Vanuatu denies supporting GAM<\/p>\n
PORT VILA: Vanuatu's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime
\nMinister Serge Vohor denied on Friday reports that his government
\nhas allowed proindependence rebels from the Indonesian province
\nof Aceh to establish an office in the small South Pacific nation.<\/p>\n
Indonesian officials were angered on Wednesday by a claim by
\nrepresentatives from the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) that
\nthey had opened an office in Vanuatu.<\/p>\n
But Vohor dismissed the claim.<\/p>\n
\"I can confirm that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not
\nreceived any official request to establish an office in Vanuatu,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
\"Even if one were submitted, it would have to go before the
\nCouncil of Ministers for discussion before any decision was made.
\nThe statement from GAM is inaccurate,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Exiled GAM leader Malik Mahmood, in a statement from Sweden
\nthis week, said his \"government\" and Vanuatu had officially
\nestablished diplomatic relations on Aug. 17, which is also
\nIndonesia's Independence Day.<\/p>\n
Mahmood claimed that in a ceremony attended by Vanuatu's
\nDeputy PM Serge Vohor last Sunday, \"the joint Chanceries of the
\nEmbassies of Aceh, Papua and Maluku\" were officially established.<\/p>\n
While Vanuatu allowed the West Papuans to establish a
\n\"people's representative office\" here in February this year, it
\nhas not officially granted any similar facility to the Acehnese
\nor Maluku separatist movements. -- AFP<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/vanuatu-denies-supporting-gam-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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