Perdana Menteri Vanuatu, Charlot Salwai mendengarkan pidato pembukaan Forum Kepulauan Pasifik (PIF) di Palikir, Ibu Kota Mikronesia, Kamis, (8/9/2016) – Foto: AFP
Jayapura, Jubi – Vanuatu menegaskan bahwa para pemimpin Forum Kepulauan Pasific (PIF) telah bersepakat membawa isu West Papua ke Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa, sebagai wujud keprihatinan kawasan tersebut pada persoalan Papua.
Pertemuan PIF minggu lalu di Negara Federasi Mikronesia (FSM) telah mencapai konsensus terhadap laporan kejahatan hak azasi manusia yang dilakukan oleh Pemerintah Indonesia di Papua, demikian dinyatakan Perdana Menteri Vanuatu, Charlot Salwai, seperti dilansir Radio New Zealand International/RNZI, Kamis (15/9/2016).
Konsensus ini termasuk membicarakan tuduhan pelanggaran HAM tersebut dengan Indonesia, sekaligus membawanya ke Komite HAM PBB.
Hal ini merupakan tindak lanjut atas gagalnya rencana Forum tahun lalu mengirimkan misi pencari fakta ke wilayah Papua karena penolakan Jakarta.
Oleh karena itu, menurut Salwai, respon kawasan terkait Papua justru semakin mengarah ke PBB, “walaupun Forum (PIF) masih sedikit yang mendukung seruan penentuan nasib sendiri West Papua,” ujar Salwai dengan nada menyesal.
Dia menyatakan, lima negara Forum (PIF) yang mendukung hak penentuan nasib sendiri West Papua meyakini bahwa pelanggaran HAM yang terjadi di Papua justru disebabkan oleh aspirasi politik rakyat Papua. Oleh karena itu Forum bersepakat agar negara-negara (5 negara) tersebut membawa kasus West Papua ke Komite Dekolonisasi PBB, tegas Salwai.
Sementara dirinya sendiri akan menyuarakan isu pelanggaran HAM di West Papua pada pertemuan Majelis Umum PBB bulan ini di New York.
Sebelumnya, seperti diberitakan, komunike PIF ke-47 terkait West Papua dirasa kurang memiliki substansi, padahal isu pelanggaran HAM dan hak penentuan nasib sendiri sudah masuk menjadi agenda pembicaraan para pemimpim Forum.
“Para pemimpin mengakui sensitifitas isu West Papua (Papua) dan sepakat isu tuduhan pelanggaran HAM di West Papua (Papua) harus tetap ada dalam agenda,” demikian hasil komunike yang juga menegaskan kesepakatan para pemimpin atas pentingnya dialog terbuka dan konstruktif dengan Indonesia terkait isu itu.(*)
Vanuatu’s Deputy Prime Minister Joe Natuman believes other people are trying to use the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) to drive their own agendas, saying it is similar to Jesus Christ who was betrayed and sold for 30 pieces of silver.
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) was not admitted as full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group during the Special MSG summit in Honiara, Solomon Islands, last week.
“Our Prime Minister was the only one talking in support of full membership for West Papua in the MSG, the Solomon Islands Prime Minister couldn’t say very much because he is the chairman,” the veteran politician told Buzz FM 96’s Coffee and Controversy host Mark O’Brien.
“Prime Minister Charlot Salwai was the only one defending Melanesians and the history of Melanesian people in the recent MSG meeting in Honiara.
“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 defending their rights. Right to self determination, right to land and right to their resources.
“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.
“It is just like Jesus Christ who was bought for 30 pieces of silver. This is what is happening in the MSG. I am very upset about this and we need to correct this issue.
“Because 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.
‘It is being bought’
“And I am sorry but I will insist that MSG is being bought by others.”
Asked what transpired at the Honiara Summit, Natuman said that according to the Prime minister’s briefing on his return there were some misunderstandings on what happened in the Officials’ Meeting and the Foreign Ministers meeting.
“What happened was that they presented to the Summit Leaders something which apparently was not discussed at the officers level so this was the problem,” he explained.
“The issue of membership was supposed to be presented to the Leaders.
“Instead, they presented the leaders with a list of criteria for membership.
