A Solomon Islands parliamentarian is calling on the Melanesian Spearhead Group to ignore Indonesia and accept the membership bid of the people of West Papua.
Transcript
A Solomon Islands parliamentarian is calling on the Melanesian Spearhead Group to ignore Indonesia and accept the membership bid of the people of West Papua.
The MP for West Makira says he is disappointed in his own country's lack of conviction on the issue despite what he describes as overwhelming support from the Solomon Islands public for West Papua.
Derrick Manuari told Koroi Hawkins the precedent for dealing with the situation has been set in the case of the Kanaks in New Caledonia who were given membership rights over France because they represented the Melanesian people of the French Territory.
DERRICK MANUARI: I am very disappointed that even months before the MSG meeting the Government is still unclear about its position on the issue. In regards to public here in Solomons I think the Government should take heed of the current public opinion because people here are overwhelmingly, very supportive of the issue and I think the Government should take heed of that.
KOROI HAWKINS: Yes, and what sort of voices have you been hearing? I know there is a group that has been set up in the Solomon Islands and online as well on Facebook and social media. What is the support that you are hearing?
DM: Yes we have a very strong group here in the Solomons (Solomon Islands Solidarity for West Papua Freedom) and it comprises of all stakeholders within the civil society including the church and I am part of the group. And the support we have here is for West Papua to be considered as a member of MSG. So people are talking about their disagreement on how the Government is handling the issue. Because it's undeniable that West Papuans are suffering under the hands of Indonesia, a region that doesn't have any respect at all for human rights and other international rights of people of West Papua.
KH: As we come closer do you think the region's leaders could be swayed by Indonesia's pursuing that it is the right avenue for West Papuans to be represented through?
DM: Yes, I think it is very sad to see Melanesian leaders singing a distorted tune. The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea initially supported the cause for West Papua to be a member of MSG, however he is singing now a different tune and Bainimarama is also saying the same thing. But we don't see that as an appropriate approach of addressing the issues of MSG. The issue of FLNKS, the Kanaks and France is the precedence. During the struggle of the FLNKS against French Government, MSG came out vetting the fundamental principles of its formation, admitted FLNKS as a member of MSG. It is not a sovereignty issue, it is a solidarity issue. Of solidarity of Melanesian states and Melanesian territories in Melanesia. So the precedence is already set that West Papua as a Melanesian state should be admitted as a member of MSG and not Indonesia, it's not Melanesia.
Mr Manuari says he urges MSG leaders when they meet on 24 June to listen to their own citizens and to remember the reason the group was originally founded.
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