Monthly Archive for July, 2008

Still Seeking Shelter and Freedom!

Published on July 14, 2008 in West Papua. 0 Comments

IT IS NOW MORE THAN 20 YEARS since the Papua New Guinea Government aceded to the UN Convention relating to the status of refugees. Since then it has yet to enact a domestic legislation that would provide the framework to enforce and administer the rights of refugees who are seeking shelter and freedom in PNG. This was revealed yet once again when the Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade, Sam Abal, reveal that government doesnt have a clear policy on how to deal with the West Papuan people who have been living as refugees in the country. Mr Abal was responding to a question put to him by the Governor of National Capital District, Powes Pakop, a long time advocate and campaigner of a Free West Papua!

Whilst PNG aceded to that UN Convention in 1986, it did so with reservations over issues concerning employment, housing, education, freedom of movment and the associated issues of expulsion and naturalisation. In 1996, it endorsed a policy on “limited integration” that allowed West Papuan refugees to be granted to the status of permissive residency. The status gave West Papuans conditional freedom of movement, the right to engage in business and the right of access to health and education facilities. They are, however, not allowed to become members of political associations and to vote in the country’s elections. When the issue of refugees emerged in 2002 with the arrival of Iraqi asylum seekers, PNG received support from organisations such as the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to develop its own national legislation on refugee and asylum-seekers but the Government decided to adopt a simpler model of law proposed by the Pacific Immigration Director’s Conference. However, none of this has translated into a domestic law on refugee and asylum-seekers as yet and neither do we have a fully fledged constitutionally established human rights organisation.

Since their eviction of the West Papuan refugees from the 8mile settlement in Port Moresby, the quest for a resettlement in a different country away from PNG has been an unceasing request. The refugees first gathered outside the UNHCR office in downtown Port Moresby. Complications developed following the death of a prominent magistrate who was attacked within the camp when he drove in there after a night of intoxication. The case has been solved and the people who attacked the magistrate were not West Papuan youths. In fear of their lives the West Papuans took refugee outside the police station in Boroko. From the Boroko station, they have been moved away to the Apex oval and presently attempts are being made to move them to the premises of PNG Trusts in Gerehu.

PNG Eco-Forestry Forum joins call to investigate allegations into $40 million scam

Published on July 4, 2008 in Logging. 0 Comments

Following a report that initially broke in the Post-Courier on Wednesday the 2nd of July, the PNG Eco-Forestry Forum has joined a host of others, including the PNG opposition (The National, 3 July), Greenpeace and Transparency International (PNG) (Post-Courier, 4 July), in demanding a full investigation into allegations that an unnamed government minister skimmed more than $US40 million (K145 million) from logging deals and funneled the money into an offshore bank account in Singapore.

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Forum joins call to investigate allegations into $40 million scam

The PNG Eco-Forestry Forum has joined the call for a proper investigation into allegations of US$40 million scam involving a senior government Minister.

In what it described as “Just a tip of the Iceberg,” the Forum says if the allegations are true then there is every reason for people in PNG not to trust the government any more in its management of the forestry sector. It is also an international embarrassment as it seriously questions the credibility of the government in so far as good governance is concerned.

The Forum is concerned that this is not the first time allegations of corrupt practices involving forestry has surfaced as similar allegations continue to happen when the government finds it fit to do nothing.

Numerous Government sanctioned reports, including the Barnett Inquiry of 1998, reveal allegations of massive corruption involving bribery, illegal logging, and human rights abuses within the industry. Recommendations made in these various reports have never been formally tabled in Parliament or has any action been taken against those implicated, creating a situation where there seems to be two sets of laws, one for the politicians and the other for the common people.
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Concerns over deep sea mining escalate

Published on July 3, 2008 in Mining. 1 Comment

Concerns over deep sea mining proposals are escalating across the Pacific region where exploration is moving at a fast pace. Australian national research organisation, the CSIRO has given further authority to the requests of indigenous peoples in the Bismark Ramu sea to halt these operations until more is known and the communities rights to exercise their rights over developments impacted their resources are recognised. Concerned peoples from across five provinces of PNG came together to discuss their concerns and declare their opposition to the current mode of development in late June 2008.

Indigenous People of Bismark and Solomon Seas Petition PNG Government to suspend sea bed mining in their territorial seas

Bismark Solomon Seas Indigenous People’s Council: Media release July 1st 2008

Indigenous peoples from around the Bismark and Solomon Seas gathered at Karkum village, Madang last week and signed a statement seeking to halt the current fast tracking of deep sea mining in their territorial seas.

More than 80 participants attended the meeting organised by the Madang People’s Forum and attended by community representatives from Manus, Kairiru island, New Ireland, Bagabag Island, Karkar Island, Riwo, Gildiasi, Rai Coast, and the statement was also endorsed by representatives of the Ramu River Authority, Simil Hondulwa Evangelical Alliance of PNG, New Ireland Students Association of University of Technology, Sea Turtle Restoration Project, Alemewo Foundation, the Catholic Church, Madang Rehabilitation and presented from Vanuatu, Porgera, plus observers from surrounding community based organisations, school teachers and students.

The participants established a council to guide their ongoing coordination and participation in the resource management of the shared marine resources and to seek resolution of their concerns at the local, national and international level.

Wenceslaus Magun, the newly elected interim chair of the Council stated, “We are calling upon the relevant bodies to halt activities that pose risks to our marine resources until steps have been taken to engage local people and address our concerns. Our livelihood and culture is based around these oceans and our people are dependent upon it for survival.”

Rick Steiner, Professor of Marine Biology from Alaska University who attended the forum to stated, “citizen oversight and monitoring of any proposed developments is essential to address the significant risks and threats to the marine environment that deep sea mining represent. Coastal resource owners need to assess these proposals to ensure they are in best interest of the communities whose resources at are risk and this meeting represents an important first step.”

Wence Magun: +675 3232632, +675 6825671, or +675 71959665; magun.wence@gmail.com

Professor Rick Steiner: arfgs@uaa.alaska.edu

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West Papuan refugees appealing for resettlement

Published on July 2, 2008 in West Papua. 2 Comments

WEST PAPUA REFUGEES APPEAL FOR RESETTLEMENT IN THIRD COUNTRY

On this day the 1st day of July 2008, the representatives of the West Papua Refugees camped at Apex Park – Boroko, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – wish to raise the following concerns regarding the continued displacement of their families in Port Moresby.

1. Our status as refugees in PNG:

(i) While the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the Papua New Guinean Government, and others concerned with the plight of all West Papua Refugees in PNG, continue to deny us refugee status and therefore those rights accorded to refuges under international conventions and treaties, we reassert our claim to refugee status and all it’s implications and meanings. In other words, in the absence of a piece of paper to confirm or attest to our refugee status, our mere existence and treatment since arriving on PNG soil is blinding proof of our right to claim refugee status.

(ii) On this day 37 years ago a West Papua Government in exile was established to lead an independent State of West Papua. This remains the single most important event in West Papuan history that brought on the systematic onslaught by Indonesia to annihilate the aspirations of West Papuan peoples right to Self Determination. We the West Papua Refugees at Apex Park in Port Moresby are a direct consequence of this event 37 years ago and we will never forget or let our children forget, the relentless efforts of Indonesia to render us Stateless, Landless, voiceless and powerless. This (Indonesian) response reverberates across the border and continues to affect our existence and attempts to bring us to our knees, in Papua New Guinea.

We are refugees in every meaning of the word.

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