Onews,-- A PAPUA New Guinea Government minister, speaking as a private citizen, has said it is time PNG made a bold stand for the independence struggle of the mostly Melanesian indigenous of the Indonesian province of West Papua, PACNEWS reports.

Health minister Michael Malabag posted on social media site, Sharp Talk, Monday that "sooner or later PNG has to ... bring it before the United Nations Assembly”.

"Enough is enough,” Malabag wrote, stating that he was making his comments in a private capacity.

Malabag said: "The West Papua issue bugs me all the time.

"PNG has a number of advocates including Governor (Powes) Parkop.

"Indonesia is the biggest Muslim nation in the world and I can understand PNG diplomacy where it matters most but does it have to be like this all the time.

"Indonesia has encroached our homeland both in Western and West Sepik and that is a reality.

"I am a government minister but I ... Read more »

The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to approve the first-ever treaty to regulate the enormous global trade in conventional weapons, for the first time linking such sales to the human-rights records of the buyers.

The vote on the Arms Trade Treaty came after an attempt to achieve a consensus on the treaty among all 193 member states of the United Nations failed last week, with Iran, Syria and North Korea blocking it. Those three countries, often ostracized as pariahs, contended the treaty was full of deficiencies and had been structured to be unfair to them.

The treaty would require states exporting conventional weapons to develop criteria that would link exports to avoiding human rights abuses, terrorism and organized crime. It would also ban shipments if they were deemed harmful to women and children. Countries that join the treaty would have to report publicly on sales every year, exposing the process to levels of tra ... Read more »

Onews BlackBerry Tecnologi,-- BBM Money issued by PermataBank allows BlackBerry users with access to any Indonesian bank account to load BBM Money account and then instantly send money to their BBM Contacts, top up at full value mobile prepaid numbers anytime and transfer to any bank account.

Features
1. Send to and receive money from your BBM Contacts (after upgrade)
2. Top up mobile prepaid numbers at full value (i.e. Rp 100.000 buys Rp 100.000 airtime, no additional charges)
3. Load BBM Money using any bank’s card at any ATM or mobile/internet banking
4. Transfer out to any Indonesian Bank Account (after upgrade)
5. Check your BBM Money account balance and recent transactions.
... Read more »

Onews,-- US-based Chevron, the leading crude oil producer in Indonesia, is set to spread its wings to the eastern part of the country after wrapping up a seismic survey of two exploration blocks in West Papua.

Chevron Indonesia vice president for policy, government and public affairs Yanto Sianipar said recently that the oil and gas contractor hoped to begin drilling at its West Papua I and West Papua II block following the survey’s completion.

"We aim to review the results of the survey as soon as possible before we decide when we will start drilling,” he said in Jakarta. "We surely hope we can have a presence in West Papua.”

The top executive was referring to the two exploration blocks in West Papua in which Chevron holds a 51 percent operating interest, according to the company’s official website.

The remaining participating interest is held by British giant BP plc, which currently operates the massive Tangg ... Read more »