Australia-PNG information sharing helps rescue of slaves

Australian authorities believe information sharing with Papua New Guinea (PNG) played a key role in the rescue of slaves aboard a Thai fishing trawler last week, amid strained diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Australia's Department of Immigration and Border Protection said on Tuesday that it had not received any specific request for operational assistance from PNG but had been passing on intelligence.

"We believe that information sharing has been a key part in the PNG operation," a spokesman told local media.

The International Organization for Migration is caring for six Cambodians and two Myanmar men from the vessel who are believed to be victims of human trafficking in Port Moresby, before being returned home.

The 53-year-old Honduras flagged boat, Blissful Reefer, is believed to be part of a wider fleet of about 30 fishing trawlers manned by trafficked crew off the PNG coast, according to an AAP report.

Diplomatic relations between Australia and Papua New Guinea have been strained in the past months following PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill's protests he was not consulted over Australia's intention to open a diplomatic mission in the autonomous territory of Bougainville.

PNG authorities have also demanded the return of three Australian contractors who are alleged to have drugged and sexually assaulted a local women on Manus Island.

PNG has accused Australia's department of Immigration and Border Protection, who contracted the workers, of covering up the incident by recalling the men before investigations had finished.

Australian authorities have denied that was their intention.

Further straining relations, O'Neill last week said he will remove all foreign advisers by the year's end, mostly directed towards Australian personnel, which will affect Australia's 500 million Australian dollars (363.3 million U.S. dollars) per year aid program.

"We've got people working in many of our departments that are working as advisers and it has led to two things," O'Neill said.

"One is making our own people quite lazy. They're not able to take over civil decisions, they are over-dependent on consultants and advisers and sometimes many of those decisions are not ... in the best interests of our nation.

O'Neill also suspects the advisers are spying against PNG.

"So our government has taken a deliberate decision that by the end of the year, all foreign consultants and advisers, their contracts will end by 31st of December."

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in a statement on Tuesday played down O'Neill's decision, saying she welcomed the review into the delivery of Australia's aid.

O'Neill however is currently challenging a warrant for his arrest in a PNG court surrounding allegations of corruption.