DailyPost.vu, By Godwin Ligo | Posted: Wednesday, July 20, 2016 8:00 am
The Chairman of the Vanuatu Committee for Free West Papua, Pastor Allen Nafuki, has said he strongly believes that the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting to be held in Port Vila in September, will grant West Papua full membership into the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
“It was right here in Port Vila, that Vanuatu played an important role in hosting of the reconciliation ceremonies between all West Papua Leaders, and the formation, and the signing of the agreement of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) between all the West Papua Leaders,” Pastor Nafuki told the Daily Post.
He went on to state that: “As a Pastor in a Christian church and occupying the Chair of the Free West Papua Association in Vanuatu, I also strongly believe that it is God’s plan that the West Papua admission as a full member to the MSG will take place here in Vanuatu.
“In this regard I am calling on every Christian Leaders in all Christian denominations and all Christians across Vanuatu to rise in Pray in one accord for this dream for West Papua brothers and sisters to be fully realized in September 2016 here in Port Vila, Vanuatu,” he appealed.
“After the news was received from Honiara that West Papua full admission into the MSG did not happen, I gave a lot of thought about why the MSG Leaders had once again did not grant full admission to the Melanesian brothers and sisters in West Papua full MSG membership.
“What came across my mind is that we humans make plans but God’s will according to His plan and time is what we have to seek and accept.
“So, as of today as I am talking to the Daily Post, I wish to state that my Committee is reviewing plans and preparing an even stronger application which will be submitted in good time ahead of the MSG Leaders’ Summit here in Port Vila in September, 2016,”
said Pastor Nafuki.
“Let me reiterate my call on all Christian Leaders and all Christians across Vanuatu to place West Papua Melanesian brothers and sisters for a full membership into the MSG, in the hands of the Almighty God to grant this request in the MSG Leaders’ Summit in September 2016,”
Vanuatu’s Deputy Prime Minister has hit out at Indonesia saying Melanesians must speak up for the people of West Papua.
Joe Natuman believes the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) is being swayed by outside interests after it deferred making a decision on awarding full membership to the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).
“West Papua was forcibly annexed by Indonesia and brutally overthrown. They were in the process of getting their independence in the early 1960s,” he told Vanuatu’s Buzz FM 96. “Now they say we cannot interfere, no, we must interfere. Melanesians are being killed by Asians, we have to interfere.”
He says the MSG is failing to meet its charter.
“The MSG, I must repeat, the MSG, which I was a pioneer in setting up was established for the protection of the identity of the Melanesian people, the promotion of their culture and to defend their rights,” he said. “Now it appears other people are trying to use the MSG to drive their own agendas and I am sorry but I will insist that MSG is being bought by others.”
Vanuatu has been a strong supporter of the ULMWP getting full membership but Papua New Guinea and Fiji say it would undermine Indonesia’s sovereignty. Jakarta has confirmed it has been lobbying Melanesian countries intensely.
“If our friends in Fiji and Papua New Guinea have a different agenda, we need to sit down and talk very seriously about what is happening within the organisation,” said Mr Natuman.
Indonesia is confident the West Papua independence movement will never be granted full membership to the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).
Melanesian leaders debated the issue on Thursday in Honiara but delayed making a decision until September so that more clarity could be provided about membership criteria.
Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai says he “gravely regretted” the deferral and has vowed to keep fighting for the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP).
But Indonesia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Desra Percaya believes the MSG will never give full membership to a “separatist movement”.
“The active participation and intensive lobbying by the Indonesian delegation, which also included representatives from five provinces, Maluku, North Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, Papua and West Papua, has convinced MSG leaders not to accept the ULMWP’s membership application,” he says.
That “intensive lobbying” from Jakarta means Papua New Guinea and Fiji are likely to maintain their opposition to the ULMWP’s bid. Both countries say they respect the sovereignty of Indonesia.
Economic incentive
Mr Percaya says the Melanesian region stands to benefit economically from closer ties to Indonesia.
“The combined GDP of Southeast Asian countries is US$2.6 trillion with a population of approximately 622 million people,” he says. “Almost a quarter billion of this population live in Indonesia, including the 11-million strong Melanesian population.”
