"Vanuatu has cut its canoe over 40 years ago and successfully sailed into the Ocean of Independence and in the same spirit, we must help our brothers and sisters in the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP), to cut their canoe, raise the sail and also help them sail into the same future for the Promised Land."
1) Melanesian leadership failure to stand by ULMWP is a 'travesty'
Analysis by David Robie
The Melanesian Spearhead Group has thrown away a golden chance for achieving a historical step towards justice and peace in West Papua by lacking the courage to accept the main Papuan self-determination advocacy movement as full members.
Membership had been widely expected across the Pacific region and the MSG's silence and failure to explain West Papua's fate at the end of the two-day leaders' summit was a tragic anticlimax.
Many see this as a terrible betrayal of West Papuan aspirations and an undermining of Melanesian credibility and solidarity as well as an ongoing threat to the region's security and human rights.
It is also seen as a success for Indonesia's chequebook and cultural diplomacy in the region that has intensified in recent years and months with a perception that Jakarta has bribed its way to prevent the United
Liberation Front for West Papua (ULMWP) from upgrading its status from observer to its rightful full membership.
Questions are often asked about why is Indonesia even in the MSG, albeit only as an associate member, when this an organisation was founded with a vision expressed in Goroka, Papua New Guinea, in 1986 for Melanesian independence, solidarity and development.
Its own website declares that the MSG stands for "a strong and shared political desire, for the entire decolonisation and freedom of Melanesian countries and territories which [are] still under colonial rule in the South Pacific, thereby developing a stronger cultural, political, social and economic identity and link between the people and communities of Melanesia."
Why have a Trojan horse in their midst? A former Vanuatu prime minister, Joe Natuman, questioned the direction of the MSG back in 2016 when he claimed the West Papuans had been "sold out" and likened the failure of the organisation to grant ULMWP membership to when Jesus Christ was betrayed and sold for 30 pieces of silver.
Driven by 'own agendas'
He complained at the time that "some people" were trying to drive the MSG for their own agendas with implied criticism of Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Earlier this year, Natuman was even more explicit when he admitted that the MSG had made a mistake by allowing Indonesia to join the Melanesian body in 2015.
"We Melanesians have a moral obligation to support West Papua's struggle in line with our forefathers' call, including our founding prime minister, Father Walter Lini, Chief Bongmatur, and others," he said.
"Vanuatu has cut its canoe over 40 years ago and successfully sailed into the Ocean of Independence and in the same spirit, we must help our brothers and sisters in the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP), to cut their canoe, raise the sail and also help them sail into the same future for the Promised Land."
This week's failure of the Melanesian leadership to stand by the ULMWP is a travesty.
The justification as outlined in the final communique - there was a silence on West Papua when the summit ended and a promised media conference never eventuated - is barely credible.
The communique claimed that there was no consensus, the ULMWP "does not meet the existing" criteria for membership under the MSG agreement, and it also imposed a one-year membership moratorium, apparently closing the door on West Papuan future hopes.
Shocking surrender
This is a shocking surrender given that one of the existing and founding members is not an independent state, but a political movement - the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) of Kanaky New Caledonia. Already a positive precedent for ULMWP.
The FLNKS has long been a strong supporter of West Papuan self-determination and was represented at this week's summit by former front president Victor Tutugoro.
The other members are the host country Vanuatu (represented by Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau), Fiji (Sitiveni Rabuka, who made a public statement earlier in the year backing West Papuan leader
Benny Wenda and the ULMWP), Papua New Guinea (Prime Minister James Marape), and Solomon Islands (PM Manasseh Sogavare).
The tone was set at the MSG when the Indonesian delegation (the largest at the summit) walked out in protest when ULMWP interim president Benny Wenda addressed the plenary. An insult to the "Melanesian way".
Only a day earlier, Wenda had expressed his confidence that the MSG would admit ULMWP as full members. This followed a week of massive demonstrations in West Papua in support of MSG membership.
Stressing West Papua's vulnerability and constant history of human rights violations at the hands of Indonesian security forces, Wenda said: "This is the moment the entire world, all Melanesians, are watching.
