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PNG PM distances himself from ‘media ban’
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PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says the ban is over and only applied when Australian Government officials were inspecting. Image: Henry Yamo/PMC
Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Henry Yamo on Rarotonga
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O’Neill today said there was no restriction on foreign journalists entering the country and they were free to travel there anytime.
Contradicting recent reports that a ban had been placed on foreign media by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Rimbink Pato, he said there was no ban in place and journalists were free to go to the country.
He said: “Restrictions only applied during the period when the asylum detention centre facilities were being inspected and assessed by members of the Australian government. We did not want any media interference during this process.”
Inconsistent messages
However, this contrasts with the PNG Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister’s comments released today that the ban was in place.
“As the Minister responsible, I have instructed all the PNG Heads of Overseas Missions, that all foreign media personnel are not to be granted visas to travel to Manus to cover the issue,” Mr Pato said.
O’Neill said the asylum detention centre in Manus Province of PNG will be one of the agendas that will be discussed with Australian leaders during the 43rd Pacific Island Leaders Forum.
PNG Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill said there were understandings with PNG and Australia already in place, as per the agreements signed between the two countries 2003, 2005, and lately in 2011.
Mr O’Neill said: “As a government we are familiar with the issue of the asylum seekers’ centre, and as a partner to the agreements, we as a Government have an obligation to help the Australian Government establish the processing centre in Manus Province.”
He said he has held talks with his Australian counterpart on the issue and would like to see it developed into a regional processing centre that can cater not only for asylum seekers, but for other illegal immigrants who came through what he termed as “back doors” of many of the Pacific Island countries where there is visible lack of surveillance and proper structures to deal with the issue of illegal immigrants.
Regional concern
Prime Minister O’Neill said PNG is looking forward to working with the Australian Government to address this issue which is also a regional concern and hopes that the centre eventually becomes a regional processing point.
With regards to the upkeep of the facilities he said it was a matter for the Australian Government because the agreements stated clearly that the Australian government will be responsible for the infrastructure and its maintenance.
He said the Government was also talking to the Manus provincial government who are very keen on participating and were willing to accommodate the asylum seekers there.
Henry Yamo is a postgraduate communication studies student at AUT University reporting with the Cook Islands News team.
This item is republished courtesy of Pacific.Scoop.co.nz.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in this media release item do not necessarily represent the views of 36th Parallel Assessments.
