PNGBLOGS

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill says his cabinet has approved an asylum seeker detention centre on Manus Island. Mr O'Neill told reporters in Port Moresby on Thursday a timeframe on the re-establishment of the centre was "entirely up to the Australian government", which would manage the centre. "The Papua New Guinea government has now approved that arrangement and we have invited officials from Australia to immediately set this facility up so that we can battle this ongoing regional issue," he said. "We also have similar problems in Papua New Guinea but it is not on the scale that is confronting our neighbour. But as a responsible government, we see that is a regional issue." He expects Australian officials to arrive in PNG at some point next week. While the Australian government would meet the cost of running the centre, PNG officials will assist and work closely with Australian officials ... "so that we can also build our own c

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill says his cabinet has approved an asylum seeker detention centre on Manus Island. Mr O'Neill told reporters in Port Moresby on Thursday a timeframe on the re-establishment of the centre was "entirely up to the Australian government", which would manage the centre. "The Papua New Guinea government has now approved that arrangement and we have invited officials from Australia to immediately set this facility up so that we can battle this ongoing regional issue," he said. "We also have similar problems in Papua New Guinea but it is not on the scale that is confronting our neighbour. But as a responsible government, we see that is a regional issue." He expects Australian officials to arrive in PNG at some point next week. While the Australian government would meet the cost of running the centre, PNG officials will assist and work closely with Australian officials ... "so that we can also build our

A confidential report on Papuan separatists prepared by Indonesia's elite Kopassus military unit claimed armed groups stood ready for guerrilla war but had proof of just one weapon for every 10 men. The report "Anatomy of Papuan Separatists" was published by Australia's Fairfax newspapers Saturday, and claimed the people of the resource-rich eastern province were "easily influenced by separatist ideas". "Irrational demands for customary rights to land and limited transportation infrastructure (have) hampered economic growth," the report said. "Obedience and loyalty of Papuans towards their customary/religious leaders is very high, to the point that it has primacy over law and creates opportunities for horizontal conflict." Based on extensive surveillance operations in the special autonomous region, home to some 2.7 million people, the report contains dossiers on key figures in the Papuan independence movement, and lists its international

A confidential report on Papuan separatists prepared by Indonesia's elite Kopassus military unit claimed armed groups stood ready for guerrilla war but had proof of just one weapon for every 10 men. The report "Anatomy of Papuan Separatists" was published by Australia's Fairfax newspapers Saturday, and claimed the people of the resource-rich eastern province were "easily influenced by separatist ideas". "Irrational demands for customary rights to land and limited transportation infrastructure (have) hampered economic growth," the report said. "Obedience and loyalty of Papuans towards their customary/religious leaders is very high, to the point that it has primacy over law and creates opportunities for horizontal conflict." Based on extensive surveillance operations in the special autonomous region, home to some 2.7 million people, the report contains dossiers on key figures in the Papuan independence movement, and lists its internatio

I commend Peter O'Neill for setting up a commision of inquiry into the mismanagement at the Dept of National Planning. As a illiterate landowner from the SHP, may I ask him to do the same at MRDC.  MRDC is an entity that manages the PNG Oil and Gas Landowners equity and royalty benefits and Future Generations Funds. Under Mr. Mano's management, the landowners from Gobe, Kutubu, Moran and Ok Tedi have lost hundreds of millions of kina.  The board of directors of MRDC's subsidiaries such as Petroleum Resources Kutubu, Petroleum Resources Gobe, Petroleum Resources Moran, MRSM, MROT etc are semi educated people, especially the landowner Chairmen and directors.  In the name of investing for the landowners, Mr. Mano and his team have stolen tens of millions of kina investing in questionable business deals that brings no revenue for the landowners: May I call upon the current goverment to investigate the follwoing investments by MRDC for the landowners: 1. Purchase of Heavy Lift

I commend Peter O'Neill for setting up a commision of inquiry into the mismanagement at the Dept of National Planning. As a illiterate landowner from the SHP, may I ask him to do the same at MRDC.  MRDC is an entity that manages the PNG Oil and Gas Landowners equity and royalty benefits and Future Generations Funds. Under Mr. Mano's management, the landowners from Gobe, Kutubu, Moran and Ok Tedi have lost hundreds of millions of kina.  The board of directors of MRDC's subsidiaries such as Petroleum Resources Kutubu, Petroleum Resources Gobe, Petroleum Resources Moran, MRSM, MROT etc are semi educated people, especially the landowner Chairmen and directors.  In the name of investing for the landowners, Mr. Mano and his team have stolen tens of millions of kina investing in questionable business deals that brings no revenue for the landowners: May I call upon the current goverment to investigate the follwoing investments by MRDC for the landowners: 1. Purchase of Heavy L

The son of former Papua New Guinea prime minister Sir Michael Somare has warned the government of Peter O'Neill against making any major decisions ahead of an expected Supreme Court challenge over its legitimacy. Former state enterprises minister Arthur Somare said ministers and public servants should refrain from major decisions until the constitutionality of Mr O'Neill's government had been decided by the nation's Supreme Court. "The interim regime in Waigani (the capital district) and public servants need to act with due care and in recognition of the serious constitutional challenge now before the Supreme Court regarding the way forward for this nation," Mr Somare said in a statement on Friday. Officials from East Sepik, Sir Michael's home turf, recently filed the Supreme Court reference alleging no grounds had existed for parliament to declare the prime ministership of Sir Michael vacant when MPs voted to oust acting prime minister Sam Abal on August