PM O'Neill assures Solomon Islands PM of safety of students studying in PNG

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has been assured by his Papua New Guinea (PNG) counterpart Peter O’Neill that Port Moresby will ensure that Solomon Islands students studying at various tertiary institutions in PNG are provided adequate security as the University of Papua New Guinea students continue their protest for his removal as Prime Minister is now in its fourth week.

The assurance was made in a bilateral meeting between the two leaders in Port Moresby ahead of the 8th ACP Heads of State and Government Summit which begins today.

The PNG Prime Minister told his Solomon Islands counterpart that the students’ protests have ‘lost momentum’ and that he expected normal classes to resume very soon.

Prime Minister O’Neill has indicated that the University of Papua New Guinea has a vibrant debating environment, and that the recent protest is an ongoing example of the students’ free expressions of political ideals, attributing the current UPNG students’ protest as influenced by PNG politics as the country is heading for the national general elections next year 2017.

The PNG Prime Minister told his Solomon Islands counterpart that PNG will always support Solomon Islands students studying at various PNG institutions and ensure they are safe to continue on to complete the term of their studies.

He said the safety of Solomon Islands students at the campuses in not the real issues of concern, but rather the disruption to their studies now that the first semester examinations are about to begin.

PM O’Neill also indicated that PNG may consider extending the study terms for Solomon Islands students affected by the protests if required.

The PNG Government has funded scholarships for around 600 Solomon Islands students since 2014 under their bilateral cooperation agreements, most of them still currently undertaking their studies at Papua New Guinea.

More than a thousand Solomon Islanders are undertaking studies at various PNG institutions.


SOURCE: PACNEWS