France happy with UN reaction over New Caledonia

France says the UN decolonisation committee has welcomed an invitation to New Caledonia following the territory's third rejection of independence from France in December.

The invitation was made by the French overseas minister Sebastien Lecornu who briefed the committee in New York last week.

Mr Lecornu said while the series of referendums under the Noumea Accord has been completed, it only marks a step in the process started in 1988.

He said it is now necessary to get out of the logic of pro- and anti-independence politics and instead open a new page of discussions to build a common institutional framework.

France wants to hold another referendum in June next year about a new, yet to be determined statute for a New Caledonia within France.

In December, more than 96 percent of voters rejected independence in the third and final referendum, which was marked by a majority of voters abstaining.

The vote was boycotted by the pro-independence parties after Paris rejected concerns about the impact of the pandemic and refused to postpone the plebiscite.

Pro-independence politicians visited the UN days before the vote, with their parties rejecting the referendum outcome as illegitimate.

They said they will only discuss a path forward once France has had its presidential elections, and then they will only talk about terms to attain independence.

New Caledonia has been on the UN decolonisation list since 1986

Manning refutes allegations raised against PNG contingent in Solomon Islands

ROYAL PAPUA NEW GUINEA CONSTABULARY

MEDIA STATEMENT

Wednesday 09 February, 2022

Police Commissioner David Manning has refuted serious allegations raised against members of the PNG Police and Correctional Service deployed to the Solomon Islands to assist in the peace-keeping mission.

Commissioner Manning said members of the PNG contingent to the Solomon Islands have acted properly and within the confines of law.

Allegations were raised in the social media that PNG Defence Force personnel allegedly forced entry into a home and assaulted a man in the presence of his wife and daughter.

“First of all, the PNG Defence Force is not part of the PNG contingent deployed to the Solomon Islands. Secondly, at no time did any of member of the PNG contingent assault any member of the public in Honiara. I am aware of two separate incidents where two men were detained by members of the PNG contingent and taken to the Henderson Police Station in Honiara, Solomon Islands for questioning and charging,” Mr Manning said.

According to reports the Commissioner has received from head of the PNG contingent to the Solomon Islands, Assistant Commissioner Perou N’Dranou, one of the two suspects identified as John Natei, was accused of using offending and obscene language against members of the PNG contingent whilst the other, a pastor, named as Maxwell Filei, was accused of posting defamatory and false information about the PNG Contingent in the social media aimed at breaching the peace.

According to the report from Honiara, Natei used obscene language against members of the PNG contingent and accused them of bringing COVID-19 into the Solomon Islands. The pastor posted on Facebook that PNG Contingent members were indulging in liquor and womanising.

“I have been reassured by Assistant Commissioner N’Dranou that members of the PNG contingent have conducted themselves professionally at all times. The post by the pastor was not only defamatory but had the potential to breach what is already a fragile situation on the island,” Mr Manning said.

Both suspects were taken in on Monday 7 February for interview by the Royal Solomon Islands Police. Natei was apprehended for using insulting words and spreading false rumours whilst the pastor was apprehended for spreading defamatory and false information in the media with the intention to provoke the breach of peace. His Facebook wall attracted many negative, defamatory and abusive comments towards the PNG contingent in the Solomon Islands.

However, on Tuesday February 8 the pastor and a delegation from his church, the Kingdom Harvest Church, apologised to members of the PNG contingent. He presented a letter for reconciliation which was accepted and was facilitated by the Royal Solomon Islands Police.

Today Max, his family members and members of the Kingdom Harvest Church reconciled with the PNG contingent at the Henderson Police Station where food and cash were exchanged between both parties.

The first suspect, Natei, was arrested and charged by the RSIP Police. He is out on bail and will appear in court on 28 February.

“Both incidents are serious matters of concern that have attracted negative comments from the general public in the Solomon Islands, hence the course of action we have taken. I repeat again that I am pleased with the conduct of the contingent in the Solomon Islands. They have been good ambassadors for PNG and will continue to do so until they return to the country,” Mr Manning said.

Authorised for release by:

David Manning, MBE, DPS, OStJ, QPM

Commissioner of Police

*****

(Photographs of the reconciliation ceremony in Henderson, Honiara, Solomon Islands.)

Fiji looking into West Papua issue

 Edwin Nand, Senior Multimedia Journalist edwin.nand@fbc.com.fj | @EdwinNandFBCNews

Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has confirmed that Fiji is taking a multilateral approach to issues regarding West Papua which has been fighting for independence from Indonesia.
Speaking in parliament late yesterday, Sayed-Khaiyum confirmed the Fijian government’s position is to help uphold the rule of international law.
“We are working very closely with the MSG, Pacific Island Forum and the UN to ensure that we take this matter forward in a way that respects international law and that’s what we need to do because we believe in the rule of law and it should be maintained internationally – as we have our position similarly – in the South China Sea that international laws must apply.”
West Papua has support from some Melanesian countries which believe that it should gain independence from Indonesia.
There have also been issues of human rights abuses in the region.
Source: https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/

Vanuatu’s submission on the Impact of miliratism on Indigenous land of West Papua to the EMRIP and Periodic Review on Indonesia

Vanuatu’s submission on the Impact of miliratism on Indigenous land of West Papua to the EMRIP and Periodic Review on Indonesia (Shadow Report)

MILITARISATION OF INDIGENOUS LAND OF WEST PAPUA.

