PACIFIC BRIEFS
Hostages taken to PNG
JAYAPURA, Indonesia (PIR) — West Papua separatist rebels have taken 18 hostages captured last week, including three South Koreans, across the border into Papua New Guinea.
A provincial police spokesperson downplayed media reports of threats by the kidnappers to kill all the captives if Indonesian security forces tried to release them.
“It certainly won’t happen. They are just looking for money,” he said.
The kidnappers want a million-dollar ransom, the pullout of an Indonesian police unit from the border area and a halt to logging by a Korean firm.
There has been no official comment yet from Port Moresby on the border crossing incident.
Aussie troops injured in Solomon shooting
HONIARA, Solomon Islands (PIR) — Four Australian Defense Force personnel have been injured in a shooting accident aboard the naval support vessel HMAS Tobruk.
The incident occurred when a pistol discharged accidentally during weapons practice.
The injured were treated at the scene for minor shrapnel wounds. All are in satisfactory condition.
The HMAS Tobruk has been in the Solomons since mid-December providing support to an international peace monitoring team.
Pacific forum probes human smuggling
SUVA, Fiji Islands (PIR) — The Pacific Islands Forum secretariat is developing a regional information network system to stop a trade in people smuggling through island nations.
Liaison officer Shawn Evans said full network details will be presented at a regional security meeting later in the year.
He said foreigners, using forged documents, are paying huge sums of money to go through a Pacific country in the hope of reaching Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada undetected.
Fiji already has detained five people this week who are suspected of using fake documents.
Samoa polls set for March
APIA, Samoa (PIR) — Samoa’s next general election had been scheduled for March 2.
All 47 Members of Parliament are seeking re-election.
However, some electoral districts have announced that they will not hold formal elections, having reached agreement in their constituencies to send current members back to Parliament. The practice is legal in Samoa.
