VP assures W Papuans it will trash Indonesian agreement

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Edward Natapei, has told a visiting West Papuan delegation that any future government that the Vanua’aku Pati (VP) is a part of would review the Development Co-operation Agreement signed by Prime Minister Sato Kilman and Foreign Minister Carlot with the Indonesian Government in Jakarta.

This is because that agreement prohibits Vanuatu from taking up the issue of West Papua locally and internationally and the agreement itself recognizes Indonesian sovereignty over West Papua and specifically states that each signatory country must not interfere in each other’s internal affairs.

The President of Vanua’aku Pati said this yesterday as he and the Member of Parliament for Tanna, Joe Natuman who is also the Vice-President of Vanua’aku Pati, met in Parliament with a delegation of the National Coalition for the Liberation of West Papua (NCLWP), consisting of its Vice President, Secretary-General, Human Rights Officer based in Australia, two of its activists who came all the way from West Papua and the Head of NCLWP Office in Port Vila.

The West Papuan delegation briefed the two senior ranking Vanuatu parliamentarians about the changes they had made in their political organization from Orkanisasi Papua Mardeka or OPM. to the establishment of the National Coalition for the Liberation of West Papua.

This is to unify their various political, social networking and human rights groups with their missions to lobby the governments in the Pacific so that the NCLWP may become an observer or member of MSG and similarly of the Pacific Islands Forum and for the Pacific governments and organizations to work with other likeminded governments in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean to re-enlist West Papua on the United Nations List of Non-Self Governing Territories so that it becomes the responsibility of the UN Decolonization Committee and finally to take up the matter with the International Court of Justice at the Hague.

They said that their people have rejected the self-autonomy status proposed by Jakarta and have agreed to sit with the Indonesians in a peace and reconciliation conference but those in authority have not responded to the initiative but continue to use the security forces to cause violence and commit human right abuses in West Papua.

As examples, they point to the fact that during a peaceful protest at the Freeport mine towards the end of last year, the security forces shot dead several people and similarly at the University of Jaiapura during a conference.

The visiting delegation thanked the Vanua’aku Pati for championing their cause since the beginning and look forward to working with the VP and the Parliament to achieve their goal of freedom and independence.

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition told the delegation that since Vanuatu’s independence in 1980, the VP led governments, because of its decolonization policy, refused to establish diplomatic relations with Indonesia. It was only in 1992 during a UMP lead government that the Prime Minister at the time, Carlot Korman, established diplomatic relations with Indonesia. Since then it has been difficult for the Vanuatu Government to deal with the issue of West Papua because of international diplomacy and international law.

However, Natapei said that the situation now is far worse because of the signed Development Co-operation Agreement.

He said that he is disappointed that some of the very MPs who pressurized him in 2010, when he was Prime Minister, to sign a motion for Parliament to adopt certain declarations on West Papua, but when they become Ministers in the current Government they forgot about the Melanesian people of West Papua.

Finally, the Deputy Leader of Opposition and President of Vanua’aku Pati, assured the delegation of the National Coalition for the Liberation of West Papua that if he and his party return to government they would ensure that the NCLWP achieves some of its missions particularly that of having an observer status in MSG and for Pacific Islands Forum or MSG to send a mission to West Papua to investigate and report on human rights situation there on the ground which had been widely reported in the media over the years.

Source; www.dailypost.vu

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Leaders meet in Fiji for MSG meeting

Foreign Ministers from Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) member countries are in Fiji for talks, ahead of Thursday's leaders' summit.

The Fiji Sun says ministers from Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea are in the capital, Suva, along with the Foreign Minister of East Timor.

East Timor and Indonesia will be observing Tuesay's meeting.

Indonesia's inclusion has been controversial, with former MSG chair, Edward Natapei, saying the move would be unhelpful to Indonesia's West Papuan community.

The Australia-based West Papua Association has argued that as Indonesia has observer status, the West Papuans should also get a seat at the table.

But Fiji's Foreign Affairs Minister, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, has rejected that criticism and says the MSG remains committed to the rights of West Papuans.

