Open up of MSG membership will be discussed in Honiara

SolomonStarNews.com, Published: 13 July 2016

The Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare has told a visiting United Liberation Movement of West Papua delegation that opening up membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group is an idea to be discussed in Honiara at the MSG Leaders’ Summit beginning July 14.

Mr Sogavare made the comment after the General Secretary of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua, Octovinius Mote, wanted to know if new applications for membership of the MSG would be discussed by the Summit.

He instructed officials of the MSG Secretariat to put together the pre-requisites such as rules and guidelines, applicants must understand when applying for membership of the Melanesian Block of which he is Chair.

He added the MSG leaders will have the opportunity to meet Mr Mote and his delegates in Honiara, adding further that Fiji’s support of West Papuans’ struggle for self-rule speaks a lot.

And he said the support for self-rule for the ULMWP by the five MSG members, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia is from the heart.

Meanwhile, the idea of an open up MSG membership could mean International and Regional groups and States that are outside the MSG Block could apply for Full and Associate membership while others could apply for Observer Status if the MSG Leaders’ Summit sanctions it.

United Liberation Movement of West Papua which now holds the Observer status with the MSG is applying for full membership while its ruler, Indonesia, is an Associate member.

By George Atkin,
OPMC Press Secretariat

West Papua ULMWP calls for more Melanesian interaction

5:21 pm on 12 July 2016, RNZ

The West Papua National Committee wants a national action to be held over the next two days in West Papua (July 13th and July 14th) to mark its meeting with the MSG.

The Melanesian Spearhead Group leaders are meeting in Honiara, where they are considering the United Liberation Movement for West Papua’s application for full membership.

The Committee says activities in Papua will include peaceful demonstrations, prayers and feasting to show support for the Movement’s application.

Meanwhile West Papua says it wants more interaction with the MSG – Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia.

The Movement’s general secretary Octo Mote told the Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare West Papua would like to see more contacts in sports, especially football.

He says they would also like to send young West Papuans to study at the Solomon Islands National University in Honiara and at educational institutions in Vanuatu, and later possibly to universities in PNG and Fiji.

MSG gets West Papua and Indonesia to talk

SolomonStarnews.com, Published: 18 June 2016

A SENIOR delegation of Indonesian officials and delegates of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua met Thursday in a move instigated by the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

The two sides had been at loggerhead over West Papua’s struggle to have a separate state.

MSG Foreign Ministers meeting chairman and Solomon Islands Foreign Affairs minister, George Milner Tozaka said it was important to get both sides to sit at the same table and talk.

He said the objective of MSG is to look at the developmental interests of Melanesian countries and this included West Papua.

“We are constructively trying to engage both Indonesia and West Papua to talk and say what they want to say to each other in the meeting, but the main thing is to get them to sit at the same table and talk,”

Mr Tozaka said.

He said one of the major issues was the membership of MSG and the inclusion of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) as observers, while Indonesia was accorded associate membership.

“The last meeting we had in Honiara we had been to work on the criteria for the membership of Indonesia and West Papua so that they can participate in the MSG.”

Mr Tozaka said Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) had a look through this issue and concluded that there was still a lot more work to be done.

“SOM have asked for more time for them to look into this issue.”

They would then submit their report to the Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting, before it was taken up to the Leaders Summit in Honiara on July 14.

The MSG is made up of three levels, the highest of which was the Leaders Summit, then the Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting and the Senior Officials Meeting.

The application for membership from West Papua and Indonesia in the Melanesian Spearhead Group has been referred to the legal committee.

Fiji’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Ratu Inoke Kubuabola said Fiji would raise its voice with Indonesia over the matter.

Ratu Inoke said Fiji had a good relationship with Indonesia.

“We respect the integrity and sovereignty of Indonesia under international laws.”

Meanwhile, Ratu Inoke said Fiji still maintained its position that its participation in the Pacific Islands Forum would still remain at ministerial level.

“Our Prime Minister (Voreqe Bainimarama) still feels very strongly on that position.”

Fiji wants Australia and New Zealand to withdraw as members of PIF.

