Lae's West Papua community joined in celebrating Papua New Guinea's 46th Independence at the PNG University of Technology yesterday

#PNGNews.

John Lanta, a leader of the community and staff member of the university said their culture is slowly dying because they've been away from home for many years. 

"West Papuans who live abroad, especially in PNG are so thankful and honoured that we are being invited to special events, especially Independence Day for PNG. It's a big thing for us...it's touching because our people have been fighting for independence for 52 years and we are still waiting."

Mr. Lanta's parents fled from West Papua in 1967 and settled in Papua New Guinea in 1969. This is a story similar to that of many other West Papuans who have now made Papua New Guinea home. 

"Our parents told us about our customs, traditional stories, practices, so we try to keep that alive while we are in exile."

While congratulating Papua New Guinea on 46 years of independence, Mr Lanta said he hopes that one day the West Papuan dream of independence, becomes a reality.

#westpapua #lae #independenceday #celebrations

Good morning to you on the last day of 2021

2021 will go down in our history as one of our darkest. 

I feel I owe the nation an apology. I acted in good faith to humbly resign in May 2019 thinking that the change that was asked for would be youthful and move us forward faster than my government could.

I have, like you, been bitterly disappointed in the performance of the Marape led Government over the last 31 months.

I am sorry to have not fully understood the cargo cult mentality; lack of common sense and absence of integrity that now identifies the Marape Government. I have been surprised at how fast they have managed to undo years of hard work of not just my government, but those that came before me. 

Economically we are in one heck of a mess with debt at over K51 billion and no plan to increase income except to tax our people more.

Socially, crime and violence in our capital and the regions is out of control. The law is routinely abused and manipulated for political gain.

Corruption, nepotism, and greed is worse not better and our economic, health and social unrest has made us a laughingstock in the region.

It is with deep regret that I now look back on what has transpired since May 2019. Marape has consistently shown a lack of moral courage; decisiveness and leadership.

However, with the New Year upon us it is time to look forward.

We have much to be proud of – our culture is one of the world’s most vibrant and evolving still; our country is blessed with natural resources more than adequate to meet our needs; we are gifted to have a democratic system of Government in the Commonwealth and our neighbours are peaceful. 

Our prospects could not be better. 

We saw during APEC in 2018 how the World’s largest economies responded to our potential. Opening up new ways of doing business with old and new trading partners and billions of Kina flooded in to help our country access electricity; digitize and evolve but we have failed since then to capitalise on these development opportunities.

There really is nothing to stop us reaching our potential but ourselves.

But 2021 will go down not as a year of moving forward but of rapidly going backwards. 

In a few short months the reign of this Marape led Government will pause, and you will have your chance to vote for a better future. You have my commitment to lead a team of candidates, both experienced campaigners and fresh faces, to rebuild Papua New Guinea and set forth once again to living up to our incredible potential.

We are all looking forward to a brighter 2022. I am confident it will be a year of positive change – we must fight for our children and for PNG.

Happy New Year and stay Safe

God Bless

Melanesian Style va Western Style of Development

The difference .................. PNGeans feel inferior when confronted with the realities of a village boy making it big as an educated elite holding positions of power and "high set" social life and privileges of high rental accommodation etc. It all hits home when the climb to this life style changes abruptly. Reality hits home and you come home to your humble beginnings of the hamlet and the old tracks that you trod some years ago. How do we change that to bring foreigners with high living standards to our humble villages to the same life style found in the urban centres? We change our planning process. Plan for "villages to urban centres". The landowner is then empowered to change for the better. This is another way of viewing my post of 18th December, 2021. I cannot pretend, lets look at development from our own experiences. Why bring outsiders whom do not know how to be a Melenesian to plan for Melenesian ADVANCEMENT! God placed man on land and blessed him, NOT MONEY! PERIOD.

Vanuatu opposition calls for engagement with New Caledonia loyalists

Vanuatu's opposition leader is calling for engagement with New Caledonia's anti-independence side.

New Caledonia last week narrowly rejected independence from France, but a third referendum is likely in 2022.

Ralph Regenvanu, who is a staunch advocate for decolonisation in the region, says New Caledonia is Vanuatu's closest neighbour and home to the largest group of ni-Vanuatu abroad.

He says New Caledonia's independence is the goal of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, for which it was set up.

"We also need to convince the anti-independence lobby that New Caledonia can be a viable state in the Pacific like the other states in the Pacific," he said.

"I know that the anti-independence lobby in New Caledonia often likes to point over to Vanuatu and say 'look, you could become like that if you become independent'.

"For us, it is quite amusing because we think we have got a very good development model happening here," Regenvanu said.0

Joint Statement at the conclusion of the Joint Supervisory Body Meeting

The governments of PNG and Bougainville today concluded the Joint Supervisory Body Meeting in Port Moresby. 

Prime Minister James Marape and President Ishmael Toroama affirmed to work within the spirit and intentions of the Bougainville Peace Agreement.  

The two leaders further reaffirmed their commitment to the jointly agreed timeframe that has been set to find a lasting solution for Bougainville. 

