Call for massacre to be remembered, online abuse claims in Fiji, and Australian Greens urge backing for Vanuatu
Demand for massacre to be commemorated
A campaign group wants the Biak massacre in West Papua 24 years ago to be remembered at the forthcoming Pacific Islands Forum.
When the indigenous Papuans hoisted the Morning Star flag in Biak on July 6 1998, Indonesian soldiers - who had been monitoring the group for several days - moved in and killed dozens of people.
The Morning Star flag a symbol of the West Papuan Independence movement. Photo: RNZ PAcific/ Koroi Hawkins
The spokesperson for the Australia West Papua Association, Joe Collins, said the violence on West Papua is worsening and he wants next week's Pacific Islands Forum summit to ensure it is on the agenda.
"In the past Australia did everything to keep it off the agenda. I remember a report by one journalist saying that (then Australian Prime Minister) John Howard spent half his time going around trying to convince the other PIF leaders not to raise West Papua, to keep it off the agenda."
Activist reveals online abuse against LGBT+ community
A Fijian human rights activist said the majority of media reports or social media posts that involve Fiji's LGBT+ community draws on homophobic or transphobic comments.
Isikeli Vulavou, who is the chief Executive of the Pacific Sexual and Gender Diversity Network, recently facilitated workshops for Fijian journalists to increase their understanding of LGBT+ issues.
Vulavou said Fiji's media can help stop online vitriol against Fiji's queer community.
"Almost every stories picked up by the media and shown on the social media - even on the Fijian government platform it attracted a lot of transhopic, homophoic and biphobic comments. We did have a discussion on that and how can the media control that."
Greens senator calls for backing for Vanuatu on climate change
The deputy leader of the Australian Greens party and New South Wales senator, Mehreen Faruqi, is urging the Australian federal government to back Vanuatu's bid to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on climate change.
Vanuatu is one of the most climate-vulnerable nations in the world and has embarked on an ambitious campaign to take the human rights impacts of climate change to the world's highest court.
In a letter to prime minister Anthony Albanese, Dr Faruqi said Australia should take a leadership position in supporting its Pacific neighbour.
She said wealthy, colonial countries, including Australia, bear the overwhelming responsibility for causing the climate crisis.
Dr Faruqi said Australia's political and diplomatic support for Vanuatu's cause would be a gamechanger and prove to its Pacific neighbours it has listened to them and is genuinely committed to climate justice.
Kava farmer jailed for dope production
A 70-year-old kava farmer on Santo Island, Vanuatu's biggest Island, has been jailed for one year, six months for cultivating marijuana and producing marijuana juice for sale as medicine.
The Daily Post said police raided Ham Sitangtang's farm and confiscated 15 bags of marijuana.
The court reduced his 20-year sentence for his age, guilty plea and good behaviour.
China's medical donation to Vanuatu
China has donated three containers of medical supplies to Vanuatu.
Chinese charge d'affairs Jiang Pu said the containers include personal protective equipment and ventilators.
Jiang said the delivery is an outcome of the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last month.
Vanuatu went into lockdown from early March and lifted controls on June 16.
Jiang said the new medical supplies will further support Vanuatu's efforts to respond to Covid-19 as international tourists began returning last weekend.
Covid resurfaces in Wallis & Futuna
Wallis and Futuna have recorded two new cases of Covid-19, the first detected in the territory since April.
Local authorities have announced sanitary measures will be back in place such as wearing a mask on public transport.
Since June 23, the territories' borders have partially reopened with less self-isolation time.
Authorities are still planning to open the borders with no self-isolation measures next week July 11.
Relaxed testing in the Cooks
Testing for Covid is becoming more relaxed on travel around the Cook Islands.
Rapid antigen tests are no longer required for passengers traveling to Aitutaki and the Pa Enua from Rarotonga.
The Cook Islands air and sea borders are also now both fully open and flights are available via New Zealand with two-way quarantine free travel.
Meanwhile, commencement dates for direct flights from Sydney, Los Angeles and Papeete are yet to be announced.