Papuans concerned at Indonesian overtures to MSG

3:29 pm on 8 April 2016

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua has questioned Indonesia’s increased diplomatic overtures to Melanesian countries.

TRANSCRIPT RADIO ANZ

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua says that while Indonesia increases diplomatic links to Melanesian countries, its security forces continue to brutalise Papuans.

The Liberation Movement was last year granted observer status in the Melanesian Spearhead Group, while Indonesia was given associate member status.

However Indonesia’s Political and Security Affairs minister Luhut Pandjaitan visited Papua New Guinea and Fiji last week to lobby for greater participation by Jakarta.

Minister Luhut indicated that Jakarta was aiming to “aggressively explain” to Pacific states about the conditions in Indonesia what it has been doing in the area of human rights.

However, Indonesia’s National Human Rights Commission last month stated that in the past year more than 700 West Papuans had been persecuted through being arrested, beaten, and tortured by security forces.

The Liberation Movement’s Benny Wenda spoke to Johnny Blades, who asked him about Indonesia’s outreach and assistance packages to PNG and Fiji.

BENNY WENDA: The bilateral agreements like trade, yes that’s up to the Papua New Guineans and Fijians but from my point of view, this is like a bridge, like Indonesia is using this as a good bridge to convince the Papua New Guineans and Fijians. But one of the things that I always argue [is] why now? Why now, but before never? When we become a member of the MSG, observer status, and they’re trying to use that issue to engage more with Melanesians and Pacific countries while they’re killing our people and they’re more campaigning for their investments, business and things and they’re trying to trade. But all the while killing Melanesian people and that is undermining what Indonesia does to pretend they’re good guys. But I’m not criticise what Indonesia has contributed to the Fijians for the cyclone [Winston]. But on the other hand, using this issue… trying to pressurise, look, we’re giving you money but don’t talk about West Papua. We don’t know, that’s under the carpet, but that’s my view. The West Papua issue is a Melanesian issue, it’s nothing to do with Indonesia. And the fact that Minister Luhut [once said] that we don’t need you, you go where you come from, that is what he already stated. And this dates back to 1960s, one of the generals called Ali Murtopo, said Papuans, we don’t need you, if you need island go to the Pacific or go to the moon or go to America. It’s repeated again. And so that’s why my argument is that Indonesia is not really interested in the people of Melanesia’s suffering under their colony. So they just need our resources. So in fact all the resources they are using to kill us and trying to be good guys. So that’s not make us a setback but give us confidence, more to convince our brothers and sisters in Melanesia that West Papua issue is a Melanesia issue and a Pacific issue, and we are the Pacific family.

JOHNNY BLADES: It seems in the Indonesian media that minister Luhut is claiming PNG and Fiji are going to support their bid to become full members of the MSG, do you know?

BW: I’m not sure at the moment, because that is just trying to claim, trying to convince the PNG and Fiji governments. But I’m sure that ordinary people in PNG and Fiji are really supportive, one hundred percent, of west Papuan full membership and that’s from before, until today. That’s why I’m really confident that West Papua issue is still there. But I don’t know about Minister Luhut’s claim. But that depends on whether PNG and Fiji want to support that or not, that’s up to the two governments. But MSG stands for the Melanesian peoples, it’s nothing to do with Indonesia. And MSG on principle, Indonesia has no right to stand in the way of what decision must be made by Melanesians for Melanesian people.

JB: This claim that the people in Jakarta keep making, about having 11 million Melanesians within the republic, including Maluku, North Maluku and East Nusa Tenggara, do you believe that people in those provinces – even if they have Melanesian stock – do they identify as being Melanesians?

BW: Look, this makes me laugh. They have never campaigned for… they never think about their identity as Melanesia. They more look the Indonesia. They feel they are  Indonesia, so I have never seen those islands, those two or three provinces that you mention campaign for membership in the Melanesian family. No, they are more Indonesian, they claim, nothing to do with the Melanesians. They are more happy with Indonesia rather than Melanesia. So when we become part of the MSG, then Indonesia [started thinking] okay let’s use some of the outer islands. They may have Melanesians but they never campaigned for membership because they never feel they are Melanesian. That’s from beginning until today.

