West Papua

After years of building rapport, intensive lobbying and projecting itself as the benevolent giant in the region, Jakarta was afforded an opportunity to make its case for the inclusive development of its easternmost provinces and dispel any separatist sentiment.

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), an important subregional grouping of Pacific island countries, has denied full membership to the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).

ULMWP Spokesperson, Benny Wenda, said this could be seen as a delay tactic but ULMWP acknowledges the technical issues highlighted by the leaders and senior officials of the MSG.

The MSG special leaders summit on the 14th of July in the Solomon Islands had agreed to defer the consideration of the application for full membership by ULMWP until membership criteria and guidelines are further developed.                             

They are also in support of full membership of ULMWP to the Melanesian Spearhead Group .

The MSG members said they are committed to advocating for West Papua and strongly adhere to the principles that are at the core of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, which is the ‘Political aspirations of self- determination of our Melanesian people.’

There is recognition that such a commitment will require bold and ethical leadership and a clear understanding of our Melanesian values.

West Papuans have applied under the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMPW), a collaborative group comprised of united resistance organisations located both inside and outside of West Papua.

The MSG leaders said there was a criteria issue with the West Papuans' application, and the group's secretariat needed to establish guidelines for membership.

Despite the decision on whether the ULMPW can gain full membership of the MSG has been differed to September, the West Papuans are pleased that their application is being considered.

West Papuans have applied under the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMPW), which is a collaborative group comprised of united resistance organisations located both inside and outside of West Papua.

Officials and representatives of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) have arrived in Honiara to attend the MSG Leaders Summit on Thursday, July 14, to determine whether the current observer status of ULMWP will be elevated to full membership.

Peter O'Neill has spoken of the need to speak out about human rights abuses in neighbouring Indonesian territory, and last week told a radio talkback programme that West Papuans are welcome in PNG.

But Benny Wenda, who lives in exile in Britain, has been denied entry into PNG twice in the last year.

Mr Wenda, who is the spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, said he was trying to apply for a visa to enter PNG to attend an upcoming Melanesian Spearhead Group summit.

This follows claims by the Melanesian Speahead Group chairman, Manasseh Sogavare, that Jakarta has failed to respond to requests by the MSG and the Pacific Islands Forum for dialogue about the situation in Papua.

Indonesian officials said Jakarta was keeping Pacific governments informed.

But the Liberation Movement's spokesman, Benny Wenda, is concerned that some Pacific governments are being misled by Jakarta.

He said extensive ground reports from Papua indicated ongoing rampant human rights abuses.

Tabloid Jubi reports Royke Lumowa as saying illegal fishing should continue to be a concern for both central and local governments, suggesting that inaction would allow the problem to become rampant.

He said that because the remoteness of West Papua, as well as lack of resources for police to monitor the waters, a lot of illegal fishing went unchecked.

Mr Royke said that to counter illegal fishing, local police needed the help of the Navy, the Marine Department and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, especially in terms of equipment.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, who is the current Chair of the MSG, made the assurance when a delegation of ULMWP leaders met with him in Port Vila yesterday requesting him to favourably consider two issues for addressing by the MSG.

Mr Sogavare, who is the prime minister of Solomon Islands, has also declared his country's support for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua's bid to be a full member of the MSG.

Mr Sogavare has just been in Port Vila where he met with his Vanuatu counterpart Charlot Salwai whose proposal to give the Liberation Movement full membership at the MSG is to be discussed at an upcoming MSG leaders summit in Papua New Guinea.