Immunity for Aussie Police in Papua New Guinea?
Australia has proposed an $800 million dollar aid package to Papua New Guinea, but there are strings attached. Australia has requested that the Police force included in the package be given immunity from Papua New Guinean law, a request that the Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, has refused. Australia’s Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer met his Papua New Guinean counterpart, Sir Rabbie Namaliu for talks yesterday and while so far neither party seems to be budging, there is talk of an alternative solution. Cinnamon Nippard spoke to Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Minister, Sir Rabbie Namaliu, and Ronald May, Senior Fellow in the Department of Political and Social Change, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at the Australian National University.