Honiara, Jubi – Indonesian delegation reacted strongly to a speech by the General Secretary of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) at a meeting of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).
Oktovianus Mote said ULMWP stood before MSG to affirm that the group have fulfilled the requirements demanded by MSG at a meeting in Noumea, New Caledonia in 2013.
"The people of West Papua are united under the leadership of ULMWP. And our unity is supported by the Melanesian people. Our leadership has been legitimized by more than 55,000 people who signed the petition supporting ULMWP application for full membership. Many of the applicants had been arrested, imprisoned and tortured, "Mote said in his speech.
He said for 53 years Papua nation has been struggling against the colonial rulers of Indonesia and suffered human rights abuses. He claimed that at least 500,000 have been killed.
He also claimed the Indonesian crimes against Melanesians in West Papua has been widely recognized in various international and regional levels such as the European Union, the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, the Pacific Islands Forum, and MSG.
"Ten years ago, Juan Mendes, UN special rapporteur for the Prevention of Genocide mentioned that West Papua is as one of ten countries around the world that could be extinct unless there's international attention. Various academics and international human rights organizations have detailed the genocide that occurred in West Papua. In the next 5 years, Papuans will be less than 29% of the population in our own land. Our Melanesian identity, our Christian identity is under threat of a large wave of migrants from Indonesia and the Muslim-dominated Asia, "he explained.
Mandy Setyawati, who led the Indonesian delegation, released a statement denouncing the speech.
"We reject all accusations that are unfounded and false submitted by an organization calling themselves ULMWP. We have absolutely no interest in taking advantage of this forum in things that are not productive and constructive, " the Indonesian delegation said in the statement released to reporters in Honiara.
The Indonesian delegation also said that, as a democracy, Indonesia respects the law and quality under the rule of the Indonesian state.
"Through our records, we requested that we refrain from giving statements relating to the goals and objectives of MSG's organization," wrote the Indonesian delegation, at the end of the press release. (Victor Mambor/Tina)