West
Papuan campaigner Benny Wenda talks to PNG journalist Henry Yamo at the
Pacific Media Centre yesterday. Image: Del Abcede/PMC
Report – By Henry Yamo, a Papua New Guinean journalist in New Zealand
West Papuan independence advocate Benny Wenda is stunned to find New Zealand “ignoring human rights issues on its doorstep” after Speaker David Carter denied him the opportunity to speak about his cause at Parliament.
“The Australian Parliament gave support last November and I was looking forward to the same in New Zealand, but my entry to Parliament has been blocked,” he says.
But he says the plight of his people is far too serious for him to give in. Read more »
West Papuan campaigner tells of life of struggle against Indonesian rule
West
Papuan activist Benny Wenda with human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson
at the Auckland public meeting last night. The “banned” West Papuan flag
is in the background. Image: Del Abcede/PMC
Report – By the PMC news desk
West Papuan independence campaigner Benny Wenda spoke of his people’s harrowing five decades of struggle against Indonesian rule at a public meeting in Auckland last night.
Dressed in a ceremonial Papuan headdress, he was also joined by human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, a spokesperson for International Lawyers for West Papua, who spoke about Indonesian legal violations.
Members of the audience in Ponsonby’s St Columba community centre strongly condemned the New Zealand ban on Wenda from speaking at Parliament about the West Papuan plight. Read more »
Gordon Campbell: John Key’s ‘about turn’ offer on detained refugees in Pacific
A refugee rights protest at Broadmeadows, Melbourne. Image: AdelaideBreakfast
Commentary – By Gordon Campbell
In the past, successive Labour and National led governments have been happy to use the poisonous term “queue jumping” to describe people trying to exercise their UN Refugee Convention-based right to reach these shores and claim political asylum.
When it comes to claims for political asylum, there is no queue. All claims must be assessed and where they are well founded grounds for political persecution, asylum must be granted.
Political asylum is a totally different procedure – or should be – from the UN refugee quota of 750 which New Zealand agrees to take each year. Less than a year ago, Deputy Prime Minister Bill English was happy to blur this distinction, presumably in order to whip up public hostility: Read more »
Burning of woman ‘sorcerer’ shocks PNG, triggers debate on ‘barbaric’ acts
The
controversial Post-Courier photo of the burning of an alleged sorcerer
in Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea. Image: Ramcy Wama/Post-Courier
Report – By the PMC news desk and Pacific Media Watch
The burning alive of a young woman accused of being a sorcerer in Papua New Guinea has shocked a nation and triggered debate about how to abolish such “barbaric” acts.
The publication of a photo of the burning of the woman, a mother of two, on a Mount Hagen city rubbish dump by the daily newspaper Post-Courier has also sparked debate about journalism ethics.
But the newspaper published the photo as a warning that urgent action needed to be taken to prevent similar tragedies happening and condemned the actions of the hundreds of onlookers who watched 20-year-old Kepari Leniata die. Read more »
Solomon Is tsunami kills 9, fears toll may rise
Solomon Islands school children flee to higher ground after the tsunami warning. Image: Twitter @ bencmcnair
Report – By the PMC news desk and agencies
At least nine people are dead and three others injured following an earthquake and tsunami that struck yesterday afternoon, say police. But there are fears the death toll could rise.
Radio NZ International reported the 8.0 magnitude undersea earthquake had sparked a tsunami warning for several Pacific island nations but appeared to have had the biggest impact around the Santa Cruz region in Solomon Islands.
The acting Permanent Secretary Responsible for National Disaster, Channel Iroi, confirmed the deaths were from Nela, Luova, Bimbir,Venga and Malo villages on Santa Cruz. Read more »
Fiji military to have political role, says Bainimarama
Fiji soldiers in UN “peacekeeping” colours … a constitutional role in politics planned. Image: Pacific Scoop
Report – By Michael Field
Less than a month after scrapping a draft constitution that would have sidelined Fiji’s military from politics, coup leader Voreqe Bainimarama says soldiers will have a place in governance.
Speaking to Fiji Military Forces during a medal presentation ceremony, he urged his troops to keep alert and not be caught by surprise.
Bainimarama, who seized power in a 2006 coup, has promised democracy restoring elections next year and in order to do it had a panel, part-funded with New Zealand aid of $500,000, draw up Fiji’s fourth constitution. Read more »
Indonesian border risks becoming ‘flashpoint’, warns Post-Courier
Two
motorbikes and food rations left by Javanese poachers who fled into the
jungle when the PNG soldiers caught up with them along the banks of
Torasi River. Images: PNGDF
Report – By the Post-Courier in Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea’s inability to man its 760km land border with Indonesia and increasing tension triggered by cross-border raids from Papua and lack of economic opportunities could make the area a flashpoint, the PNG Post-Courier reports.
Wutung villagers in the West Sepik Province and locals from the Morehead local level government area in the Western Province have expressed concern at the lack of intervention by the relevant PNG government agencies to address their problems, the newspaper said in a front-page report in its weekend edition.
Three weeks ago, Wutung villagers forcefully pulled down the Indonesian flag in protest against Indonesia, compelling Waigani to dispatch a team of officials led by the PNG Foreign Affairs Department to the border region. Read more »
Independent Face TV launches on Sky platform
Face Television … a rebranding of Auckland’s Triangle Television.
Report – Pacific Media Watch
A proven public service broadcaster – with a strong Pacific community component – is back on TV screens nationwide with the launch of Face Television on Sky Television.
Face, which is a rebrand of Auckland’s Triangle Television, is available on Sky Channel 089 from today.
Face will also continue to be available on Auckland’s analogue UHF channels 41, 42 and 52 until digital switch over (DSO) for TV in the region later this year. Read more »
RSF media freedom index warns on Fiji, PNG, praises ‘Burmese spring’
World Press Freedom Index … topped again in 2013 by Finland, Fiji and PNG on watch.
Report – By Reporters Sans Frontières / Pacific Media Watch in Paris
Threats to the media in the South Pacific should not be taken lightly in two Melanesian countries, says the Paris-based global press freedom advocacy group Reporters Sans Frontières.
Papua New Guinea has dropped six places to 41st in the latest RSF World Press Freedom Index with the security forces being “regularly involved in attacks on journalists”.
In Fiji, in spite of a 10-place rise to 107th – explained in part by the decline of other countries in this section of the index, news organisations are threatened under the Media Industry Development Decree with exorbitant fines, or even imprisonment, as in the case of a recently convicted editor of The Fiji Times. Read more »
Out of the shadows – the real challenges of the Fiji budget
A
Suva anti-corruption sign … Fiji needs to “reduce the cost of doing
business in through institutional transparency, accountability and good
governance”. Image: David Robie
Analysis – By Professor Biman Prasad in Suva
Fiji government budgets since 1987 have been prepared in the shadows of political instability and suspicion, coups, and uncertainty of the future.
Even General Elections held under the 1997 Constitution, which was based on power-sharing, failed to fully allay the concerns.
The People’s Coalition’s 2000 budget was implemented against the backdrop of rumours about another coup and continued protests by the ethno-nationalists. Read more »
source : http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar