Momis wants to re-open Panguna mine

BUKA, (PNG LOOP) – If Bougainville’s caretaker president John Momis is re-elected in next month’s elections his government will immediately begin discussions on re-opening the Panguna mine. The huge mine was the catalyst for the civil war that engulfed the Papua New Guinea autonomous region for much of the 1990s. Momis says a resumption of…

MSG urged to accept West Papua

West Papua must be given full membership at the Melanesian Spearhead Group, says the Pacific Freedom Forum. “The people of West Papua have long been denied basic human rights by their own government,” says PFF Chair Titi Gabi. “They are therefore justified in seeking support and assistance for those rights from outside their own borders.”…

Japan pledges US$600k for cyclone victims

Tokyo, Japan – The Government of Japan has pledged US$600,000 to UNICEF to assist children and families affected by Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. The Pacific Island Countries affected by Cyclone Pam need immediate assistance for children and their families. UNICEF is delivering support from Japan in the areas of…