Tanda Heran di Honiara Menjadi Tonggak Sejarah Baru bagi Melanesia

Selama beradad-abad orang Melanesia di kawasan Pasifik Selatan berada dalam dunia mereka sendiri, terisolir, terdampar, terpojok. Tidak berbicara, apalagi mengenal apa yang ada di sekelilingnya. Dikirannya di sekelilingnya hanyalah hamparan air laut yang di dalamnya ada ikan. Ia tahu selepas ikan-ikan di dalam air itu terdapat manusia lain, tetapi ia tidak mengakui persis bahwa yang dikenalnya seberang laut itu sebenarnya dirinya sendiri.

Ditambah lagi, kalaupun dia berusaha mengetahui lalu mengenalnya, ia didikte, dipaksa, ditekan supaya walaupun ia mengenal orang-orang di seberang sana itu dirinya sendiri, ia dibayar dan dengan dasar bayaran itu dipaksa untuk tidak mengakui bahwa mereka itu dirinya sendiri. Sebuah penyangkalan paksa, sebuah penderitaan yang begitu lama dideritanya.

Sebelum modernisasi ia mengira di dunia ini hanya dirinya dan suku-bangsanya. Di era penjajahan dikiranya orangnya ialah penjajahnya, dan sesama bangsa dan ras-nya itu musuhnya. Setelah kemerdekaan, rekan sesama Melanseia-nya itu diberi nama A, B, dan C, sehingga tidak senama dengan dirinya, yang membuat dirinya tidak sanggup berkata bahwa dirinya ialah dirinya, dan tetangganya itu juga ialah dirinya. Ia terpaksa harus mengaku ini sebagai “west papua” dan itu sebagai “papua new guinea”, ini sebagai Vanuatu dan itu sebagai West Papua, ini sebagia Solomon Islands dan itu sebagai West Papua, ini sebagai Fiji dan itu sebagai West Papua, bukannya kami ini Melanesia.

Tanda heran yang dimulai di Kepala Burung, pulau Mansinam, bahkan dari pulau-pulau Timor kini bersambung menjadi tanda heran berikutnya, “West Papua diakui sebagai ras Melanesia, bangsa Papua!”, sesuatu yang ditolak mentah-mentah oleh NKRI. NKRI memaksa dirinya menyebut orang Melanesia di Tanah Papua sebagai orang Indonesia, berbangsa satu bangsa Indonesia, berbahasa satu bahasa Indonesia, bertanah air satu tanah air Indonesia. Padahal tanah dan air di Indonesia bukan satu, beribu-ribu; bangsa bukan satu, beribu-ribu; bahasa juga apalagi bukan satu. Sebuah pembohongan diri sendiri, Indonesia menipu diri sendiri, dan penipuannya balik menelan dirinya sendiri, dan pada akhirnya KEBENARAN akan berjaya, dan di era kejayaan itu, tipudaya tidak punya kuasa lagi. Era kekalahan tipu-daya itu telah dimulai, di meja KTT MSG, di kota Honiara, Kepulauan Salomon.

Tanda heran ini menyusul tanda heran sebelumnya, yaitu beberapa bulan sebelumnya telah terjadi sebuah pertemuan akbar di kalangan pejuang dan organisasi perjuangan bangsa Papua di Port Vila, Republik Vanuatu dan di akhir pertemuan tersebut telah dibentuk sebuah wadah pemersatu, ULMWP, sebuah payung organisasi yang mempersatukan berbagai faksi yang ada selama ini.

Tanda heran di Honiara menyusul tanda heran di Port Vila. Dan Tanda heran di Honiara disusul oleh Tanda heran di Port Moresby, yaitu di Sidang PIF yang baru saja berakhir, di mana isu West Papua dibahas secara resmi, dan secara resmi pula diputuskan bahwa sebuah “Fact-Finding Mission” harus dikirim ke West Papua, Indonesia untuk mengusut berbagai pelanggaran Hak Asasi Manusia yang terjadi di Tanah Papua, di tangan polisi dan militer Indonesia.

