Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
PO Box 28, Spit Junction, NSW 2088
Summary of events in West Papua for February -12 March 2018
The last update ended 17 February. This report takes in the rest of February to the 12 March.
Melanesian
Spearhead Group
The last update reported how the Leaders of
the MSG countries referred the West Papuan application for full membership to
its secretariat for processing. Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, and chair of the
MSG said the leaders of Melanesia have approved new criteria guidelines for
observers, associate members and full members to the sub-regional grouping.
More stories on MSG below.
According to Sade Bimantara, a
spokesman for the Indonesian embassy in Australia, Jakarta has
been assisting the MSG financially and in procuring
vehicles and other things for their secretariat. Sade Bimantara also
said the ULMWP's bid is at a dead end."I don't think they qualify to be a
full member of the MSG."
Vanuatu Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu
responded to Sade Bimantara's claim that West Papua's 'game is up'. In an email exchange with the Daily Post, Mr Regenvanu wrote, "Well,
that's for the MSG Leaders to decide once the application is presented to them.
"Technically, the ULMWP can meet the new criteria just agreed upon."
The issue, he wrote, would not be decided by the technicalities outlined by
Indonesia's spokesman. "The question is only whether a political
compromise can be achieved by the MSG Leaders before the next Summit at which
the application for membership will be considered." "Vanuatu is
working on achieving this political compromise," he concluded (RNZI 19
Feb.)
Speaking in
the Solomons parliament, Deputy
PM Manasseh Sogavare said Fiji should apologise for
bringing Indonesia into the MSG. He said Fiji's prime minister Frank
Bainimarama breached MSG procedure by forcing the other four full members to
accept Indonesia as part of the sub-regional grouping, whose full members are
Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and FLNKS Kanaks movement of
New Caledonia. Indonesia was admitted to the MSG with observer status in
2011 after Mr Bainimarama assumed the MSG's rotational chairmanship. "There
was no consensus in the admission of Indonesia by member countries," claimed Mr Sogavare who wants Indonesian control of West Papua reviewed by
the United Nations.
Fiji's Defence Minister Ratu Inoke
Kubuabola denied Mr Sogavare's claim that the MSG didn't reach consensus
on the issue. "I think he is either suffering from memory loss or
trying to play politics with his own constituents," said Ratu Inoke. "He
has forgotten that it was during his term as chair of the MSG when Indonesia
was admitted to the MSG as an associate member. All members of the MSG had
agreed."
Indonesia helps finance Melanesian Spearhead Group secretariat
RNZI 19 February 2018
Indonesia's government has been helping fund the
Melanesian Spearhead Group's secretariat. The secretariat, based in Vanuatu's
capital Port Vila, has experienced funding limitations in recent years. The
five full members - Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands and New
Caledonia's FLNKS Kanaks Movement - are meant to pay annual contributions. However, some members have struggled to pay their
dues on time in the past few years. According to a spokesman for Indonesia's
embassy in Australia, Sade Bimantara, Jakarta has been helping the MSG out. "And
we have been giving our annual contribution. On top of that we have also helped
the secretariat in procuring vehicles and other things for their secretariat.
Yeah, so we have been assisting them financially as well." Sade Bimantara,
a representative of Indonesia's government, which has associate member status
in the MSG.
ULMWP Can Pass Muster: Foreign Minister
PM Charlot Salwai speaks at the ribbon cutting
ceremony for the new ULMWP headquarters in Port Vila. The land grant was
facilitated by then-Lands Minister, and now Foreign Minister, Ralph Regenvanu.
Dan McGarry
In a brief message yesterday, Vanuatu
Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu responded to an Indonesian spokesman's claims
by Indonesia's First Secretary for Political Affairs in Australia that West
Papua's 'game is up'. Radio New Zealand
reported earlier this week that Mr Sade Bimantara said that the "United
Liberation Movement for West Papua's bid to be a full member of the Melanesian
Spearhead group has reached a dead end."
In the interview with RNZI's Johnny Blades,
Mr Bimantara opined "I don't think they qualify to be a full member of the
MSG. They are not a state, and as opposed to Kanaks, they are not on the C24
(UN) Decolonisation Committee, they are not on the list, West Papua. And also
the separatist group does not obtain full support from all the West Papuans.
And West Papua and Papua is also politically free, so there's no reason for the
MSG to accept them as full members." This was disputed yesterday by
Vanuatu's Foreign Minister. In an email exchange with the Daily Post, Mr
Regenvanu wrote, "Well, that's for the MSG Leaders to decide once the
application is presented to them. "Technically, the ULMWP can meet the new
criteria just agreed upon." The issue, he wrote, would not be decided by
the technicalities outlined by Indonesia's spokesman. "The question is
only whether a political compromise can be achieved by the MSG Leaders before
the next Summit at which the application for membership will be
considered." "Vanuatu is working on achieving this
political compromise," he concluded.