The ULMWP says it remains committed to securing full membership of the MSG and doesn’t believe the deferral means Indonesia has got its way.
Pasifik.News, Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai says the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) has failed the people of West Papua.
Charlot SalwaiThe MSG last night deferred a decision on awarding full membership to the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) until a new meeting can be held in September.
The delay is meant to allow the MSG Secretariat to further develop its membership criteria.
“Vanuatu gravely regrets the deferral of the admission of ULMWP on the matter of criteria, a clear sign that officials and the secretariat fell short in carrying out their duties consistent with the fundamental founding principles of this eminent organisation for Melanesians,” said Prime Minister Salwai.
Vanuatu led the push to have the ULMWP’s status upgraded, despite stiff opposition from Indonesia which said such a move would undermine its national sovereignty.
“Vanuatu has always believed that other Melanesians are ready to be admitted into the MSG family,” says Mr Salwai. “Vanuatu is adamant that being Melanesians, they should not be subject to any form of criteria.”
The Prime Minister has offered to host Melanesian leaders in September to ensure the issue is finally tackled.
Reports of crackdown
Meantime, there have been widespread reports of West Papuans being arrested by Indonesian security forces as they gathered in anticipation of the MSG decision.
ULMWP Secretary General, Octovianus Mote, says 348 people were arrested for simply preparing to celebrate the outcome.
“Most of these West Papuans are youth and they just want to express their freedom and right to association…but many were arrested,” he says.
He said most arrests took place in Timika, Jayapura, Merauke, Nabire, and Yahukimo.
Special Advice r to the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation, Barak Sope, was applauded when he was introduced to the West Papua Unification Meeting devotion in the Chiefs Nakamal yesterday morning.
The Head of the Pacific Conference of Churches Delegation Pastor Francois, and the Chairman of the West Papua Unification Organising Committee, Pastor Allan Nafuki both welcomed his presence saying it is vital for the spirit of the Meeting.
Sope who sat throughout the morning devotion, which ended at 12.30pm said as he was leaving, that what is happening in Port Vila now is a living example for other Governments to consider doing to support the people of West Papua.
“Vanuatu has dared to take the stand to support the struggle of the people of West Papau because no other country in the world has made such a humanitarian offer to the West Papuans,” he said.
At the beginning it was Sope who brought the Black Brothers Band to Vanuatu who used to perform to fundraise for the Vanuaaku Pati while at the same time, doing public awareness through its music about the West Papua struggle for freedom.
The first time that the ni Vanuatu public realised just how serious the struggle was when a member of the band assaulted an Indonesian tourist outside the Fung Kuei shop when a tourist liner was in port.
Sope has been close to the West Papua struggle throughout his adult life and even adopted Andy Ayamiseba into his family as his brother.
Ayamiseba is the West Papua Head of Mission in Vanuatu, who is currently recovering at Vila Central Hospital following the amputation of his right leg due to non communicable disease.
In the latest development, former Prime Minister and present Leader of Opposition Moana Carcasses also joined the devotion and stayed for approximately 15 minutes.
It was Carcasses when he was Prime Minister that he delivered a highly powerful address at a UN special committee in Geneva on March 6 of this year, against the reports of human rights abuse allegedly caused by the Indonesian military on West Papuans.
His address rocked the superpowers and reverberated round the world.
The historic gathering of West Papuan leaders in Vanuatu from different factions in the independence movement have united,Saturday and formed a new body called the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).
This new organisation unites the three main organisations who have long struggled for independence in their own way.Coming together to present a united front will allow them to re-submit a fresh application for membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) as well as countering Indonesian claims that the West Papuan groups are divided.
“The negotiations and kastom ceremonies attended by leaders of all the major groups and observed by the chiefs, churches and the government of Vanuatu demonstrates that West Papuans are united in one group and one struggle,”the West Papuan Leaders said at the conclusion of their deliberations at the Chiefs nakamal in Port Vila on Saturday afternoon.
