West Papua

But after 14 years in Australia, Flassy’s mission to inform is ongoing in the Far North, after the refugee headed a troupe of activists campaigning for the freedom of the besieged nation alongside Cairns MP Rob Pyne.

West Papua has experienced an often violent separatist conflict since being incorporated into Indonesia after a UN-backed referendum in 1969. 

Flassy said he was concerned for the welfare of relatives still in West Papua. 

He said his cousin was incarcerated yesterday as part of the anniversary for Dutch New Guinea’s integration into Indonesia. 

The demonstrations were held to express support for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, which is vying for full membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Monday's protests came as West Papuans marked the anniversary of transferral of administration in the former Dutch New Guinea to Indonesia in 1963.

The independent West Papuan newspaper, Tabloid Jubi, reports that overall 1692 people were arrested.

Jubi reports that a researcher from Bern University in Switzerland was interrogated by police too.

The Vanuatu Daily Post reports that a date is yet to be confirmed, although provisional dates are from May 30 to June 3, depending on the availability and commitments of the Leaders.

The MSG summit had been expected to formalise the appointment of a new director-general for the sub-regional grouping's Port Vila-based secretariat.

However two MSG members, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, have objected to the anouncement by the MSG chair, Solomon Islands prime minister Manasseh Sogavare, that the Fiji diplomat Amena Yauvoli had been selected for the role.

The two-week conference brought positive response to issues affecting PNG and its neighbours.

The 22 bishops of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, after a recent visit to Jayapura, have sworn to make a stand on the independence of the refugees of West Papua in Indonesia.

They were met by other West Papuan bishops and discussed issues of cooperation between each diocese in PNG as well Solomon Islands and West Papua. They will be writing a statement to address the issue of refugees and West Papua’s call for independence.

Indonesia's Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said he would propose assigning a Foreign Ministry official to engage with Pacific neighbours and advance Indonesia's commitment to resolving complicated issues surrounding Papua.

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 last month.

It has not yet been publicly released, nor comment sought from Indonesian authorities.

At a meeting in New Caledonia the FLNKS spokesman, Victor Tutugoro, said the issue of West Papua must be pursued with vigour by the MSG.

The chair of the MSG, Solomons' prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, said the issue of West Papua is dear to the hearts of Solomon Islanders.

He says the significance of this is manifested in the Solomons' appointment of a special envoy on West Papua last year.

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West Papua has seen a low-level separatist war since Jakarta took over the former Dutch colony in the 1960s.

Solomon Islands prime minister Manasseh Sogavare made the proposal in Honiara this week to a ULMWP delegation led by their secretary general Octo Mote.

The memberships of both Indonesia and the ULMWP were the highlight of last year's MSG summit in Solomon Islands with the former securing associate membership and the latter observer status in the sub-regional Melanesian body.

Deputy Chief Migration Officer Esther Gaegaming says upon instructions from the Government a team from Migration visited the East Arwin camp in Western Province and registered more than 2,700 West Papuans.

She says most West Papuans are free from the work permit requirements and will not be paying the K10,000 fee for a citizenship application.

Gaegaming says a program to register all West Papuan refugees will be rolled out next year.

The Migration team will visit provinces like West Sepik, Madang and places where refugees settled over time.