Source: http://abcasiapacificnews.com

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West Papuans don't want Indonesia to observe at MSG

A West Papuan independence group is furious the Melanesian Spearhead Group has granted Indonesia observer status for this month's summit.

Indonesia and East Timor have been granted observer status, while the founding member of the European Union, Luxembourg, will be invited as a special guest.

The West Papua National Coalition for Liberation's vice president has accused Melanesian leaders of prioritising Indonesian aid money ahead of the West Papuan independence movement.

Presenter: Stephanie March
Speakers: John Otto Ondowame, Vice president of the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation; Dr Ronald May, senior associate in the State, Society and Governance in Melanesia Program, at the Australian National University's School of Pacific and Asian Studies

• Listen: Windows Media

Source: www.radioaustralia.net.au

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West Papuans angered by Indonesia invitation

A West Papuan independence group has been angered by a decision to grant Indonesia observer status at a summit meeting of the Melanesian Spearhead Group next week.

The decision was made by MSG leaders.

East Timor also has been granted observer status, while a founding member of the European Union, Luxembourg, has been invited as a special guest

Fiji's leader and MSG chairman, Frank Bainimarama, says the decision to invite Indonesia and East Timor as observers is a historic moment in the young life of the MSG, which was formed in 2005.

But the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation has accused MSG leaders of prioritising Indonesian aid money, ahead of the West Papuan independence movement.

Vice-president John Otto Ondowame says Indonesia does not have the credentials to be a part of the group.

"West Papuan are from Melanesia, Indonesian are Asian . . . therefore the Melanesian Spearhead Group is for the Melanesian people," he said.

Source: http://australianetworknews.com

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West Papua group to continue lobbying for Pacific support to take case to UN

The West Papua National Coalition for Liberation says it will continue to lobby Pacific countries to support Vanuatu’s bid to raise legal issues around the status of Indonesia’s Papua region at the United Nations.

Vanuatu’s parliament agreed last year to request General Assembly support for the International Court of Justice to provide an advisory opinion on the process in which the former Netherlands New Guinea was ceded to Indonesia in the 1960s.

However the bid has been postponed partly due to a change in Vanuatu’s government.

The coalition’s secretary-general Rex Rumakiek says Vanuatu also needs to work on getting the Melanesian Spearhead Group countries’ support on the bid.

“They (Vanuatu) don’t want to do it by themselves, they need support from the region: MSG as well as the Forum. So we’re hoping that when they meet in Fiji this month (the MSG) they should talk about it. But again we are depending on Vanuatu to advise us what to do because we are going to lobby worldwide, especially concentrating on New Zealand as the Forum is going to be in New Zealand this year.”

Source: www.rnzi.com

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Papua activists oppose Indonesian observer application to MSG

A Papuan independence group is calling for Indonesia’s application for observer status at meetings of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to be declined.

The West Papua National Coalitional for Liberation’s Secretary General says Indonesia’s application will be considered when the MSG meets at the end of the month.

Rex Rumakiek says the application is a bid to crush his organisation.

“That will end our efforts, our successful efforts to get the MSG to support our case to the United Nations. Indonesia should not be allowed to be a member or even observer of Melanesian Spearhead Group because that is only against the basic principles from which this body was established.”

Rex Rumakiek says if Indonesia’s application is approved, the West Papua National Coalitional for Liberation will apply to the MSG for full membership.

Source: www.rnzi.com

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Fiji issue expected to dominate next MSG summit

The role of Fiji within the Pacific looks set to dominate the Melanesian Spearhead Group again this year, according to an Australian academic.

The MSG members - Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, plus the pro-independence front of New Caledonia - are due to meet in Fiji for their next talks within two months.

West Papua is an ongoing issue for the group, but the main focus is on the diplomatic manoeuvring of the MSG, which is currently chaired by Fiji... compared to the Pacific Island Forum, which voted to suspend Fiji in 2009.

Add to this is the international element, with Australia and New Zealand keen to isolate Fiji's interim military government... while China last year backed Fiji's challenge to the Forum, when it held the so-called 'Engaging Fiji' meeting - seen as a deliberate snub to the Pacific Forum.

Dr Ronald May is a senior associate in the State, Society and Governance in Melanesia Program, at the Australian National University's School of Pacific and Asian Studies.

