The Wire

Before independence in 1975, the lower half of Papua New Guinea, Papua, was an Australian territory. This meant that people born there were Australian citizens, like people born now into Northern Territory or the ACT. A group has formed called Denied Australian Papuans, who are arguing that they are in fact still Australian citizens because they were never given the chance to choose between their Australian birth and the new nation of PNG. Leading the charge is Jonathan Baure – who seems to have won the attention of Australian authorities. Jay Lamey spoke to him and Citizenship Law expert Kim Rubenstein.