parkop on his visit to Honiara, although it isn’t clear if Mr Parkop was an official representative for the national government.

Duration: 5min 22secBroadcast: Thu 8 Aug 2019, 6:00am

Source: ABC Radio

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via IFTTT August 09, 2019 at 07:30AM

Pacific foreign ministers meeting in Fiji Friday

The foreign ministers of Pacific Island Forum nations meet in Fiji on Friday to consider key issues ahead of next month’s leaders’ summit in Tuvalu.

New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said it is an important opportunity to deepen partnerships within the Pacific family.

He said this will include strengthening Pacific regionalism, responding to climate change, advancing the Boe Declaration on regional security, and fisheries and oceans issues.

Mr Peters said his government is committed to advancing security, well-being, prosperity and resilience in its Pacific neighbourhood.

Source: RNZ

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via IFTTT July 24, 2019 at 07:03PM