PNG urges Indonesia to solve human rights issues

PAPUA New Guinea is encouraging Indonesia to resolve outstanding human rights issues and to ensure that human rights are respected in its Melanesian provinces, says Foreign Affairs Minister Rimbink Pato.
“We have seen the improving conditions in Indonesian Papua and West Papua provinces and we welcome the stated commitment of the president and his ministers to a development-led approach rather than a security-led approach,” he said.
Pato was speaking at a reception at Stanley Hotel in Port Moresby to celebrate Indonesia’s 73rd independence anniversary on Thursday night.
“Both Indonesia and PNG have worked hard to ensure that our friendship is firm and forever and we continue to work on it today. Building on the 1986 Treaty of Mutual Respect, Friendship and Cooperation, we have in recent years signed multiple memoranda of understanding to enhance our neighbourly relationship. That is especially the case in our border region.
“We believe that is through economic development on both sides of the border through working together in a spirit of cooperation and through respectful discussions we will advance the living conditions on both sides of the border.”
Pato said that the relations between PNG and Indonesia were the best they had been.
“Our governments’ officials, our local authority leaders, our business community and others are working hard to ensure that our relationship deepens even further. That will maintain the security and trust on which we will build continuing and improving prosperity.”