14 Sep 2015

NZ doubtful that Indonesia will allow West Papua mission

8:04 am on 14 September 2015

The New Zealand Foreign Minister has expressed doubt that Indonesia will agree to a Pacific Forum fact-finding mission into West Papua.

Murray McCully

Murray McCully Photo: RNZ / Chris Bramwell

Murray McCully's comments come after the Forum Chair and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said Jakarta had been accommodating recently.

Mr McCully has met with the Indonesian vice-minister for foreign affairs and a fact-finding mission into human rights was brought up.

"Well I did raise that with the vice-minister that we would certainly hope that if the idea was put forward that they would respond to it positively, but I have to say that I didn't get a very reassuring response to that."