In anticipation of the upcoming Melanesian Spearhead Group Leader’s Summit, there is a growing call for West Papua to be granted full membership in the organization.
“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”, says West Papuan global campaigner, Raki Ap.
Mr. Ap who is currently in the country, 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, and Vanuatu with the goal of promoting decolonization and freedom for Melanesian countries and territories in the South Pacific, a key value and principle in which current MSG leaders should revisit and use as their sole guiding to deliberate on the application of the West Papuans.
The forum currently has five full members – Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front of New Caledonia – along with one associate member, Indonesia, and two observers, East Timor and West Papua.
Ap then explains that representing West Papua in the forum is Indonesia and the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), a political organization mandated by the indigenous people of West Papua, which was established with a purpose to unite the factions in West Papua.
Ap further 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 give it the right to represent West Papua in the MSG, while West Papuans argue that Indonesia prioritizes 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, while the ULMWP only has observer status, preventing them from effectively raising concerns about human rights violations and development needs in West Papua.
Meanwhile, Ap highlighted that West Papuan representatives (ULMWP), have twice submitted applications for full membership, in 2013 and 2015, but were unsuccessful. He said the decision on membership rests with the full members of the MSG, and consensus among the leaders is required, adding that in the past, divisions among forum members have hindered West Papua’s bid for full membership.
However, 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. Raki 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, emphasizes the importance of West Papua’s full membership in the MSG.
Ap also stressed that the upcoming Melanesian Leader’s Summit will be crucial as it will also determine whether West Papua will finally be granted full membership and allowed to sit at the table as equals. The eyes of Melanesia and the world are on the summit, awaiting the decision of the leaders.
