Disagreements on West Papua membership to MSG

4:24 pm GMT+12, 17/07/2016, Solomon Islands

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.

SOURCE: PACNEWS

July 17, 2016 0

“We’re in”: ULMWP spokesman Benny Wenda says MSG membership likely

ABC.net – Updated 15 Jul 2016, 9:22am

Melanesian leaders, meeting in Honiara, have deferred a decision on whether West Papua can gain full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group until a special meeting in Vanuatu in September

The postponement came despite a strong push by Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, which is chairing the MSG at the moment and sponsored the West Papuan application.

Word from the MSG meeting was that negotiations were very delicate, with Fiji and PNG threatening to pull out unless the decision was put off.

However, spokesman for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Benny Wenda, says he’s confident West Papua will be given full membership because the leaders of Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia are behind the move.
Richard Ewart

Source: Pacific Beat | Duration: 4min 34sec

July 15, 2016 0

Vanuatu Says West Papua Let Down By MSG

By Pasifik Staff -, July 15, 2016

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.

July 15, 2016 0

FLNKS supports West Papua

Posted: Thursday, July 14, 2016 8:00 am, Compiled by Godwin Ligo

The Spokesperson of the Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS) in Kanaky, Victor Tutugoro, yesterday morning re-affirmed his strong support for West Papua to become full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) during the Honiara MSG Leaders’ Summit.

The FLNKS Spokesperson stated this when meeting the Chairman of Vanuatu Free West Papua Association, Pastor Alan Nafuki.

Nafuki assured the FLNKS of Vanuatu’s stand by the churches, the chiefs and the population for the political freedom of the Melanesian people of West Papua and said the Association has already sent its three representatives to Honiara to observe the MSG Leaders Summit.

Mr Tutugoro went in the same flight of Air Niugini yesterday morning with Vanuatu Prime Minister, Charlot Salwai, to attend the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Leaders’ Summit in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

The Kanaky leader arrived in Port Vila last Sunday night from Noumea.

On Monday he met the Vanuatu Prime Minister and on Tuesday paid courtesy calls on State Ministers including Agriculture.

Mr. Tutugoro also took the opportunity to visit the Lycee Louis Antoine de Bouganville and Vanuatu Institute of Technology.

Both Vanuatu learning institutions receive funding assistance from the Northern Province of New Caledonia following Tropical Cyclone Pam in 2015.

On Tuesday evening a special kava ceremony was organized, a gesture of appreciation to the FLNKS Spokesperson Victor Tutugoro, by the Vanuatu Institute of Technology.

The FLNKS did not sign the Communique following the visit of MSG Leaders in West Papua and Indonesia after the Summit that was held in Kanaky.

ligo@dailypost.vu

July 14, 2016 0

Melanesian Leaders Defer West Papua Decision

By Adam Boland – pasifik.news

Melanesian leaders have deferred making a decision about elevating the diplomatic status of the West Papua independence movement until September.

Vanuatu pushed hard for the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) to be given full membership of regional economic body, the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai told the MSG summit in Honiara that Melanesia should stand as one.

But that was always going to be a challenge with Fiji and Papua New Guinea worried about the impact on the sovereignty of Indonesia. The West Papua region is part of Indonesian territory.

“Simply put, the ULMWP is no more than a separatist group that has no place in the MSG’s future,” says Indonesia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Desra Percaya.

With Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama leaving the summit early and PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill missing it completely to focus on political troubles at home, it became clear a breakthrough would not be reached.

Senior Indonesian diplomat Sade Bimantara took to Twitter to declare the issue dead.

But Victor Yeimo from the West Papua National Committee says the deferral will simply give leaders more time to consider the criteria for membership.

“Our application was postponed to the next special summit before September. That will be done in Vanuatu,” he said. “The reasons for delays are due to the definition of ‘new members’, that has not formulated properly to ensure ULMWP’s application will be accepted.”

Mr Yeimo thanked Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands for their vocal support and hopes it will create new momentum leading up to September.

July 14, 2016 0

West Papua hopeful for full membership

solomonstarnews.com, Published: 13 July 2016

Indonesian province of West Papua is hopeful to see their full membership plea in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), advance during this 4th Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) summit hosted in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

Speaking to the media yesterday spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Paupua (ULMWP) Benny Wenda said they are optimistic to see the struggle of their people advance to the next level, within the MSG.

He said their ongoing campaign and struggle for support from the Melanesian countries and the pacific will help them advance their membership status in the MSG, which is fundamental to their wish to become an independent state.

ULMWP acquired their observer status in MSG last year during the MSG meeting held in Honiara, thus they are hopeful to see their status in this sub-regional organisation advanced to full membership.

Wenda stressed their struggle is not for them but for the future generation of West Papua, who will be free from brutality and bloodshed continued to be suffered on the hands of the Indonesian military.

By AATAI JOHN

July 13, 2016 0

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

July 13, 2016 0

Indonesia Warns MSG Leaders About Threat To Unity

By Adam Boland – July 11, 2016 – Pasifik.News

Indonesia has warned Melanesian leaders they risk undermining trade and unity if they get “hijacked” by the “negative propaganda” of the West Papua independence movement.

Leaders will gather in Honiara this week to consider giving the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).
Solomon Islands Prime Minister
PM Manasseh Sogavare

The move is being strongly backed by Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare who believes it would force Indonesia to talk more openly about the region’s future.

“Indonesia leaves the MSG no alternatives on bringing the West Papuan issues on the table for discussion, except to elevate the status of West Papua from observer status to full membership, so that the MSG leaders can be able to discuss the West Papuan issues more strategically,” he said in May.

That position is supported by renowned West Papuan religious leader Benny Giay.

“Papuans don’t trust Indonesians and Indonesians don’t trust Papuans. That’s why we need a third party to moderate,” he told Pasifik News.

But Indonesia says elevating the ULMWP would threaten regional stability.
Sade Bimantara
Sade Bimantara

“The ULMWP’s continuing disruptive and destructive practices in the MSG process are dangerous for its unity and integrity,” says Sade Bimantara from Indonesia’s Embassy in Canberra.

In a strongly worded opinion piece, Mr Bimantara insisted the ULMWP doesn’t represent people who actually live in the region.

“It was created to represent the voices of overseas Papuans, who may still have Indonesian citizenship and many who have renounced their citizenship. The Movement does not represent the almost four million residents of Papua and West Papua provinces of Indonesia,” he wrote.

He says Melanesian leaders need to be careful about supporting a group that has a “lone agenda of taking territories away from a sovereign country”.

That message is likely to resonate with Fiji and Papua New Guinea, which have growing ties with Indonesia.

“We respect the integrity and sovereignty of Indonesia under international laws,” said Fiji’s Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola.

July 11, 2016 0

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.

June 18, 2016 0

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.

April 8, 2016 1