The Jakarta Post | Readers Forum | Fri, January 24 2014, 9:18 AM
This refers to the article titled “What’s next for Papua after the MSG diplomacy?”, (The Jakarta Post, Jan. 6).
This recent visit of Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) delegates followed up the Indonesian government’s official invitation delivered at the 19th MSG summit in Noumea, New Caledonia in June 2013.
This visit is closely related to the Papua independence issue that was brought forth at the summit by the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL), which seeks membership in the MSG.
Responding to the WPNCL membership request, the 19th MSG summit scheduled an official visit to Jakarta and Papua with the objective of seeing the real condition of the Papuan people (as well as checking negative reports from the WPNCL about Papua), and thereafter deciding on the status of the WPNCL membership application.
The Indonesian government agreed with this official visit as it takes the view there is nothing to hide in Papua. This visit took place between Jan. 11-15.
The Vanuatu government, which had been behind the WPNCL’s interest in raising the issue of human rights violations and genocide in Papua, stated it would not join the MSG visit to Indonesia.
Almost all the policies generated by the MSG summit are subregional trade agreements or political frameworks to accelerate economic development through trade relations conducted in the spirit of Melanesian solidarity. The MSG has provided a forum for economic cooperation between the countries of the Melanesia
region.
We are excited because the MSG understands not to intervene with Indonesian domestic political affairs and should only focus on mutual cooperation between Indonesia and Melanesia.
In front of the Indonesian president, the MSG delegation expressed support for Indonesian sovereignty in Papua, because the basic principle in the MSG is cooperation to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of its members.
Hopefully, the result of this MSG visit will increase economic cooperation and support the advancement of economic development between MSG countries, including economic development in Papua.
As a nation, we agree that human rights violations in any country need to be highlighted to improve the quality of life for all mankind, including human rights violations in Papua, which were a hot issue at the 19th MSG summit last year.
Bang Oke
Papua