Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PORTMORESBY479
2006-11-30 08:11:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Port Moresby
Cable title:  

PAPUA NEW GUINEA PRIME MINISTER ON MOTI AND BILATERAL

Tags:  PREL PGOV PP 
pdf how-to read a cable
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DE RUEHPB #0479/01 3340811
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 300811Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4698
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0950
RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA 0166
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0212
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 2152
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT MORESBY 000479 

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STATE FOR EAP/ANP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PP
SUBJECT: PAPUA NEW GUINEA PRIME MINISTER ON MOTI AND BILATERAL
ISSUES

CLASSIFIED BY: Leslie Rowe, Ambassador, AMB, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT MORESBY 000479

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SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/ANP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PP
SUBJECT: PAPUA NEW GUINEA PRIME MINISTER ON MOTI AND BILATERAL
ISSUES

CLASSIFIED BY: Leslie Rowe, Ambassador, AMB, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (U) SUMMARY: Ambassador made her introductory office call
on Prime Minister (PM) Sir Michael Somare on November 27.
Somare said that he has instructed Foreign Minister Paul
Tiensten to meet with Australia Foreign Minister Downer next
week to resolve the current stalemate over the Moti affair. The
discussion also focused on the December 3 FPOTUS Clinton visit,
HIV/AIDS issues and the 2007 national election. Somare is
interested in enhancing bilateral relations and requested
Millennium Challenge Account consideration as well as the return
of Peace Corps and Fulbright programs. Also present in the
meeting were Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Secretary Gabriel
Pepson, PNG Ambassador to the U.S. Evan Paki, and PM Chief of
Staff Leonard Louma. End Summary.


2. (C) MOTI AFFAIR: Ambassador and PM Somare discussed the
impact of the Moti Affair on PNG-Australia relations. Somare
stated that the PNG government 'knows who the culprits are,' and
confirmed that there will be no further investigations. Somare
stated that the Australian Federal Police (AFP) breached PNG
rules by going directly to PNG police to request the arrest and
extradition of Moti, bypassing the MFA and PM offices. (Julian
Moti, an Australian citizen and attorney general-designate in
the Solomon Islands, is wanted by Australia on sex offense
charges). The Prime Minister also asserted that existing
extradition laws did not apply to Moti because he was
apprehended illegally in 'no man's land' (the airport transit
area). Somare stated that Moti was arrested without a warrant
and that Australian extradition documents were not properly
authenticated. Somare said of Australian actions, 'I can't put
up with this type of nonsense. If I'm wrong on questions of
law, I admit it. I was not wrong.'


3. (C) In response to Ambassador's question as to
circumstances of Moti's departure from PNG, the Prime Minister
stated that his office had not ordered or authorized Moti's
flight to the Solomon Islands via a PNG military aircraft.
Regarding suspensions of PNG officials, Somare stated 'We have

done our part. We are allowing the courts to deal with the
matter.' Somare stated that he has instructed Foreign Minister
Tiensten to meet with Australian Foreign Minister Downer the
week of December 4 during Pacific Islands Forum meetings in
Sydney. Somare added that it was time to move ahead in
resolving the stalemate in PNG-Austalia relations. Australia
canceled the bilateral ministerial meeting scheduled for
November over the Moti issue. However the mining and petroleum
meetings scheduled for Sydney in December will go ahead as
planned, and PNG officials will be in attendance.


4. (C) COMMENT: Despite the Prime Minister's posturing, he
appears to want to put PNG relations with Australia back on
track. He has astutely tasked newly appointed FM Tiensten (who
has been trained in Australia) to patch up the relationship.
Whether the recent suspensions of three high-level PNG officials
connected to the Moti investigation is sufficient to pacify the
government of Australia remains to be seen. Two of those
officials (PM Chief Secretary Joshua Kalinoe and Acting Police
Chief Tom Kulunga) are challenging those suspensions in court.
END COMMENT


5. (C) FPOTUS CLINTON VISIT: Somare expressed pride in the
fact that former President Clinton is visiting PNG on December 3
and that the Clinton Foundation has opened an office in Port
Moresby. Somare highlighted new HIV/AIDS awareness programs in
PNG and the importance of traditional leadership at the village
level in encouraging voluntary counseling and testing. He said
that traditional authority structures are, however, breaking
down and that stigma attached to people who are HIV positive is
a growing problem.


6. (C) 2007 PNG NATIONALS ELECTIONS: The press has reported
that Somare plans another bid as prime minister. He did not
comment on his reported plans for seeking another term but
expounded at length on his support of the idea of a two-term
limit.


7. (C) US-PNG RELATIONS: Ambassador presented the Prime
Minister with a photograph of him with President Bush, taken at
the UN General Assembly meeting. Ambassador also discussed the
Pacific Island Forum October meeting and noted Assistant
Secretary Hill's interest in increasing engagement with Pacific

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states. Somare commented positively on the contributions the
Fulbright and Peace Corps program have made in PNG and requested
that they be re-introduced. He also shared personal stories

PORT MORES 00000479 002 OF 002


about several visiting scholars and Peace Corps volunteers
(PCV),and informed Ambassador that he had named his son after a
PCV who had taught law at the University of Papua New Guinea.
Chief Secretary Pepson and Ambassador Paki asked about the
status of the Millennium Challenge program. Ambassador stated
that very few new countries qualified for the program this year,
but that if MCA indicators improve for PNG it will be more
competitive in the future.


8. (C) COMMENT: The Prime Minister was very relaxed and the
meeting lasted a full hour. He clearly has very positive views
of the United States and seeks to increase U.S. engagement with
Papua New Guinea. The country's leaders (especially Somare)
play a strong political role among Pacific Island nations. In
comparison with many of its island neighbors, Papua New Guinea
is a stable democracy with a burgeoning population of 6 million
(representing 73% of the population in the Pacific Islands). It
has 55% of the GDP of the island nations, an epidemic HIV/AIDS
rate and serious internal and regional security concerns. After
Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Papua New Guinea
has the richest bio-diversity in the world, which is threatened
by logging and mining interests. Embassy is currently reviewing
possible activities to enhance relations and U.S. interests in
this important Pacific nation. END COMMENT.
ROWE