By Samantha Semoso – EMTV Online
The West Papuan delegation to the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) has revealed that they feel the group failed them, following Indonesia’s elevation to associate member status, with West Papua only being endorsed as an observer.
Secretary General to ULMWP Octovianus Mote said “At the MSG summit in Noumea (Kanaky) in 2013, MSG recognised West Papua for self-determination, and at the special MSG leaders meeting in Port Moresby in 2014, a criteria was set requiring West Papuans be united before they could be considered for MSG membership.
“We want to know whether the Indonesian government followed the same process to apply for MSG membership or not?”
Mote also claims Indonesia has not fulfilled the MSG criteria of unification with the indigenous people of West Papua, a condition imposed on them prior to being granted full member status.
“Why is the process of applying biased?” Mote asked. “Indonesia has never collected signatures from its integrated region of West Papua, in order to represent the Melanesian people there.”
He further stated that ULMWP was elected by 500 delegates representing seven customary regions of West Papua, consisting of more than 257 tribes in July 2011.
Their unification was sponsored by the government and people of Vanuatu, the Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs and Vanuatu Council of Churches.