It's a test for the leaders to see if they will stand up for West Papua in the eyes of the world."
Had he been lied to by MSG officials? What went wrong?
'Frustrating day'
"It was a frustrating day since there was no press conference despite repeated promises and so far no official statement/communique," leading Vanuatu-based photojournalist Ben Bohane said of the summit wrap. "Leaders took off and media feel like we were lied to."
Across the Pacific, many have reacted with shock and disbelief.
"I am totally disappointed in the failure of the MSG leaders to seize the opportunity to redefine the future of West Papua and our region," PNG's National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop, long a staunch advocate for the West Papuans," told Asia Pacific Report.
"Fear of Indonesia and proactive lobbying by Indonesia again has been allowed to dominate Melanesia to the detriment of our people of West Papua."
Parkop said it was "obvious" that the MSG leaders were "not guided by any sound comprehensive policy" on West Papua.
"The MSG Secretariat has failed to do a proper historical and social political analysis that can guide the MSG leadership," he said.
Parkop said this policy of appeasing Indonesia had not worked in the "last 50 to 60 years”
'Affront to Melanesian leadership'
"So banking on it again will not only condemn our people of West Papua to more hardship and suffering under the brutal Indonesian rule but is an affront to the leadership of Melanesia.
"I will continue to advocate against Indonesian rule and the status quo unless we see real tangible changes in the rights and freedom of the West Papuan people.
"Melanesia, as late Father Walter Lini eloquently stated in his prime, is not free while West Papua is not free."
Dan McGarry, investigations editor of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, said: "Many people in Melanesia will see this as a betrayal. Public sentiment throughout the sub-region runs strongly pro-independence for West Papua.
"That said, the odds of consensus on this were vanishingly small. Indonesian and French lobbying in the lead up further reduced those odds."
Lewis Prai, a self-styled West Papuan diplomat and advocate, also condemned the MSG rejection, blaming it on "throwing away moral values for the sake of Indonesia's dirty money".
"We know that we are victims of Indonesian oppression and [of] the unwillingness of Melanesians to do the right thing and stand up for freedom, justice and morality.
"And it is very unfortunate that this Melanesian organisation has been morally corrupted by one of the biggest human rights violators in Asia - and one of the worst in the world - Indonesia.
"Thank you to the West Papua supporters in Vanuatu and the surrounding region. We will continue to speak. No amount of money will be able to silence our voices."
This article is republished thanks to a community partnership with Pacific Report.
Dr David Robie, editor and publisher of Asia Pacific Report, has written on West Papuan affairs since the 1983 Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific (NFIP) conference in Port Vila and is author of Blood on their Banner: Nationalist Struggles of the South Pacific.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/496726/melanesian-leadership-failure-to-stand-by-ulmwp-is-a-travesty
2) Macron to be told: 2021 New Caledonia referendum is not valid
The leaders of five Melanesian nations have agreed to write to the French President Emmanuel Macron "expressing their strong opposition" to the results of the third New Caledonia referendum.
In December 2021, more than 96 percent of people voted against full sovereignty, but the pro-independence movement FLNKS has refused to recognise the result because of a boycott by the Kanak population over the impact of the covid pandemic on the referendum campaign.
Since then, the FLNKS has been seeking international support for its view that the referendum result was not a legitimate outcome.
The Melanesian Spearhead Group leaders Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and FLNKS met in Port Vila last week for the 22nd edition of the Leader's Summit, where they said "the MSG does not recognise the results of the third referendum on the basis of the PIF's Observer Report".
FLNKS spokesperson Victor Tutugoro told RNZ Pacific the pro-independence group have continued to protest the outcome of the December 2021 referendum.
"We contest the referendum because it was held during the circumstances that was not healthy for us. For example, we went through covid, we lost many members of our families [because of the pandemic]," Tutugoro said.
"We will continue to protest at the ICJ (International Court of Justice) level and at the national level. We expect the MSG to help us fight to get the United Nations to debate the cause of the Kanaks.”