Among key agreements reached today, the leaders tabled the Joint Statement that was agreed to in the Joint Consultations meeting yesterday. 

The leaders endorsed the Joint Consultations Statement and directed that both governments’ technical teams will work together to ensure its effective implementation as per the Wabag Roadmap. 

Other key agendas discussed in the meeting today include the implementation of the Sharp Agreement and other outstanding financial matters. 

The two leaders also noted the recurring agendas that have remain unresolved for a number of years such as the fisheries, BCL shares and the Restoration and Development Grant, and directed the technical teams to ensure that these matters are resolved immediately at the administrative level. 

The leaders agreed that the next meeting of the Joint Supervisory Body will be held in March 2022 in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. 

Following the meeting, the two leaders jointly launched the Bougainville Socio-Economic Baseline Survey Report.

The Baseline Survey Report is an activity led jointly by the ABG and National Department of Commerce, and provides the government with complete data on Bougainville’s current socio-economic situation, and proposes policy interventions for the government to implement going forward. 

Ends...///

PNG did not to learn from mìstake on BCL. Foreign ownership of Gold Refinery is wrong

Bougainville crises erupted due to failure by PNG government to give priority to rightful resouce owners by nature but landowners by cut and paste foreign laws.

Provicial governments and landowners were made spectators in their own land without participating in the development and benefit sharing of their own gold and copper. 

PNG government adapted a foreign law to deal with our gold and copper mining which favours the foreigners and citizens were made to suffer from the sideline.

Gold Refinery does not need a rocket scientist to develop a refinery. There was partly a state own gold refinery company known as MRO in operations, other PNGians have already been into the business. 

We commend the Marape government's vision to set up a refinery and save our gold bullion. Refinery should be owned by state in partners with nationals who are already into the refinery business. 

We already have gold refinery in PNG, the only new thing is saving gold bullion as reserve at Central Bank of PNG. 

Politicians should not be misleading PNG for their personal interest making side deals. Citizens wake up and say no to foreign ownership of Gold Refinery. We cannot sell our country cheaply to foreigners and be slaves to them in our own country.

If government is not careful in her dealings to do something with our resources and businesses with foreigners, other Provinces will follow the precedent set by Bougainville. PNG will be divided nation, creating many small nations out of PNG.

Vanuatu's Shefa province recognises West Papua government

 anuatu's Shefa province is recognising Benny Wenda as the interim president of a provisional West Papuan government.

In a country that has historically been the most vocal in support of West Papuan self-determination rights, Shefa province is the first authority in the country to officially recognise an independent West Papua government.

Wenda, a West Papuan pro-independence activist who fled persecution in his homeland under Indonesian control, was granted asylum in the United Kingdom in 2003.

A year ago, as the head of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Wenda announced that it was forming a 'Provisional Government' of West Papua, with him as the interim president.

Shefa's recognition of that government was announced by the Secretary General of Shefa provincial government, Morris Kaloran, to mark the 60th aniversary of West Papua's declaration of independence which was soon overshadowed by a controversial US-brokered agreement which paved the way for Indonesia to take control of Papua.

Kaloran said the ULMWP Provincial Government and its Interim President were the legitimate representatives of the people of West Papua and their struggle.

In a symbolic gesture, Shefa province had already adopted the indigenous Melanesian people of West Papua and their struggle for self determination and liberation from Indonesian rule.

"The destiny of our two Melanesian peoples of West Papua and Vanuatu is joined. The West Papuan people remain enslaved and colonised in 21st century, subject to discrimination, assassination and military operations," Kaloran said.

"Their gallant freedom struggle, under the guidance and leadership of the ULMWP Provisional Government, is moving ever closer to victory. Until the people of West Papua are, no one in Melanesia is free."

Hundreds of ni-Vanuatu, and West Papuan representatives, march for West Papuan independence in Vanuatu's capital Port Vila. Photo: Joe Collins

Indonesia's government opposes the ULMWP's claims to represent West Papuans, saying the people of the Papuan provinces of Indonesia have democratic rights like other people in the republic.

Both Indonesia and the ULMWP have been granted membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group, whose full members Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia's Kanaks have expressed a wish for Jakarta to engage in dialogue with West Papuans about their grievances.

Source: RNZ

West Papua - The UN's Dream Project 60 Years On

In the PNG Parliament NCD Governor Powes Parkop asked a series of questions during Question Time on West Papua.

Wednesday 1 December 2020.

(Reposted):

 

https://www.facebook.com/765439466917271/posts/4407650296029485/

NCD GOVERNOR HON. POWES PARKOP'S QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE TO FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER IN PNG PARLIAMENT

Thank you, Mr Speaker. 

INTRODUCTION

On this day Thursday December 1st 1961 West Papua declared independence and raised its national flag the Morning Mtar. They had a Legislative and an executive government, a standing army and all the national symbols of a nation state. 

They had their National anthem Hai Tanaku Papua ( oh my land Papua). Their territorial boundaries were precise and demarcated. Then in January 1962 the Indonesian invaded and the rest is history. 

