Closer: P-NG,

Indonesia?

From Susan Young,

in Port Moresby The churches have been active again on the political and social scene in Papua-New Guinea.

The Melanesian Council of Churches, which represents most of Papua-New Guinea’s Protestant churches, has called for closer links with Indonesia; accepted a hard hitting report on urban, rural and industrial development in the ter ritory; and pressed the University of Papua-New Guinea to provide ac commodation for married students.

First, MCC delegates deplored “the almost complete lack of contact between the people of Papua-New Guinea and the people of Indonesia”.

They believed it was “of great im portance for the future of Papua- New Guinea as an independent nation to establish diplomatic, political, cultural and trade links with Indo nesia”.

They urged the House of Assembly “to initiate policies to this end” and recommended “the immediate ap pointment” of a Ministerial Member for Foreign Relations.

As a first step, the MCC proposes to invite representatives of the Indo nesian Council of Churches to attend its next general meeting and to make official visits to territory churches.

Then delegates turned to the report on the leadership consultations organised in May by SODEPANG— the territory counterpart of the Committee on Society, Development and Peace, formed by the World Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Church.

The report contains wide-ranging recommendations on urban, rural and industrial development and, among other things, calls for self government “as soon as feasible,” as being the only way in which the ter ritory can most effectively progress.

The MCC “specifically endorsed” a section which particularly con cerns the churches. It said the churches “should encourage national ist feelings and should encourage their members to participate in political organisations”.

It claimed that “the indigenisa tion of the churches’ leadership is still too slow”.

Turning to the university, MCC delegates declared that the lack of accommodation for married students caused “severe tensions and divisions in the family life of the students”.