Bougainville News 5/9/97 id UAA32491; Thu, 11 Sep 1997 20:40:56 -0400 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit sender "Vikki John" The National Newspaper, Papua New Guinea 5/9/97 Clarify aid confusion, PM urged PORT MORESBY: Opposition leader Bernard Narokobi has urged Prime Minister Bill Skate to immediately direct his officers to seek a clarification on the confusion over the additional A$100 million aid package for Bougainville announced by Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. Mr Narokobi said the Prime Minister needed to know if the A$100 million would be from the annual A$300 million aid or an additional grant. He said the confusion illustrates Mr Skate's failure to converse effectively at a diplomatic level. Mr Skate has said the new aid was in addition to the annual package provided by Australia, while Mr Downer has indicated that the Bougainville aid would come from the current allocation. Mr Narokobi said Mr Skate had placed his government in an embarrassing situation by publicly acknowledging the confusion. He said the Prime Minister should immediately send his officers to talk to the Australian Government to get a clarification. ================== AUSTRALIA SAYS IT WANTS NEW DEFENCE PARTNERSHIP WITH PNG. Thursday 4 September, 1997 (12:48pm AEST) Australia says it wants a new defence partnership with Papua New Guinea. Graeme Dobell reports that the Defence Minister, Ian McLachlan, told Radio Australia he wants an early meeting with the new P-N-G Defence Minister, Mao Zeming: Mr McLachlan says that in the wake of the Sandline mercenary affair there's an opportunity to develop a new defence partnership with Papua New Guinea, which will meet the needs of both countries. He says Australia remains strongly committed to helping the P-N-G Government develop a disciplined defence force. And Mr McLachlan says he's looking forward to starting dialogue with the new P-N-G Government. But while Mr McLachlan says he wants an early meeting with his P-N-G counterpart, his office says it's not easy aligning the schedules of the two Ministers. The P-N-G Broadcasting Commission says Mr Zeming has rejected dates proposed by Australia and has blamed Australia for the problems faced by his defence force. P-N-G PUTS ONE OF TWO SANDLINE INQUIRIES ON HOLD Thursday 4 September, 1997 (4:54pm AEST) Papua New Guinea has decided to put on hold one of two inquiries into the Sandline mercenary affair. As Peter Hughes reports, a Defence Board of inquiry may be resumed at a later date THE DEFENCE FORCE HAD ADVERTISED IN BRITAIN AND AUSTRALIA FOR PEOPLE WITH PERTINENT INFORMATION TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE INVESTIGATION, UNDER A DEFENCE FORCES JUDGE. BUT THERE WAS CONCERN THE INQUIRY MAY BECOME CONFUSED WITH A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ALSO UNDERWAY IF THE TWO RAN CONCURRENTLY. SO THE DEFENCE FORCE INQUIRY INTO THE BEHAVIOUR OF PERSONNEL DURING THE SANDLINE AFFAIR HAS BEEN SET ASIDE FOR THE MOMENT. MEANWHILE, CROWN LAW OFFICERS ARE REVIEWING THE TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY AFTER SUBMISSIONS MADE AT HEARINGS LAST MONTH. IT'S DUE TO RESUME ON SEPTEMBER THE 22ND, BUT MAY ALSO BE DELAYED IF THE TERMS ARE AMENDED. PETER HUGHES PORT MORESBY. ============== For further information, please contact: Bougainville Freedom Movement PO Box 134, Erskineville. NSW. 2043 Australia Tel: +(61-2) 9558.2730 ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytpac-09.11.97-20:40:52-14979