Melanesian Spearhead Group Rejects ULMWP’s Bid for Full Membership

AmbassadorDesraPercaya attends MSG Summit in Solomon Islands on Thursday (14/7)

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) has declined the United Liberation Movement for West Papua’s (ULMWP)’s bid to become a full member of the group and instead granted them with observer status as an NGO that represents the Melanesian diaspora.

The decision as reached at the Special Summit of MSG held in Honiara, Solomon Islands on Thursday (14/7).

Commenting on the decision, Director General of the Asia Pacific and Africa of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador DesraPercaya, who also led the Indonesian Delegation at the Summit said: “There is no place for the ULMWP in the future of MSG.”

The decision was the hopes and conviction of the ULMWP that they will be accepted as a full member of the organization.

According to Desra, active participation and intensive lobbying from the Indonesian delegation, which also comprises representatives of five Indonesian provinces with strong Melanesian-Indonesian influences, (North Maluku, Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, Papua, and West Papua) have successfully convinced MSG leaders not to accept ULMWP’s proposal for the full membership.

The Summit also agreed to further discuss guidance of membership that will be completed in September 2016 di Port Vila, Vanuatu.

The formulation of the guidance, Desra added, will be done by respecting the principles of international laws that regulate relations among countries, particularly respect to sovereignty, non-intervention to internal affairs of other countries as determined by the Agreement of Establishment of the MSG.

Desra also emphasizes on Indonesia’s commitment to support and make MSG as a progressive organization through cooperation of concrete development and constructive dialogs in reaching common goals.

On that occasion, Desra also extended an invitation from the Indonesian Government to members of the MSG to participate in the Bali Democracy Forum, to be held in Bali on 8 – 9 December this year.

The Summit also agreed to appoint Ambassador Amena Yauvoli from Fiji as new MSG Secretariat Generaland to address financial problems faced by MSG.

MSG is an intergovernmental organization, composed of the four Melanesian states of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front of New Caledonia.

 The organization is aimed at promoting and strengthening trades among members countries, exchanges of Melanesian cultures, as well as promoting technical cooperation to reach economic growth, sustainable development, good governance, and security.

Indonesia became associate member MSG at the 20^th MSG Summit in Honiara, Solomon Islands in 2015 after it was actively involved as an observer. Indonesia is now considering positively to become a full member of the MSG. (Dit Infomes Kemlu/ES)(EP/YM/Naster)