The key groups who have united include the:Federal Republic of West Papua (NRFPB), National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL) and the National Parliament of West Papua (NPWP). An external secretariat consisting of five elected members from the various groups will now co-ordinate the ULMWP activities. Octovianus Mote has been elected as General Secretary of the ULMWP while Benny Wenda is the spokesperson and the other three elected members are Rex Rumakiek, Leone Tangahma and Jacob Rumbiak.
General Secretary Mote said at the close of the unification meeting, “I am honoured to be elected and very happy we are now all united.
The ULMWP is now the only recognized coordinating body to lead the campaign for MSG membership and continue the campaign for independence from Indonesia”.
The ULMWP wishes to express its profound gratitude to the government of Vanuatu, the Malvatumaurii Council of Chiefs, the Vanuatu Christian Council of Churches and the Pacific Council of Churches who have facilitated the week long meeting of delegates, who came from West Papua and around the world to unite after 52 years of struggle,a press statement issued at the conclusion of the Meeting stated.
The signing of the Chiefs Nakamal Declaration for West Papua Unity,last Saturday afternoon was witnessed by Prime Minister Joe Natuman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade Ham Lini, Minister for Lands Ralph Regenvanu,Port Vila MP Edward Natapei,Malvatumauri President Chief Senio Mao Tirsupegovernment officials, church leaders,Chiefs and other community leaders,the members of the delegations of the three West Papuan Group and general members of the public.
The Declaration that was signed by leaders of the three West Papuan Group read:
“We the undersigned; the Federal Republic for West Papua (NRFPB), West Papua National Coalition of Liberation(WPNCL),West Papua National Parliament(WPNP/NewGuinea Raad),have conducted the Summit on West Papua,we do declare that today the 6th December 2014 at the Chiefs Nakamal,at Saralanga,Port Vila,Vanuatu,that the undersigned groups have united and established the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP),a body representing all resistance organizations both inside and outside West Papua.
“We declare and claim that all West Papuans,both inside and outside West Papua,are united under this new body and will continue our struggle for Independence.
“This meeting has been conducted pursuant to the decision made by the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) in Port Moresby,Papua New Guinea in June 2014,that West Papuan Independence organizations must first unite before an application for membership can be re-submitted to the Melanesian Spearhead Group(MSG). We are now united and will re-submit an application under this new body, the ULMWP.
“We are determined that the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) becomes the Coordinating Body to support all international efforts to regain our sovereignty. In order to support this,we have formed a secretariat of five people;Benny Wenda,Jacob Rumbiak,Leone Tanggahma,Octovianus Mote and Rex Rumakiek,and representing the three largest resistance organizations and also all non-affiliated resistance organizations that support our struggle. We will maintain our existing organizations but commit to be united by the coordinating efforts of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.
“This important and historic declaration has been made possible through the faithful efforts of the Vanuatu Government,Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs,the Vanuatu Christian Council (VCC),the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) and the commitment of the liberation organizations.”
After the signing ceremony,the President of the Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs and members of the Port Vila Council of Chiefs facilitated a reunification custom ceremony, for the three West Papuan Groups after many years of operating separately.
West Papua Reunification Committee chairman Pastor Allen Nafuki said, “The organizing committeeis very pleased with the outcome of the Meeting which achieved its objectives very successfully through deliberations and good understanding of all the three West Papuan Groups as well as the Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs,the Port Vila Council of Chiefs, the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC), the Vanuatu Christian Council (VCC), with the full support of the Vanuatu Government lead by the Prime minister Natuman, the Deputy PM,ministers present on Saturday and the people of Vanuatu.
“This could not have been achieved with the understanding of everyone involved,especially the three Groups of West Papua with their leaders and members of their delegations, the Vanuatu Government, the Malvatumauri, VCC and the PCC and many others support. The meeting has achieved its objectives for which we are all proud of and are thankful to God for His guidance.”
The signing was signed by three leaders representing the three West Papua Groups and witnessed by the President of the Malvatumauri chiefTirsupe,Pastor Kalsakau Urtalo on behalf of the VCC,Mr. Murray Isimeli, of the PCC and Vanuatu’s and former Vanuatu prime minister Barak Sope.
Details of the reconciliation ceremony along with various important speeches from different parties involved will be carried by the Daily Post in forthcoming issues.
Papua Merdeka News 