[New post] Vanuatu Daily News Digest | CSO group urges Fiji to support ULMWP

WordPress.com bobmakin posted: "CSO group urge Fiji Government to recognize the ULMWP as legitimate representative of West Papua to MSG Suva – Fiji Islands: Civil Society Groups in Fiji today expressed concerns over the recent announcement of support by Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bain" Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Vanuatu Daily Digest Vanuatu Daily News Digest | CSO group urges Fiji to support ULMWP by bobmakin CSO group urge Fiji Government to recognize the ULMWP as legitimate representative of West Papua to MSG Suva – Fiji Islands: Civil Society Groups in Fiji today expressed concerns over the recent announcement of support by Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama for Indonesia’s bid to become an associate member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). The public statement by Frank Bainimarama that the alleged human rights violations would be best dealt with by Indonesia if it was allowed into the MSG bloc indicates how much Fiji has allowed its foreign policy to be dictated by the Indonesian government. Director of the Fiji’s Women’s Crisis Center (FWCC) Shamima Ali, says the announcement places serious leadership questions over Fiji’s credential as a regional leader and comes at odds with previous decisions by the Bainimarama led government which fully supports the inalienable rights of people of West Papua towards self-determination as provided for under the preamble of the MSG constitution. Shamima Ali, who is also Fiji’s former Human Rights Commissioner and NGO coalition Chair said, what’s more concerning is the wording of the statement by the Prime Minister which seeks to down play the last 50 years of a violent occupation by the Indonesian state that has seen over 500,000 people killed for a simple dream to be free. “The government of Indonesia remains unable to address serious human rights violations in terms of civil, political, cultural, economic and environmental rights,” she said, adding that these violations have been well documented by both domestic and international human rights monitoring bodies including UN High Commission for Human Rights. Ali said the recognition of the gross human rights violations in West Papua has been one of the key reasons why the MSG bloc considered the issue of West Papuan membership, and at the 2014 MSG Special Leaders meeting, Melanesian leaders including Fiji government, supported the West Papuan’s right to determine who represents them at the MSG block. It was clearly stated that the conditions were that the West Papuan groups must be a united umbrella group before submitting a fresh application to the MSG. The West Papuan people through process of consultation have decided who to represent them, and it is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) who has submitted an application to the MSG to be a full member. Reports last week indicate that over 70 people have been arrested in West Papua for supporting ULMWP. Fiji CSO groups call on the Fiji government to exercise real leadership on this issue by respecting the decisions and wishes of the people of West Papua about who represents them. What is clear is that it is not Indonesia who should represent them at the MSG. Ends// Background on formation of ULMWP Since the 2014 leaders meeting, the West Papuan people, supported by the Government of Vanuatu have undertaken the difficult process of consultation (amid fear of repression by the Indonesian state) amongst the different groups both within West Papua and outside of West Papua to form an inclusive and united umbrella group to represent the people of West Papua. The ULMWP is the choice of the people of West Papua, who are still today paying a high price for who their representative to MSG should be. For further information please contact: Lilly Vuiyasawa + (679) 331 3300 lilifwcc@gmail.com Joey Tau + (679) 3316722 jtaurakava@gmail.com -- bobmakin | May 30, 2015 at 10:17 am | Categories: The News, Digested | URL: http://wp.me/p2A4RK-Cf Comment    See all comments    Like Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Vanuatu Daily Digest. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://ift.tt/1KDhs6r Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

from Gmail
via IFTTT