He's just released a policy analysis paper on the MSG for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speaker: Dr Ronald May from the Australian National University

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• Windows Media

DR MAY: The Chinese funded that exercise and I think that was also due in part to seeing an opportunity to exert a bit more influence in the region at a time when Australia and New Zealand were lobbying very strongly against countries attending the Fiji meeting. I think that's an indication of how things have gone. I think Australia and New Zealand are in a slightly difficult position. The Pacific Island Forum not just under the influence of Australia and New Zealand. It is certainly supported by Australia and New Zealand suspended Fiji's membership from the Pacific Island Forum, so they Australia, made it quite clear that it would be happy if not too many countries came to the Fiji meeting. In fact they did, which was seen as a bit of a victory for Fiji and I suspect that the Chinese would see this as a good opportunity to acquire a bit more influence in the region perhaps at the expense of Australia and New Zealand.

COCHRANE: Now you argue in the paper that the Melanesian Spearhead Group has the potential to rival the other major regional forum, the Pacific Islands Forum but that it won't. Can you explain why it won't?

DR MAY: Well, I think there is a lot of concern, particularly in Australia that Bainimarama may see the mild success in the Fiji meeting as setting up the MSG as a rival to the Pacific Island Forum. The concern is probably a bit exaggerated. The Pacific Island Forum which includes all the island Pacific countries has a fairly well founded history, the solidarity of the meeting on a number of issues has been significant in the past. I think what people tend to underestimate is the potential splits within the Melanesian Spearhead Group. The Melanesian Spearhead Group has maintained the membership of Fiji and they have on occasions come out and supported the policies of Bainimarama and his strategic plan and the postponement of the election, whereas the Pacific Island Forum has maintained his suspension. So the Melanesian Spearhead Group countries have been a bit inconsistent on this. On the one hand, they have endorsed him at the MSG meetings. On the other hand, they have supported the continued suspension of the Pacific Island Forum meetings. There are also differences on some other issues I think particularly the issue of West Papua. Vanuatu has initiated moves to support the West Papuan claim for a new look at the or a re-examination of the 1962 agreement and the so-called act of free choice in 1961 by which West Papua was integrated into the Indonesian republic. Certainly Papua New Guinea has not supported that and some of the other Melanesian countries I think have their doubts about that.

COCHRANE: Now we may have already touched on them in the discussion, but what do you see as some of the big issues for the MSG in 2011?

DR MAY: Well, I guess the big issue will be the continuing recent issue of how to deal with Fiji. I think the Melanesian Spearhead Group will probably see its role in sort of heading off some of the more harsh criticisms, particularly from Australia and New Zealand of Fiji, but also of maintaining pressure on Fiji. I guess the elections that were put off to 2014. Two thousand and 14 is not so far away now, but I think the Melanesian position has been that isolating Fiji is not a good move, that it will simply push Fiji towards other countries, like China and may be even the Arab League, but it will push them in another direction. So I think the Melanesian position has been that the best tactic is to try and continue engaging Fiji in discussion and hoping that the regime will come round to a resumption of democracy in the not to distant future.

COCHRANE: Having said that though, the ongoing dialogue hasn't really had anymore results than the Australian-New Zealand stance, which is to try and get sanctions and put pressure on them in a different way. I mean is it a case of both tactics not really working?

DR MAY: I think that's right. On the other hand, in the longer term, the tactic of trying to engage Fiji and keep a dialogue going is essentially a more productive one than trying to isolate the country, because I think it is quite clear now that Bainimarama is not going to react to isolation and opposition from what he perceives as groups dominated by Australia and New Zealand. On the other hand, particularly following the relative success of the meeting it at in Fiji. I think even Bainimarama will want to keep his lines of dialogue open with the other Pacific Island countries. So I think in the longer term, not only the Melanesian Spearhead Group, but I think also Australia and New Zealand probably could do well to examine their own policies on trying to isolate Fiji and see if there is any way of getting a dialogue going that might shift a fairly intransigent regime a bit more towards a position that is acceptable in the region.

Source; http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201102/s3134512.htm

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