West Papua’s road to ‘independence’, following the Timorese lead?
The groundswell of regional support continues to grow in the Pacific – and also globally – for West Papuan self-determination. The latest repression only adds to this momentum.
Author: Dr. David Robie
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Remembering environmental campaigner Steve Sawyer, 1956-2019
Peter Willcox: I’m sure Steve Sawyer was the one who convinced Greenpeace to put sails on the first Rainbow Warrior. I am not sure how he did it. But we built the masts, got the sails, cut the bridge wings off, made a bowsprit, did a lot of work in the engine room all for around $US120,000. This was in the days when we did 90 percent of the work ourselves …
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‘Pacific Media Watch – the Genesis’, a new freedom, ethics and plurality doco
Sri Krishnamurthi: “The catalyst for Pacific Media Watch was the jailing of the “Tongan Three” – founding editor of Taimi ‘o Tonga Kalafi Moala, his deputy Filokalafi Akau’ola, and pro-democracy MP ‘Akilisi Pohiva, now Prime Minister of Tonga – for contempt of Parliament in 1996.”
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Global smart tech, ethics and cyber humanism
“Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in [Aldous] Huxley’s vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to ignore the technologies that undo their capacity to think.”
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ABC raid over Afghan Files atrocities allegations ‘chilling’ for freedom of press
An Australian police raid on public broadcaster ABC this week risks having a chilling effect on freedom of the press, its editorial director says. Pacific Media Watch reports the raid related to a series of 2017 stories known as The Afghan Files about alleged misconduct by Australian troops in Afghanistan.
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Pacific media freedom and news ‘black holes’ worsen for World Press Freedom Day
While Pacific countries have got off rather lightly in a major global media freedom report last month with most named countries apparently “improving”, the reality on World Press Freedom Day is that politicians are becoming more intolerant and belligerent towards news media and information “black holes” are growing.
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‘Leave it up to Parliament,’ says USP academic in wake of Honiara riots
A Solomon Islands academic says the only body that can find a legitimate solution to his country’s current crisis is the National Parliament, reports Rosalie Nongebatu in the wake of this week’s riots in Honiara.
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Indonesia’s political system has ‘failed minorities’ – like West Papuans
“Violence on post-Suharto Indonesia, from Aceh to West Papua, from Kalimantan to the Moluccas, is evidence that Java-centric nationalism is unable to distribute power fairly in an imagined Indonesia. It has created unnecessary paranoia and racism among Indonesian migrants in West Papua.” – Andreas Harsono
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Cuba boosting ‘Pacific connection’ in defiance of US blockade
On a tour of New Zealand, Leima Martinez Freire, Asia Pacific director of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) says Cuba is in a position to offer support to Pacific nations, reports Michael Andrew.
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Gallery: Prayers and hijabs for peace at Ponsonby
The Pacific Media Centre has featured the Christchurch mosque terror attacks and the fallout in a series of articles, image galleries, videos and podcasts.