The leaders have agreed that "New Caledonia's inclusion on the UN List of decolonisation territories is protected and maintained".
The MSG leaders have also directed the UN permanent representative to "examine and provide advice" so they can seek an opinion from the ICJ "on the results of the third referendum conducted in December 2021".
They have also requested that the UN provide a report on the "credibility of the election process, and mandated the MSG UN permanent representatives, working with the MSG Secretariat and the
FLNKS, "to pursue options on the legality of the 3rd referendum".
Support for West Papua
New Caledonia's pro-independence FLNKS movement said it will continue to back the United Liberation Movement for West Papua to become a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
Tutugoro told the 22nd MSG Leader's Summit in Port Vila that FLNKS has always supported West Papua's move to join MSG family.
He said by becoming a full member of the sub-regional group, FLNKS was able to benefit from international support to counterbalance the weight of France in its struggle for self-determination.
He said the FLNKS hopes the ULMWP will have the same opportunity and in time it could be included on the UN's list of non-self-governing territories.
Source
RNZ News
Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific Lead Digital and Social Media Journalist
@kelvinfiji kelvin.anthony@rnz.co.nz
Original Article
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/496936/macron-to-be-told-2021-new-caledonia-referendum-is-not-valid
3) Human Rights Issue in Papua Worsens with a Weak Law Enforcement
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The director of Papua's Human Rights Policy Advocacy Assembly Mathius Murib mentioned that the human rights issues in Papua worsen with a rising number of violence and hostage situations.
The human rights activists in Papua are also at great risk of violence, such as being terrorized, intimidated, and threatened.
"Violence [in Papua] rises in number, hostage situation is also still happening, while all the approach [against the situation] does not reflect the spirit of the human rights," he said during the Universal Periodic Review Discussion of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) today, Wednesday, August 30, 2023.
Despite the risk, Mathius said, he and other human rights activists in Papua are still willing to advocate for human rights enforcement in the province. However, their efforts are clashing with the law enforcement framework, causing many human rights violation cases left unsolved.
"This is an internal evaluation, which I believe is important to ensure public trust as human rights activists since convincing the victims to seek justice is quite difficult," he said. The victims, according to Mathius, always ask about their previous unanswered human rights complaints.
Mathius emphasized that a synchronization and harmonization of the legal system is necessary.
"We hope for good judges and prosecutors in the future that could translate the spirits of Komnas HAM. Thus, human rights violations cases could be put to rights," he concluded.
Original Article
Translator Najla Nur Fauziyah: Editor Laila Afifa; 30 August 2023 20:17 WIB
https://en.tempo.co/read/1766094/human-rights-issue-in-papua-worsens-with-a-weak-law-enforcement
Source
Tempo.co
4) Indonesia’s MSG bid on back burner: PM Marape
A one-year moratorium has been placed on Indonesia’s application to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).
Prime Minister James Marape said this was so that Pacific Island Forum could address the West Papua issue and specifically human rights allegations in the province.
Marape also said that the MSG received interest from Australia, France and Indonesia to join the group.
He explained that a date has not yet been set, but a group of leaders from the MSG would visit Indonesia to raise the West Papua issue.
“Representatives of all current member countries will make this visit and see for ourselves if the allegations of human rights abuse are true or not,” Marape said.
“We must also understand that every country has its own law and order issues, so we will be visiting Indonesia, to put to rest this issue, before we can start discussing Indonesia’s application to join the MSG.
“The MSG comes under the Pacific Islands Forum.”
Marape also said that the MSG agreed on a one-year moratorium on the applications of other countries who had showed an interest in joining the group, which included, Australia and France.
Meanwhile, The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has responded cautiously over the Melanesian Spearhead Group’s surprise denial of full membership at its leaders summit last week, welcoming the communique while calling for urgent action over Indonesia’s grave human rights violations.
In a statement released by President Benny Wenda after the second ULMWP leaders’ summit in Port Vila, the movement said the MSG had “misinterpreted” its founding principles based on the “inalienable right” of colonised countries for independence.