Tanda heran di Vila, Honiara dan Moresby telah terjadi menyusul tanda-tanda heran sebelumnya, yang terjadi dalam kurun waktu setahun terakhir, yaitu yang pertama Perdana Menteri Papua New Guinea sebagai seorang Papua, yang lahir dan besar di Tanah Papua, yang sukses menjadi Perdana Menteri di Tanah Papua secara resmi, dan secara dinas mengumumkan bahwa beliau akan “engage” Indonesia untuk membicarakan berbagai isu yang muncul di West Papua.

Tanda heran yang pernah dimulai di paling barat kepulauan Melanesia sedang mengikuti arus gelombang samudera pasifik, perlahan tetapi pasti, tenang tapi menghanyutkan. Pengakuan bangsa Papua sebagai ras Melanesia kali ini sudah merupakan tanda heran tonggak sejarah bagi identitas Melanesia sebagai sebuah ras yang terhimpit oleh ras Melayu di bagian Barat dan bangsa Eropa di bagian Selatan, dan Asia di bagian Utara.

Pengakuan orang West Papua sebagai rumpun Melanesia secara resmi atas nama negara-negara Melanesia merupakan titik tolak seluruh proses pengembalian jatidiri dan  hak asasi yang melekat kepada manusia Melanesia sebagai makhluk hidup dan sebagai makhluk manusia.

Mari kita doakan terus, sehingga tanda heran dan tanda heran ini terus berlanjut, sampai tanda heran terakhir ialah West Papua dan bangsa-bangsa lain di muka Bumi yang saat ini masih dijajah merdeka dan berdaulat di luar cengkeraman penjajah. Amin!

Artikel Mirip:

  1. Adakah Tanda Heran di PIF
  2. Tanda Heran itu Ada di Honiara
  3. Kita Sadar, …

PM not attending but appoints special envoy to MSG

Vanuatu Daily Post – By Godwin Ligo Jun 26, 2015

Vanuatu’s position on West Papua application and other important regional issues will be known at the end of the MSG Summit, according to reliable sources within the Government.

Reliable sources within the Government have confirmed that the Government has appointed a Special Prime Minister’s Envoy to the MSG Meeting in Honiara.

He is the Prime Minister’s Office, Director General (DG), Johnson Naviti, but the Daily Post also understands that the DG Naviti will travel to Honiara to convey the Vanuatu Government’s decisions to the meeting.

The Government’s stand on the issue of West Papua application for full MSG membership and other important regional issues will be made known only at the end of the MSG heads of government summit, which ends tomorrow with plenary and closing ceremony.

The outcome of the West Papua application for MSG full membership is expected to be made known publicly from Honiara, Solomon Islands, later today, Vanuatu time.

The decision by the MSG leaders will be made during the MSG Heads of Governments during their Retreat today, according to reliable government source in Port Vila.

It is expected to be made known through a Communiqué to be issued by the MSG officials in Honiara late today.

The Daily Post understands that Vanuatu Prime Minister nor other ministers could be present at the MSG 20th Summit, 2015, because of the current political situation in the country involving court cases; first the Constitutional Case involving Speaker’s decision to close the First Ordinary Session of Parliament when the Opposition sponsored motion against Prime Minister Sato Kilman, was not debated and the bribery case that has been moved by Court for hearing next month.

The West Papua application for full membership into the MSG has been one of the main issues of concern by the churches, the chiefs and other civil societies in Vanuatu and around the Pacific region and beyond prior to and over the period of the MSG 20th Summit 2015 in Honiara this week.

The Vanuatu Christian Council have aired their stand on the issue for and on behalf of all churches and Christian ministries in the country earlier this week while the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs made a final call on the Vanuatu Government to vote for West Papua full membership in a statement published in the Daily Post yesterday.

Shortly, the outcome will be made known and it will most likely show what Vanuatu’s stand is on the West Papua Application for full membership into the MSG.

Since its election, the new government has not officially cleared its position on the United Liberal Movement of West Papua’s application to be a full member of the MSG.

ligo@dailypost.vu

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