PACFICI BRIEFS

report alleges ‘slow motion genocide’

WEST PAPUA – Allegations of recent Indonesian military and police intimidation, beatings and torture, kidnapping and murder in West Papua, have been documented in a new report. The Catholic report says Muslims are being radicalised in the once predominantly Christian Papuan provinces, and very active militias are burning down Papuan houses. The report was compiled by the Brisbane Catholic Justice and Peace Commission’s Shadow Human Rights Fact Finding Mission to West Papua, following a visit in February. The report documents religious, social and economic discrimination, including the carving up of land for major developments, which benefit multinationals and exclude Papuans. It refers to a slow-motion genocide and states that the Indonesians want to replace the Christian religion with Islam. More than 200 community leaders in Jayapura, Merauke, Timika and Sorong were interviewed during the visit.

FOREIGN WORKERS NEEDED IN MARIANAs

NORTHERN MARIANAS – Business leaders in the Northern Marianas want to be able to recruit workers off-island as the Commonwealth anticipates a multi-billion dollar construction boom. Chair of CNMI’s Strategic Economic Development Council, Bob Jones, said they want to see construction workers from overseas given the H-visa for temporary employees. The foreign workers are needed for the construction of a huge casino complex to be built on Saipan as well as plans for new and renovated hotels and resorts on the island. Three new casino resorts are also planned for Tinian and there is talk about further development on Rota.

ISRAEL DONATES WATER TREATMENT TRUCK

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has donated a mobile water purification system to Papua New Guinea, parts of which are still struggling with drought. The Israel21c website reports that the system being donated is a mobile water-treatment, storage and distribution vehicle that connects to any possible water source and produces drinking water in less than 30 minutes. The GalMobile system is in line with standards of the World Health Organisation and can produce approximately 8000 cups of drinking water per hour. Last year, Israel sent a GalMobile to the Marshall Islands in the Pacific, where drinking water is also limited.

domestic violence mindset changing

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Papua New Guinea police deputy commissioner, Raphael Huafolo, says there is a gradual change in mindset in police attitudes to domestic violence. Haufolo said they have created units, or designated areas, where trained officers can respond to family and sexual violence cases and there are now 17 around the country. Huafolo said prior to the introduction of the units, many victims of sexual violence were dealt with at police station counters But he said there is an increasing awareness of family sexual violence, a gradual change in the mindset of police and this has led to an increase in the reporting of incidents by victims. Huafalo said the review analyses the policing services providing to survivors of family and sexual violence. He said it will map the way forward to better legal protection for people who use the units.

solomons eye aussie labour market

SOLOMON ISLANDS – The Solomon Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Milner Tozaka, says the country could earn millions from the Australian labour market. The two countries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that paves the way for greater cooperation on seasonal labour. Australia expanded the scheme earlier this year to include work in cattle, sheep and grain enterprises as well as horticulture. The minister said if the Solomon Islands could send up to a thousand people to work in Australia, their yearly remittances could be in the millions. Tozaka said this might mean being less dependent on Australian development aid.