Mr Regenvanu has been an outspoken
supporter of West Papuan Independence movement. One of his last acts as Lands
Minister before he took up the Foreign Affairs portfolio was to facilitate a
grant of land to provide the United Liberation Movement for West Papua a
permanent headquarters in Port Vila. A ULMWP statement following the
announcement of Mr Regenvanu's appointment to the portfolio said that it
"is certainly a very effective state policy closely linked to the
direction of the effective support of... Vanuatu for the West Papuan
independence struggle."
Melanesian Spearhead Group spat over
Indonesia spills over
Johnny Blades, RNZ Pacific Journalist RNZI
7 March 2018
Fiji has hit back at the deputy prime
minister of Solomon Islands over criticism about the Melanesian Spearhead
Group. Speaking in the Solomons parliament
yesterday, Manasseh Sogavare said Fiji should apologise for bringing Indonesia
into the MSG. He said Fiji's prime minister Frank
Bainimarama breached MSG procedure by forcing the other four full members to
accept Indonesia as part of the sub-regional grouping, whose full members are
Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and FLNKS Kanaks movement of
New Caledonia.
Indonesia was admitted to the MSG with
observer status in 2011 after Mr Bainimarama assumed the MSG's rotational
chairmanship. "There was no consensus in the
admission of Indonesia by member countries," claimed Mr
Sogavare who wants Indonesian control of West Papua reviewed by
the United Nations. In 2015 Indonesia had its status in the
group elevated. This remains a complicating factor as the MSG wrestles with the
sensitive issue of a West Papuan membership bid.
However, in response, Fiji's Defence
Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, who often represents Fiji at MSG summits, denied
Mr Sogavare's claim that the MSG didn't reach consensus on the issue.
"I think he is either suffering from
memory loss or trying to play politics with his own constituents," said
Ratu Inoke. "He has forgotten that it was during
his term as chair of the MSG when Indonesia was admitted to the MSG as an
associate member. All members of the MSG had agreed."
Mr Sogavare had chaired the 2015 meeting in
Honiara where, according to Ratu Inoke, MSG leaders reached consensus about
Indonesia's status in the group.
"I cannot really understand why he is
making this statement, trying to put the blame on our prime minister, because
all the (MSG) members agreed to admit Indonesia as an associate member,"
said the Fiji minister. Following the 2015 summit, Mr Sogavare
spoke of how bringing Indonesia into the fold had been
polarising for MSG leaders. The United Liberation Movement for West
Papua was itself granted observer status in the MSG in 2015, but its
application for full membership continues to divide the five full members. At their latest summit in Port Moresby last
month, MSG leaders approved new clarifications on guidelines around membership
in the group.
The Liberation Movement's application has
been referred to the MSG secretariat for processing, but Fiji and Papua New
Guinea have signalled they remain opposed to the pro-independence West Papuans
being given full membership. Of the other full members of the group,
Vanuatu and the FLNKS appear firmly in support of the Papuan bid.
Solomon Islands had until recently also
been strongly in support of giving West Papuans full membership in the MSG. But
when Mr Sogavare was ousted as prime minister late last year, and replaced by
Rick Hou, that support appeared to dim. The position of PNG and Fiji on the West
Papua membership issue had been "really clear", according to Ratu
Inoke. "And the new prime minister of Solomon
Islands, in the last meeting in Port Moresby, about three weeks ago, he took a
similar position," he said. Mr Sogavare however remains a strong
influence in government, and his stand on the Papua issue appears unlikely to
diminish. "Close association of Fiji with
Indonesia is sabotaging the work of MSG and their membership in MSG is not
political but economic interest," said Mr Sogavare. Echoing recent statements by Vanuatu's
government, Mr Sogavare said the MSG's founding aim of working to decolonise
all Melanesian peoples was at risk.
Sikua says MSG must change its name
Solomon
Star 06 March 2018
Leader of the
Parliamentary Independent Group, Dr. Derek Sikua asks Prime Minister (PM) Rick
Houenipwela to move a motion in the next Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG)
meeting to change the name of MSG, since the organisation no longer serves its
purpose. Sikua stressed this on the floor of parliament after learning from the
revelation by the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Manasseh Sogavare that some
member countries are pursing economic interests, at the expense of Melanesia. Sogavare
revealed that Fiji and Papua New Guinea (PNG) are not doing any good for the
plight of our Melanesian brothers and sisters in West Papua.