Strong speeches in support of the West Papuan struggle were made at the ULMWP summit by Vanuatu’s Ralph Regenvanu, the current Climate Minister and a former foreign minister, and Barak Sope, a former prime minister.
Wenda said the ULMWP agreed to the MSG chair asking the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) to ensure that the requested visit of the UN Human Rights Commissioner to Indonesia takes place, and to asking Jakarta to allow the commissioner to visit West Papua and have the report considered at the next MSG summit in 2024.
But he added the hope that the MSG chair would “honour” these commitments urgently, “given the grave human rights violations on the ground in West Papua, including the recent warnings on human rights issues from the UN Special Advisor on Genocide”.
The ULMWP also expressed:
- Scepticism about the impact of the renewed call for a UN visit, given that the visit had been continually denied in spite of the 2019 calls by the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS);
- Reservation on the possibility of future dialogue with the Indonesia government. Full MSG membership was a precondition;
- Reservation on the discussion of “closer collaboration” with the Indonesian government when the people of West Papua had asked for full MSG membership; and
- Reservation on the statement: “Membership must be limited only to sovereign and independent states, with special arrangements for FLNKS”.
On the FLNKS statement, Wenda said: “This appears to be a misinterpretation of the founding principles of the Melanesian Spearhead Group which state that, ‘having come together, the Melanesian Spearhead Group commit themselves to the principles of, respect for, and promotion of, independence as the inalienable right of colonial countries and people.’”
Meanwhile, as condemnation of the MSG’s position on West Papua has grown since the “disappointing” summit last week, Governor Powes Parkop of Papua New Guinea’s capital Port Moresby, has made renewed criticism.
“I am totally disappointed but I will never give up until my last breath,” he told Asia Pacific Report.
“Our heritage is that we defend our land and our people. For thousands of years we defeated the Melayu people of Indonesia or the various Muslim and Hindu empires which tried to enter our ancestral land.
“They never succeeded. We only were overwhelmed by European superior weapons and abilities in 1800s and subsequently Indonesians took over after arming themselves with these superior weapons left by colonial powers and the Japanese invading army,” said Parkop, who has long been a critic of Papua New Guinea’s failure to take a stronger stance over Indonesia.
“I will honour our heritage and our ancestors by continuing to challenge Indonesian rule over West Papua our ancestral land. We have lost many battles, heroes and heroines, but Indonesia has and will never win the war. “We are fighting for our rights, our dignity and our heritage and nothing Indonesia does will dent that drive and energy,” he said.
Original Article
https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/indonesias-msg-bid-on-back-burner-pm-marape/
Source
Island Business
5) Wale slams PM’s hypocritical stand on West Papua
LEADER of Opposition Hon Matthew Wale has expressed disappointment with the Prime Minister’s stand on the West Papua issue labelling it as ‘hypocritical’.
Hon Wale said the current Prime Minister used to be a strong supporter and advocator for West Papua in the past but he has taken a 180-degree on the issue.
“I am actually not surprised that the Prime Minister has changed face on the West Papua issue. It is a shame and hypocritical of him because he was a very strong supporter in the past,” Hon Wale said.
The Opposition Leader has reaffirmed his view that West Papuans themselves should be afforded the opportunity to express their vote on self-determination under an internationally supervised referendum.
Based on the membership criteria set by MSG, Hon Wale has also questioned how Caledonia’s FLNKS are measured against those?
“It is hypocrisy to stand with New Caledonia for independence from France and then support Indonesian sovereignty over West Papua. Why the double standard?” he questioned.
Hon Wale said MSG Leaders need to rethink their stand and the Prime Minister should have maintained Solomon Islands stand on West Papua.
The Opposition Leader said both the FLNKS and West Papuans are Melanesian peoples and both desire independence.
He said West Papua has been under very oppressive schematic & systematic Indonesian colonial rule, far worse than anything New Caledonia has suffered and MSG Leaders know better.
Original Article
– Opposition Press
Source
Solomon Star
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