American Samoan Congressman defends Papua stance

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Updated June 26, 2009 12:42:28

American Samoa's Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin denies he has performed a backflip over his support for the people of Indonesia's Papuan province.

Faleomavaega is the chair of the Asia and Pacific subcommittee of the US Congressional Foreign Relations Committee He has taken the lead in removing a provision in a bill which would have obligated the State Department to report back to Congress on human right abuses by Indonesia in the mainly Melanesian and Christian province. Faleomavaega has previously been passionately committed to drawing US attention to the issue, but he says this latest move is simply aimed at making sure it doesn't interfere with Indonesia's upcoming presidential election.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin, American Samoa's United States Congressman; Jacob Rumbiak, West Papuan National Authority; Peter King, Australian academic and head of West Papua Project at the University of New South Wales' Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies

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