Vanuatu PM raises West Papua in Geneva
Vanuatu PM raises West Papua in Geneva
Congratulations to the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Moana Carcasses Kalosil who raised the Human Rights situation in West Papua at the 25th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on the 4 March.
Extract from
PM’s statement
My country is here in this meeting to
amplify the concerns for human rights inWest Papua. We are
very concerned indeed about the manner in which the
international community had neglected the voices of the
Papuan people, who’s human rights have been trampled upon
and severely suppressed since 1969. Mr. President, you are
presiding over the noblest organ of the United Nations- the
Human Rights Council. But what do we do when rights of the
Melanesian people of West Papua is challenged with military
interventions and presence? Since the controversial Act of
Free Choice in 1969, the Melanesian People of West Papua
have been subject to on-going human rights violations
committed by the Indonesian security services. The world has
witnessed the litany of tortures, murders, exploitation,
rapes, military raids, arbitrary arrests and dividing of
civil society trough intelligence operations. The Indonesian
National Commission on Human Rights (KOMNAS HAM) concluded
that these acts constitute crimes against humanity under
Indonesian Law No. 26/2000 (KOMNAS HAM 2001,2004). In this
climate of fear and repression of political dissent, and
blatant negligence by the international Community including
the UN and the powerful developed countries since 1969, we
find this forgotten race still dare to dream for equality
and justice. Yet the democratic nations have kept silent.
In full + Video footage at http://awpasydneynews.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/vanuatu-pm-raises-west-papua-in-geneva.html
http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/watch/vanuatu-high-level-segment-5th-meeting-25th-regular-session-human-rights-council/3290028806001
Vanuatu has announced that Nikenike Vurobaravu will be the new High Commissioner to Fiji. A report in the Vanuatu Daily Post said he will have to deal with the sensitive issue of West Papua in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) level. “He will take up the difficult task of trying to keep Vanuatu's economic and political aspirations at the fore in negotiations with the rest of the MSG member countries, while advocating Vanuatu's strong stance on self determination for West Papua”. http://www.dailypost.vu/content/vurobaravu-better-placed-deal-west-papua-msg
The chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, Victor Tutugoro, says the group's special meeting to discuss the outcome of a visit to Indonesia's West Papua has been put off. The trip, which was boycotted by Vanuatu, was meant to discover more about the West Papuan National Coalition for Liberation, which is seeking MSG membership. The meeting had been scheduled for this week but Islands Business reported last week that Fiji was unhappy Vanuatu was to host the meeting. Mr Tutugoro, who represents the New Caledonian Kanak group on the MSG, has not explained the reasons for the delay but he says the meeting will be held on the island of Santo in Vanuatu's north, rather than at the MSG secretariat in Port Vila. (RNZI 10 Feb).
At the beginning of March, an
Indonesian delegation arrived in Fiji the country last night
to strengthen the growing relations between Indonesia and
Fiji. The eight-member delegation is also here to hold
public lectures at the three higher education institutions
in Fiji- the University of the South Pacific, Fiji National
University and the University of Fiji. On the visit agenda
would be moves to improve trade, investment, economic
relation and even higher education prospects between the two
nations. The delegation includes two Papuans, Franzalbert
Joku and Nicholas Simeone Messet who will be talking about
the reality of the much talked about Papuan situation in
Indonesia. Indonesian Minister Counsellor with the Foreign
Affairs Pratito Soeharyo said Fiji could always regard
Indonesia as a friend. “We are here to see the future of
the relationship between Indonesia and Fiji. It is the main
purpose of our visit. Through this visit, we will have a
clear idea of what is expected in the future regarding the
relationship between the two countries. “Indonesia is also
part of the Pacific also, therefore, we will develop and
strengthen our relationship.” This meeting is a result of
an invitation extended to the delegation by Foreign Affairs
Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola. Joku said: “There is a
realisation in Indonesia that we are not just an Asian
nation, but also a Pacific nation by the virtue of our
geographical location spanning between mainland Asia and
Oceania region in the Pacific.” http://www.islandsbusiness.com/news/fiji/4784/fijian-ties-move-indonesians-with-papuans-fly-in/
A
report in Jubi (3 March) said Fiji’s opposition has
accused an Indonesian delegation planning to visit the
Pacific country of intervening in Fiji’s internal politics
by supporting Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama in his
campaign for reelection. United Front for a Democratic
Fiji accused Indonesian Ambassador Aidil Chandra Salim of
having offered support to Commodore Bainimarama to be
reelected prime minister in the upcoming elections. “In
media interviews, the Indonesian Ambassador showed they were
behind the offer of support to Commodore Bainimarama to
become Fiji’s prime minister,” Mick Beddoes, the United
Front for a Democratic Fiji’s spokesman, told Jubi on
Monday night (3/3). He further said that the government of
Indonesia also gave half a million dollars to the Melanesia
Spearhead Group (MSG) in exchange for betraying the
sub-regional group’s commitment towards the West Papuan
people. The Indonesian embassy in Fiji has denied the
accusations, which have been voiced by pro-West Papuan
groups in the Pacific. http://tabloidjubi.com/en/?p=1425
The
Feb edition of Islands Business also reported that Vanuatu
is forcing the rest of the MSG to take a stand on West
Papua—something that is bound to test the integrity of the
grouping in the months and years to come. Its boycott of the
leaders’ visit to Indonesia, which incidentally has
observer status in the MSG grouping—is rooted in its
conviction and clearly not mere politicking’
The
apparent cohesiveness among the MSG (Melanesian Spearhead
Group) member nations suffered a body blow last month when
Vanuatu firmly and unambiguously boycotted an MSG leaders’
official tour of Indonesia.
This is the first time that such open dissent in the group has hit the news headlines since the formal establishment of the inter-governmental organisation in 2007, though there have been rumblings of dissent on other issues before. http://www.islandsbusiness.com/2014/2/we-say/msg-cohesion-in-doubt/
ENDS