Nauru excludes Irianese from SPF<\/p>\n
SYDNEY, Australia (DPA): Nauru, host nation for this year's
\nPacific Islands Forum gathering, on Wednesday threatened the
\nsolidarity of the 16-nation grouping by declaring it would refuse
\nvisas to independence-movement activists from Indonesian-ruled
\nIrian Jaya who want to attend.<\/p>\n
Representatives from the ethnically Melanesian Indonesian
\nprovince, also known as West Papua, attended last year's meeting
\nin the Cook Islands to press their claims.<\/p>\n
Nauruan President Rene Harris said in a statement that \"there
\nare clear and bitter divisions between the West Papuans and this
\nhas the potential to spill out into the forum.\"<\/p>\n
In the Cook Islands, the Irianese managed to parlay sympathy
\nfor their cause into a supportive resolution.<\/p>\n
At the Nauru meeting Indonesia is for the first time to join
\nAustralia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and other members as a
\n\"dialog partner\".<\/p>\n
Harris has also censured Australian Prime Minister John Howard
\nfor snubbing the Nauru meet.<\/p>\n
Howard is again opting to miss the annual meeting, leaving New
\nZealand Prime Minister Helen Clark the only rich country
\nrepresentative when the forum convenes next week.<\/p>\n
Harris regretted the fact that Howard will have missed three
\nof the six leaders' meetings since he took office.<\/p>\n
\"There are a number of issues that the smaller island states
\nwished to discuss with Prime Minister Howard,\" Harris said.<\/p>\n
Chief among those issues was Australia's refusal to join other
\ncountries in tackling the issue of global warming through the
\nKyoto Protocol process.<\/p>\n
Said Harris, \"While this is an issue that may be directed in
\nindustrial states by the strong industrial lobby, it's an issue
\nthat will destroy many island nations who are threatened by
\nrising sea levels\".<\/p>\n
Australia will be represented at the Aug. 16 Nauru gathering
\nby Defense Minister Peter Reith.<\/p>\n
In the Cook Islands, Howard upset his counterparts by
\ndemanding the adoption of Australia's position in opposing
\nlegally binding greenhouse gas emission targets.<\/p>\n
The island states had pleaded with him to relent on climate
\nchange issues due to the particular dangers of rising sea levels
\nto South Pacific nations.<\/p>\n
But Howard was unapologetic about using Australia's veto,
\nsaying he \"could not accept mandatory targets, particularly
\nmandatory uniform targets that were legally binding\".<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nauru-excludes-irianese-from-spf-1447893297",
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