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ULMWP confident for West Papua to become MSG member

Source
Vanuatu Daily Post - March 31, 2021

Len Garae – The Executive Committee of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) has welcomed the Melanesian Spearhead Group Virtual Meeting with Port Vila MSG Secretariat and remind them of their sacred responsibility to make West Papua a full member of MSG.

Speaking at its urgent meeting on the PMC Presbyterian Church premises before yesterday, ULMWP Chairman Pastor Alan Nafuki and all members of his Committee present unanimously agreed to remind the MSG Leaders of the importance of elevating West Papua to its God-given status of full membership of MSG.

The call comes on the heels of an exclusive interview given by Vanuatu's former Roving Ambassador, Barak Sope who said, then Prime Minister Father Walter Lini (now deceased), pioneered the original Melanesian member countries of Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and the Solomons to become the first ever member countries of MSG in Port Vila, before they convinced Fiji to join them.

Sope says at the time he was First Secretary of Foreign Affairs while Father Lini was also Minister of Foreign Affairs along with being Prime Minister. "For those that do not know and keep making false statements regarding Vanuatu and the MSG, Father Walter Lini and his Government initiated the idea which explains why the MSG Secretariat along with ULMWP are located in Port Vila", Sope said.

In the latest development on the heels of Sope's interview, ULMWP wishes to express its confidence that the MSG Chairman, Prime Minister Bob Loughman, would speak in the same spirit of MSG vision as the catalyst against colonialism and continuing human right abuse of Melanesians in West Papua, to enable West Papua to become a full member of MSG.

Furthermore, West Papua Struggle Leader and Global Campaigner Benny Wenda, has contacted ULMWP by telephone this week, to confirm his interest to visit Port Vila to discuss the importance for West Papuans not to visit Port Vila on a tourist visa but a longer stay, since the ULMWP International Head Office is located in Port Vila.

The ULMWP Executive have endorsed such an arrangement.

Source: https://dailypost.vu/news/ulmwp-confident-for-west-papua-to-become-msg-member/article_51a3c29a-91c0-11eb-b095-6f8253826701.htm

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