Pacific news in brief for 1 December

Papua New Guinea/West Papua

Prime Minister James Marape says his government will not remain silent on human rights concerns affecting Melanesians, including the people of West Papua.

Marape said concerns over alleged human rights abuses in West Papua have been communicated in multiple meetings over the years.

He said PNG respects the full sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia, but if atrocities happen in West Papua, PNG has every right to speak.

Marape said Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto had assured him that human rights concerns "should be looked at".

Samoa/American Samoa

The border between Samoa and American Samoa is under the microscope as drug shipments appear to increase.

Talamua reported Samoa Customs officials intercepted about a kilogram of methamphetamine valued at around 100,000 tālā (US$35,656).

The government said it was concealed in a can of milk powder.

Two people have been referred to police.

It comes after a staffer of the customs minister was arrested in connection to 1.4 kilograms of meth intercepted at the American Samoa border.

Nauru

Several high profile people in Nauru have been accused of corruption and money laundering, including the president.

The Guardian reported a previously unreleased report by Australia's financial intelligence agency, Austrac, alleges suspicious transfers of millions of dollars reported by financial institutions in 2020.

Sections of this report were read in the Senate by Greens senator David Shoebridge.

It names former president of Nauru, Lionel Aingimea, his wife and brother, and then-member of parliament David Adeang as being linked to the reported suspicious activity.

Adeang's office, the Nauruan government and the Nauruan embassy in Canberra did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Guardian.

A spokesperson for the home affairs minister said: "The government takes advice from our security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies, not from the Greens political party."

Pacific

New Zealand and Australia have announced more money for the Pacific's PACER Plus program.

New Zealand's Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Nicola Grigg says they have committed NZ$10 million (US$5.7 million) over the next five years.

The money is to support PACER Plus countries to boost their export capability, grow and diversify trade in goods and services, attract investment, and increase the benefits of labour mobility.

Tonga

Tonga's Ministry of Revenue & Customs will ban the import of passenger vehicles 10 years old or more, from next February.

Those who ignore it would be liable for a fine up to 100,000 Tongan pa'anga (US $41,758) or up to ten years' imprisonment, or both.

Talanoa Tonga reported the Ministry has urged shipping agents and freight forwarders to decline shipments of such vehicles at the port of loading.

The ban comes into force on 21 February, 2026.

Fiji

Fiji's trade deficit has widened by 9.3 percent as imports rise twice as fast as exports.

The Reserve Bank of Fiji's quarterly update for September said there is less demand for Fijian goods while almost all imports have shot up.

The deficit for the quarter has been offset slightly by an increase in money from tourism and remittances.

Tourism earnings grew 2.3 percent, supported by higher daily visitor spending.