“This criteria was whether or not organisations or liberation movements should be considered for full membership.
“Finally, our prime minister was the only one talking in support of West Papua membership, the Solomon Islands Prime Minister couldn’t say very much because he is the chairman.”
New Caledonia contrast
On the issue of New Caledonia, Natuman said: “People are now saying we should not be interfering with Indonesia’s sovereignty. But what about New Caledonia? France has held onto New Caledonia.
“In the 1990s, we insisted that New Caledonia was a colonial possession of France, therefore we have the right to intervene .
“And we intervened. Firstly, we asked the people of New Caledonia to form an umbrella grouping, or political parties to support their cause. So they established the FLNKS at Vanuatu’s request.
“Through that means we [have] promoted their issues to the Forum and eventually they were listed in the UN’s listing of colonial territories.
“We have to assist them to get independence, same as [with] West Papua.
“West Papua was forcibly annexed by Indonesia and brutally overthrown. They were in the process of getting their independence in the early 1960s.
“West Papua is very rich in resources, gold, copper and forests thus a lot of Western capitalists were interested in that.
‘We must interfere’
“Now they say we cannot interfere. No, we must interfere. Melanesians are being killed by Asians, we have to interfere.”
The Deputy Prime Minister was part of the panel in yesterday’s 96Buzz FM’s Coffee and Controversy show at the Lava Lounge, which also featured Glen Craig, from Pacific Advisory, and Job Dalesa, who is on the West Papua Reunification Committee.
When asked his opinion on whether MSG has “lost its way” as implied by the DPM, Dalsesa replied: ”I certainly think so, West Papua has a lot of enemies. A lot of people are fighting over this area because of its resources, and by fighting you can do a lot of things, including buying another country and I think this is what they are doing.
“The divide-and-rule tactic is a common tactic that has been used for a long time.”
Yesterday’s show revolved around foreign policy, MSG and the South China Sea dispute.
Jane Joshua is a journalist with the Vanuatu Daily Post.
Disagreements remain among leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) on the issues of West Papua’s full membership even though an agreed communiqué stated that the deferral was a secretarial issue.
Since the agreed communiqué from the MSG special leaders’ summit in Honiara was announced publicly, leaders from the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Kanak National Socialist Liberation Front (FLNKS) have publicly disagreed with the outcome, saying the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) deserves full membership to the MSG.
In respective interviews with PACNEWS, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare (Solomon Islands), Prime Minister Charlot Salwai (Vanuatu), Victor Tutugoro (FLNKS), said they support the aspirations for the self-determination of the people of West Papua and the full membership of ULMWP to the MSG.
Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, Charlot Salwai, said the issue of membership, in particular the discussions of the membership of Melanesians of West Papua through the ULMWP as a full Member into the Melanesian family is a long time cry by Melanesians around the world including my country.
“Admitting ULMWP or Melanesians into the MSG should be the same basis for admitting the Kanaky through the FLNKS. Vanuatu has always believed that other Melanesians are ready to be admitted into the MSG family,”
said Prime Minister Salwai.
He said Vanuatu is adamant that being Melanesians they should not be subject to any form of criteria.
“We want meaningful dialogue and we can only do this when we are together. Vanuatu therefore 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.”
FLNKS Spokesperson, Victor Tutugoro, shared similar sentiments, saying that all Melanesians deserved similar treatment at the MSG and as leaders there is a responsibility to protect and give voice to Melanesians in West Papua.
Tutugoro said he was not pleased with the deferral, stressing that there is a great need to support ULMWP’s political recognition at the MSG, thus, it would strengthen its political aspirations at the international level such as the UN.
“We Kanaky people were granted membership in a similar struggle to our brothers and sisters in West Papua and we feel that the same should be given to West Papuans as they are rightfully Melanesians and they need our Melanesian leaders support.”
Meanwhile, Fiji’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, while speaking on behalf of the Fiji government said Fiji respects the sovereignty of the people and government of Indonesia.
“We as the MSG must always respect the sovereignty of all member or associated countries of the MSG. To do otherwise would undermine the premise of the MSG. Because only through respect of sovereignty and commitment to dialogue can we reach mutual understanding,” said Ratu Inoke.
Papua Merdeka News 