Len Garae – The Chairman of Vanuatu Free West Papua Organisation, Pastor Allan Nafuki, has expressed utter disappointment at leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group for not fulfilling their promise to push through West Papua's application to become a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group this year.
On the other hand he wishes to be placed on record as congratulating Prime Minister Charlot Salwai for standing his ground and proclaiming Vanuatu's unchangeable position on West Papua to 50 West Papuan leaders in his Office last week, for the Melanesian country to be allowed its God-given freedom to decide its destiny by itself.
In an exclusive interview with the Chairman of the MSG Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting in Port Vila last week, Milner Tozaka said their Meeting did not deal with Indonesia's Associate Membership of MSG or West Papua's Observer Status of the same organization.
Instead he said the meeting proposed new guidelines or recommendations to qualify an applicant to become a member of MSG. The new guidelines will be considered by the MSG Prime Ministers early next month most probably in Papua New Guinea.
But Chairman Nafuki said the meeting should be held in Vanuatu, saying the MSG Leaders have been making promises which they seem not ready to keep.
"The leaders and people of West Papua have completed weaving the mat for the MSG Leaders to sit on to approve their application for full membership of MSG," Chairman Nafuki said.
"They have been struggling for 50 years for their freedom, so please MSG Prime Ministers, give the people of Melanesia in West Papua what they are dying for, over 500,000 have already been killed since 1969 for a simple request – to be allowed to enjoy the same freedom that you and I are taking for granted."