Vanuatu Free West Papua Association is forwarding this Petition to the UN Experts Mechanisms on the Right of Indigenous Peoples and the Universal Periodic Review on Indonesia (Shadow Report)

We have received reports from Indonesia Amnesty International and Transparency International that the human rights situation caused by the presence of Indonesian Military in West Papua is becoming worst. The situation currently is that:

• The Indonesian Government has banned internet access for Indigenous West Papuans.

• from the ground it is difficult to gather information due to reporting restrictions, placed on International journalists in the region 

• The increased Indonesian military deployment in West Papua since 2018 has resulted in around 2,000 casualties, displacement of around 50,000 civilians and 5,000 fled to seek asylum in PNG.

Indonesian Military to West Papua has also contribute as a resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and what has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people.

The Indigenous Melanesian People of the West Papua Province of Indonesia are regarded as minority ethnic group that needs to be free from genocides and inhuman treatments.

We reaffirm the Principles of the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS that recognizes ‘the inherent dignity of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world’.

The Indigenous Melanesian people of West Papua are also part of that foundation of freedom, justice and peace of the Melanesian Archipelago. They are the Melanesian Indigenous minority under Indonesia regime, who have a right to freedom and self-determination as declared by the UN Resolution 15, 14 on decolonization.

We strongly affirmed that any development in the indigenous land of West Papua should apply the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent of indigenous West Papuan as enshrines the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

IN THE TRUE SPIRIT OF SOLITARITY WE THE PEOPLE OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ENTIRE INDIGENOUS MELANSIAN PEOPLE:

We appeal to the International Community to:

1 Facilitate an urgent UN Human Rights fact findings mission to West Papua.

2 Send International journalist to West Papua to report on the current issues affecting the indigenous population.  

3 Mediate a peaceful transition for a free West Papua and

4 Up hold the principle of UN resolution 15,14 of 2000 to yearning West Papua to its freedom, and,

5 FINALLY, WE CALL UPON Indonesia to withdraw its administrative and military power from West Papua.

Dated 26th January 2022 in Port Vila, Vanuatu

Subject: West Papua: EMRIP and UPR Reports

Dear Leaders, 

Trust this year has begun well for all of us, wherever we are, while our thoughts and prayer goes out to families qnd loved ones affected by the pandemic the region, military operations in the central highlands of Papua and volcanic eruption in the Kingdom of Tonga.

This is a short notice but an important one, on submission of human rights reports on West Papua to the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) and the Universal Periodic Review on Indonesia (Shadow Report).

The EMRIP contribution reports are on the theme "The militarization of indigenous land: a human rights focus." The Expert Mechanism hereby requests contributions from Indigenous Peoples, States, National Human Rights Institutions, academics and other stakeholders for this report. 

Submissions should be sent by e-mail to ohchr-expertmechanism@un.org no later than 31 January 2022. A draft report will be introduced by the Expert Mechanism at its annual session to take place from 11 to 15 July 2022, after which it will be finalised and presented to the Human Rights Council at its 51st session in September 2022. Submissions are until 31 January 2022, and no longer than 5 pages. 

Meanwhile, the shadow reports for the Indonesia UPR is to be submitted on March 31.

With this, I would like to ask if any of our solidarity partners would collaborate with, or independently make submission to cover issues on impact of militarism on the internal displacement, the environment, on health, and women and children, and other sectors, while restating the recommendation for an OHCHR visit to West Papua, or an independent HR investigation in West Papua. 

Let me know if you are interested and what you think on how we could go about this. 

Warm regards,

K.r

MSG SECRETARIAT HOLDS 1st 2022 SENIOR STAFF MEETING

PORT VILA, VANUATU (24 January 2022): The first meeting of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat’s senior staff was convened today with an individual and organizational reflection on how it can better itself with its existing resources.

Acting Director General, George Hoa’au, challenged staff on how each can interact and deal with the Secretariat’s stakeholders as diplomats but achieve results as entrepreneurs.

He encouraged staff to continue to be competent and emphasized the need to continually accept change as without it there can be no progress. Furthermore, ADG Hoa’au touched on the importance of management leadership; self-responsibility; innovation; thinking on our feet and improvising with online resources.

The meeting agenda included the vision of the MSG Secretariat against expectations; Leadership Issues; holding a work-from-home mock event; having ICT as a platform for work; Annual Report; and Strategic Partnerships, among others.

It was also an opportunity for senior staff to briefly present their major work programme activities, how they would approach it and what events have been identified as priorities for the first quarter 2022.

Caption: Senior staff discussing their respective work programmes for the year.

Mugabe: When your salary comes in time,

When your salary comes in time, you eat chicken. As the salary reduces you eat products of chicken (eggs) and subsequently, you begin to eat 🐔 chicken's food like maize and Millet.

Finally when salary is finish, you become chicken itself. Spending your time walking around just looking for what to eat.

 

 Your salary is a seed that needs to be planted. It's important you take part of it and invest.

Salary alone cannot solve all your money problems. Create a plan B now. A Wise investment will provide opportunities for one to always eat chicken whenever he or she pleases!

 Think INVESTMENT_ because you won't be young for ever.!

  Think INSURANCE_ because you won't be strong forever! 

  Think ENTREPRENEURSHIP _ because you won't be employed forever.

   Have a wonderful Sunday, God bless you all 🙏🙏🙏