From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Date: 07 Sep 92 12:33 PDT
Subject: PAPUA NEW GUINEA: PORT MORESBY ON T
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700421:000:4855
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Sep  7 12:33:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: PAPUA NEW GUINEA: PORT MORESBY ON T

/* Written 12:06 am  Sep  3, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: PAPUA NEW GUINEA: PORT MORESBY ON THE U.N. CARPET OVER BOUGAINVILLE


sydney, aug 31 (ips/kalinga seneviratne) -- the united nations sub-
commission on the prevention of discrimination and protection of
minorities has unanimously adopted a resolution calling for the
immediate return of freedom of movement to all inhabitants of the
south pacific island of bougainville.

it has also placed the issue of the peace treaty process between
the papua new guinea government and the bougainville independence
movement under review by its special rapporteur on treaties.

the resolution calls for the ''papua new guinea government to
restore without delay the freedom of movement to the inhabitants of
bougainville in the interest of protecting and promoting human
rights and fundamental freedoms''.

located 800 km north of the papua new guinea mainland,
bougainville has been held under total blockade by port moresby
troops since may 1990. the central government cut off the island
from all outside communication, food, medical supplies and essential
services.

the copper-rich island has been fighting for independence from
papua new guinea since 1987.

starting from protests over the environmental havoc wrought by
the mining industry, the civil sthfe neaked in 1989, when the
separatist group bougainville revolutionary army (bra) succeeding in
shutting down the australian-owned panguna copper mine, which is
also the world's biggest.

last year, a detailed report on military atrocities was presented
to the u.n. sub-commission on prevention of discrimination and
protection of minorities in geneva. according to the report, the
papua new guinea military destroyed homes and villages and carried
out summary executions of suspected rebels and bra supporters.

aid workers say up to 3,000 of bougainville's 160,000 population
have been killed since bra launched its independence movement five
years ago.

moses havini, the bougainville interim government representative
in australia, said the resolution of the u.n. body on aug. 27 was
''a major victory for us''. he said they have been trying for over a
year to get the world organisation to listen to their case.

''they told us last to leave it for awhile and to negotiate with
the papua new guinea government,'' havini added. ''we tried to talk,
and even trued to bring it up at the recent south pacific forum
(spf) and the melanesian spearhead group meetings but didn't get
anywhere.'' (more/ips)



papua new guinea: port (2)

two weeks ago, the u.n. committee on the elimination of all forms
of racial discrimination (uncerd) requested port moresby to provide
with a full report regarding the allegations of human rights
violations in bougainville.

papua new guinea has not submitted any report to uncerd since
1983. it was invited to have its representatives attend the recent
meeting of the u.n. committee in geneva, but the port moresby
government declined.

the resolution by the sub-commission and uncerd is the first
time papua new guinea has been called on the carpet by any u.n.
human rights body since it became a member of the world organisation
in 1976.

papua new guinea has yet to respond to the resolution. said
havini: ''having passed the u.n. body, (the issue) is no longer an
internal matter. this is what we've been saying for so long. now the
papua new guinea government will have to negotiate properly and they
will have to implement what the (sub-commission) has asked for.''

earlier, newly-elected papua new guinea prime minister paias
wingti had appointed a special minister of state for bougainville,
hoping to come up to a political solution to the crisis.

just a few weeks ago, bougainville caught international attention
when bra officials accused port moresby of using australian-supplied
helicopters in the strafing of bougainville villages. bra demanded
that canberra withdraw the aircraft from papua new guinea.

ironically, the u.n. sub-commission resolution came about as
australian foreign minister gareth evans announced the donation of
another 'iroquois' helicopter to the papua new guinea defence force.
earlier, evans said he had asked port moresby for written guarantees
that the new helicopter will not be used in the conflict.

under a defence cooperation agreement, australia gives papua new
guinea almost 40 million dollars a year for military equipment and
training. the arrangement includes secret counter-insurgency
training by the australian secret intelligence service and the
special air service regiment. (end/ips/ks/cb/92)