Citing, the two countries only strengthen their ties with Indonesia to serve their interests that is not founded in the very purpose and reasons, in the formation of MSG. Dr. Sikua, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for North East Guadalcanal said the word Spearhead should be change to something else because MSG no longer serves its purpose as intended by its founding fathers. He joked that the head of the spear is blunt so its better to change the name to something like Melanesian Economic Forum, so that it reflects where we are now. “MSG has drifted out from its very purpose so the name has to be changed to remove the word spearhead to something that reflects the current position of MSG, which no longer stands for the freedom and rights of Melanesia from colonial rule and oppression.”
But PM Houenipwela said, the application of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) to be admitted full membership in MSG has been referred to the Director General of MSG. He said the application has been agreed on by leaders to follow the procedures and criteria, so it is an administrative matter and not an issue for leaders to meet over and decide on. PM further added that the apology made to member countries of MSG will not change government policy on West Papua. He responded to a question asked by MP for Rendova-Tetepare Danny Phillip. Stating, his term will end this year, which is too short, so he hopes that he will come back next year to work on a new policy for West Papua. By AATAI JOHN LAUNGI
West Papua Liberation Army in fresh
campaign against Indonesia
RNZI 21 Feb. 2018
The West Papua National Liberation Army's
central command in the Papuan Highlands has made a fresh declaration of war
against Indonesian military.
West Papua Liberation Army at the issuance
of a declaration of war against Indonesian security forces. Photo: Supplied
The Liberation Army is the armed wing of
the Free West Papua Movement. Since forming in the early 1970s after Indonesia
took control of West Papua, the army has been waging a sporadic guerilla campaign
for independence with limited weaponry. However, it's been linked to a spate of
skirmishes with Indonesian security forces in the Highlands region of Papua
province in the past few months.
It claimed responsibility for the killing
of an Indonesian soldier in remote Puncak Jaya regency last week. The
Army's recently appointed Chief of Field operations, Major General Telenggen
Lekkagak, has issued a new declaration about driving Indonesian forces out of
Papua.
The Liberation Army also wants to close the
operations of foreign companies that are exploiting Papua's resources. Major
General Telenggen specifically mentioned the oil and gas multi-national BP with
its gas project in Bintuni Bay, and the US mining giant Freeport which runs the
massive Grasberg gold and copper mine in Mimika. The Freeport mine, which is
one of Indonesia's largest single sources of revenue, has long been the subject
of West
Papuan grievances over environmental and social impacts. As well,
Papuans have complained about not being consulted over the control of Freeport,
and about not gaining any benefit from its lucrative operations.
Attacks by the Liberation Army on
Indonesian security forces have often occurred in the
area around Freeport, and have at times extended to attacks on the
miner's infrastructure and personnel. In the declaration, Major General
Telenggen says that Papua's resources must be protected for the sake of West
Papuan independence. "As long as Indonesia occupies our homeland, the
war's resistance continues until Papuan independence becomes real," read
an English version of the Army's declaration. He said that as of last month,
the Liberation Army had ordered a general mobilisation of all its soldiers in
Papua to carry out operations against what it calls "the invaders". Although
its membership has, in the past, been divided into various groups over West
Papua's rugged interior, a spokesman for the Army says all of its wings are now
united.
Indonesia seizes illegally logged wood from
Papua
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities
foiled the shipment of 21 containers of prized ironwood from Papua,
highlighting what environmentalists say is a rampant illegal trade in the
country’s easternmost region. The Forestry and Environment Ministry’s law
enforcement agency said the wood from the Kaimana tropical forest was processed
and ready for shipment to Surabaya, home to a major port and a center of
Indonesia’s wood furniture manufacturing and export industry on the island of
Java. The seizure was made Tuesday and announced
Thursday. Greenpeace Indonesia said the seizure is
small compared with long-standing smuggling from Papua where no “big actors”
have been prosecuted. Indonesia was in 2016 admitted to an EU
licensing system that makes it easier for Indonesian wood producers to export
to the bloc.
Opinion pieces/reports/media releases etc.
They’re killing the Koroway with mercury and precious
metals.
Recognising land and tenure rights ist he best way to protect
Papua’s forest
GUEST BLOG: Maire Leadbeater – 60 Years of diplomatic relations
with Indonesia: black marks on the record card
An Indonesian District Isolated From Development
West Papua's fight for independence
Activists march against violence toward women in Papua
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2017/18 THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S HUMAN RIGHTS
country report Indonesia
Previous AWPA update
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