Since then we (PNG) have adopted a policy that is shameful and is totally unethical to say the least. 

Hiding under a policy of friends to all and enemy to none might be ok for rest of the world but it is a total capitulation to Indonesia aggression and illegal occupation.

 It is more a policy of seeing no evil, speaking no evil and to say no evil against the evils of Indonesia. So much has happened since which should be bothering on our conscience. How do we sleep at night when our own people on the other side are subjected to so much violence, racism, deaths and destructions? 

How can we call ourselves Christians when fellow Christians are being subjected to so much abuses on their own land?

 How can we hold ourselves high as the biggest Melanesian State when the other half of our land which we share same ancestors, culture, language, traditions, songs, dance, river, mountains and seas continue to live as if they don’t exist.

 In the recent a past priest has been killed, thousands of people have fled their homes and become internal refugees and some have crossed over to our side of this one island, one land. Not one word of complain or concern or event protest has been aired. 

Even the people who have crossed over recently are from same tribe as the Min people on our side, speaking same languages and sharing same ancestry. We have not uttered a word of complaint or protest. 

QUESTIONS

Mr Speaker, my questions therefore are as follows : 

1. Are we going to revise our policy towards West Papua and adopt a more ethical morally courageous policy. 

2. Do we plan to raise the matter in the Melanesian Speaker Head Group and if so, when? 

3. What have we done or plan to do to apply pressure on Indonesia to allow the UN Human Rights Rapporteurs to visit the territory to inquire into the specific human rights complaints and the general human rights conditions in west Papua consistent with the Resolution of the Pacific Islands Forum in 2019. 

4. What steps are we doing to assist the ACP Countries escalate the resolution adopted in Nairobi Kenya on West Papua to the United Nations. 

5. Considering that PNG is a key member of MSG and MSG has recognize the United Liberation Movement for West Papua as a observer Member of the MSG what plans do we have provide support to the ULMWP? Can we allocate them funds from our budget or space here in PNG to step up an office capacity to purse their right to self determination. 

Imagine if in 1974 when we had declared self-government and Indonesia invaded and no one came to our assistance. Imagine in 1980 when the French manipulated Jimmy Steven’s to stop the independence of Vanuatu and imagine if Sir Julius Chan and Government then did not send the Kumul Force to Espirutu Santo.

When are we going to have the courage to speak the truth on what is happening on our ancestral land to the West? How long are we going to allow fear to dictate our decisions and actions and do what is morally and ethically correct?

Thank you, Mr Speaker

RESPONSE BY PNG FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Soroi Eoe's response is that he will raise it in Parliament.

...ends.

Pacific leaders recently highlighted the West Papua at the 76th annual UN General Assembly session.

The issue of self-determination for West Papua was highlighted for the first time since the 1960s by Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinean prime minister James Marape spent more than 40 minutes addressing the assembly, but his speech included some brief indirect and ambiguous remarks that have been widely interpretated as referring to the situation in occupied West Papua.

“While commenting on the United Nations’ peace effort in PNG, I would also like to recall the Pacific islands leaders forum in 2019 and the outstanding visit by the UN human rights’ mechanisms to address the alleged human rights concerns in our regional neighbourhood,” Mr Marape said.

“This visit is very important to ensure that the greater people have peace within their respective sovereignties – and their rights and (the) cultural dignities are fully preserved and maintained.”

The territory’s Free West Papua movement applauded the remarks, suggesting that “those 30 seconds are highly valued, appreciated and respected because every second counts to prevent another Papuan death accompanied by another loss of land”.

While his speech was carefully constructed and avoided naming Indonesia directly as responsible for human rights abuses, Vanuatuan prime minister Bob Loughman was more direct.

“In my region, New Caledonia, French Polynesia and West Papua are still struggling for self-determination,” he said. “Drawing attention to the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples as stipulated in the UN charter, it is important that the UN and the international community continue to support the relevant territories giving them an equal opportunity to determine their own statehood.

“The indigenous people of West Papua continue to suffer from human rights violations.

“The Pacific (Islands) Forum and ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific states) leaders, among other leaders, have called on the Indonesian government to allow the United Nation’s office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua province and to provide an independent assessment of the human rights situation.

“Today, there has been little progress on this (UN) plan. I hope that the international community, through appropriate UN-led process, takes a serious look at this issue and addresses it fairly.”

Resolutions that were adopted, which were met in 2019, had called for the root causes of the West Papuan problems to be addressed.

On 1 December 2021, this week, the 60th anniversary of self - government for West Papua which the Dutch began on 1 December 1961 was celebrated by indigenous Melanesian Papuans.

After decades, 60 years on, Melanesian consciousness for the inalienable right of West Papua and the indigenous people fighting for freedom seems to find traction.

 PIF and MSG have a position on West Papua. So, does ACP.

PNG followed the ' Greek Tragedy' from day one. So, did Australia. Both signed the UN Protocol on Responsibility To Protect Doctrine Chapter 1 and 2. Indonesia was among 15 countries that blocked the ratification of the UN protocol.

The tide of history is changing.