SPECIAL REPORT: By Yamin Kogoya
The name Vanuatu has taken on a sacred significance in Papuan liberation consciousness.
The Free Papua Movement (OPM) elders ignited this consciousness after the declaration of West Papua’s independence on 1 July 1971.
The declaration was an act of revolution to reclaim Papuan sovereignty, stolen by Indonesia.
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General Seth Rumkorem and Jacob Prai declared it, defended it, and received official recognition. Dakar, Senegal, was among them, the first international diplomatic office opened by OPM shortly after the declaration.
As Papuans resisted the invasion, they sought refuge in the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Sweden, Australia, and Greece. All joined, at least in spirit, under the name OPM.
Its spirit of revolution that bonded West Papua and Vanuatu with those across Europe, Oceania, and Africa. This was a time of decolonisation, revolution, and a Cold War.
The decolonisation movement back then was more conscious in heart and mind of humanity than now.
Rex Rumakiek’s ‘sacred connection’
Rex Rumakiek (now aged 78), a long time OPM fighter alongside others, established this sacred connection in 1978.
In Papua New Guinea, Rumakiek met with students from Vanuatu studying at the University of Papua New Guinea and shared the OPM’s revolutionary victory, tragedy, and solution.
These students later took prominent roles in the formation of the independent state of Vanuatu — became part of the solution — laid a foundation of hope.
A common spirit emerged between the OPM’s resistance to Indonesian colonisation and Vanuatu’s struggle for freedom from long-term European (French and English) confederation rule.
A brutal system of dual rule known as Condominium — critics called it “Pandemonium” (chaos and disorder).
West Papua, a land known as “little heaven” is indeed like a Garden of Eden in Milton’s epic Paradise Lost poem.
To restore freedom and justice to that betrayed, lost paradise was the foundation of Vanuatu and West Papua’s relationship. For more than 40 years Vanuatu has been a beacon of hope………………………...
IN anticipation of the upcoming Melanesian Spearhead Group Leader’s Summit in Vanuatu this month, there is a growing call for West Papua to be granted full membership in the organisation.
“The summit is set to be held in July in Port Vila, Vanuatu, which is expected to bring together leaders from Melanesian countries and territories to discuss regional cooperation and address challenges in the sub-region,” West Papuan global campaigner, Raki Ap said.
Mr Ap, who is currently in Solomon Islands, meeting with fellow campaigners and the Solomon Islands Solidarity group for West Papua, remarked that the Melanesian Spearhead Group was founded by Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Vanuatu with the goal of promoting decolonisation and freedom for Melanesian countries and territories in the South Pacific.
He said this is a key value and principle in which current MSG leaders should revisit and use as their sole guide to deliberate on the application of West Papuans.
The forum currently has five full members – Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, PNG, Fiji and the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front of New Caledonia (FLNKS) along with one associate member, Indonesia and two observers, East Timor and West Papua.
Mr Ap said representing West Papua in the forum is Indonesia and the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), a political organisation mandated by the indigenous people of West Papua with the purpose of uniting the factions in West Papua.
He added that both camps have however disputed each other’s legitimacy and argue over who truly represents the interests of West Papuans.
Indonesia asserts that its 13 million Melanesian residents gave it the right to represent West Papua in the MSG, whilst West Papuans argue that Indonesia prioritises its own political and economic interests over those of the local population.
Currently, Indonesia holds associate membership in the MSG, granting it limited participation and influence, whilst the ULMWP only has observer status, preventing it from effectively raising concerns about human rights violations and development needs in West Papua.
Meanwhile, Ap highlighted that ULMWP has submitted applications for full membership in 2013 and 2015 but those applications were unsuccessful.
He said the decision on membership rests with the full members of the MSG and consensus amongst the leaders is required, adding that in the past, divisions amongst forum members have hindered West Papua’s bid for full membership.
Nevertheless, Mr Ap revealed that there are signs of increasing support for West Papua’s membership through ULMWP.
The Campaigner for a free West Papua went on to add that, “Encouragingly, Vanuatu, the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front, and recently Fiji’s newly elected Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, have all indicated their support. The decisive decision may lie with Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.”
As the International Spokesperson for the Free West Papua Campaign and the Green State Vision, Mr Ap is currently on a speaking tour in the Pacific to raise awareness about the ongoing human rights violations and the environmental crisis in West Papua.
Mr Ap, whose father was assassinated by the Indonesian military, emphasises the importance of West Papua’s full membership in the MSG.
He stressed that the upcoming Melanesian Leader’s Summit will be a crucial one as it will also determine whether West Papua will finally be granted full membership and be allowed to sit at the table with other full MSG members as equals.
“The eyes of Melanesia and the world are on the summit, awaiting the decision of the leaders,” he added.
– SI Solidarity Group for West Papua
Jakarta – West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) or KKB (armed criminal group) spokesperson Sebby Sambom claims that they have not asked for a ransom to be paid for the release Susi Air pilot Mark Mehrtens, who has been held hostage since February.
This was conveyed by Sambom in response to a statement by the Papua regional police (Polda) that they would only agree to a request to pay a random for Mehrtens’ release.
“We are not criminals and are not asking for money”, said Sambom in an SMS message on Friday June 30.
Sambom said that one of their demands is that the government must acknowledge the existence of the struggle by the TPNPB, which is demanding Papuan independence.
“That our demand is very clear, namely that the Indonesian government must acknowledge the existence of the struggle by the TPNPB which is demanding the right to independence for the Papuan nation”, he said.
Mehrtens has been held hostage by KKB leader Egianus Kogoya since February after he landed his aircraft at the Paro landing strip in Nduga regency in the Papua highlands.
Yesterday the Papau regional police emphasised that they would not provide arms or independence to the KKB in return for the release of the New Zealand pilot.
Papua regional police chief Inspector General Mathius Fakhiri said that they would only agree to pay a ransom to the KKB, which they would send in return for Mehrtens’ release.
“It would be impossible for us to agree with those two requests (independence and weapons). But for the money that has also been requested it will be prepared and handed over to Egianus Kogoya providing that the hostage who is a New Zealand national is released and handed over to security forces”, said Fakhiri in Jayapura on Thursday June 29 as quoted by the state-own news agency Antara.
Fakhiri said that negotiations on Mehrtens’ release are continuing and that the police have involved Kogoya’s family in the talks. They hope that the family can lobby Kogoya to release Mehrtens.
“We hope that Egianus will not carry out his threat, namely to shoot the Susi Air pilot on July 1”, he said. (yoa/ain)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Polisi Siap Tebus, KKB Papua Bantah Minta Uang untuk Pilot Susi Air".]
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