Pacific

PNG Bishop condemns government treatment of fleeing Papuans

08:30 am on 7 March 2003

Cesare Bonivento, the Catholic Bishop of Vanimo in Papua New Guinea, has written an open letter to the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, condemning the Government's plan to repatriate 96 Papuan families to Indonesia.

The Papuans have been in Vanimo and cared for by the church since December 2000, after violence erupted in the town of Wamena.

But the Govenrment has announced plans to repatriate the Papuans by March 13th.

Bishop Bonivento says he has spoken with the Papuans this week and not one of them is willing to go back.

He says they came to PNG because they feared for their lives and they still do.

And the Bishop says the PNG Government has a duty to protect such people.