Articles Search

Expert doubts independence for Indonesian province

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, June 24, 2010) – An academic in Indonesian politics says the United Nations approval of the referendum which incorporated Papua region into the republic makes it difficult to have it revised.

This comes as Vanuatu is seeking the UN General Assembly’s support for the International Court of Justice to give an opinion on the legality of the way the former Dutch New Guinea was ceded to Indonesia.

Under 1969’s Act of Free Choice a group of West Papuans voted for integration into Indonesia rather than independence.

The referendum is widely regarded as having been stage-managed by Indonesia but Damien Kingsbury of Australia’s Deakin University says the UN backing of the referendum will be hard to change.

"Basically what they would have to do is establish a committee of investigation to go back and look at whether the Act of Free Choice was in fact...

Solomons landowners must see benefits

By Eddie Osifelo HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, June 9, 2010) – MALAITA Province Premier Richard Irosaea calls on any new Government to review the Mining Act.

Mr Irosaea made the call after seeing the logging industry reaping the country's resources and leaving landowners with little benefits.

"The new government needs to immediately look at the Mining Act before allowing more mineral explorations in the country," Mr Irosaea told the Solomon Star in an interview.

"It must make sure resource owners get the big returns from the explorations or otherwise we will end up like what the Malaysians did to Vangunu in Western Province," he said.

Mr Irosaea said the logging industry has set a bad history for the country especially on Vangunu where the company logged the areas and left the country, leaving behind the resource owners high and dry.

Now that normalcy has returned after the recent tensions,...

FRAUD
Bogus company collects government payments

By Caldron Laepa PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, June 29, 2010) –A man was arrested and charged with [defrauding the Papua New Guinea government out of PGK1.9 million (US$676,000) in highway reconstruction funds meant for Enga province.]

Rex Kiponge, 31, from Yawalimanda in Kopiam District, Enga Province was arrested and charged by the NCD fraud squad for misappropriating K1.998 million for the 37 kilometre road from Mambisanda to Lendema road in Wapenamanda District.

NCD fraud squad said between January 15, 2007 and December 25, 2009, Mr Kopponge allegedly conspired with several others and formed a company named Slaby Construction Limited with forged scope of work and cost estimates.

The company was then paid its first payment on April 25, 2008 by the Transport Department with a cheque for K599,400 under the Transport Sector Rehabilitation Infrastructure BSP Trust account number...

Ongoing conflict has cost lives, property

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, June 10, 2010) – Two warring tribes in the hinterlands of Burum Kuat local level government (LLG) area in Finschhafen, Morobe Province have finally rested for peace.

The Nawong and Hamoronong tribes came together last Friday to quell their long standing tribal fight which had claimed three lives and destruction of properties worth thousands of kina.

Burum Kuat LLG president Dicks Iwong said the tribal fight between the two groups came to a peaceful reconciliation last Friday in the presence of Morobe Governor Luther Wenge and the district administration. The fight erupted when a Hamoronong man who was allegedly under the influence of marijuana killed his wife from Nawong last month.

Mr Iwong said when the brother of the victim heard that his sister was killed, he destroyed the man’s property and stabbed him to death.

Then there was retaliation by the...