

“Our sister city, Port Vila, has suffered a terrible tragedy,” Governor Parkop stated at a press conference this morning, adding: “We stand in solidarity with the people of Vanuatu during this difficult time, and we are committed to doing everything we can to help them rebuild.”
“The music festival will be a vibrant celebration of community spirit and we hope it will bring people together to support a worthy cause and show the people of Port Vila that they are not alone,”
“Every kina donated will make a difference in the lives of those affected by the earthquake,” Governor Parkop emphasized. “Let’s show our sister city the strength of our compassion and support their journey to recovery.”
The Indonesia’s “Look East” Diplomacy entails stepping up on its propaganda against United Liberation Movement For West Papua or ULMWP. This is legitimated by the proposition that to go against ULMWP is for the best interests of the People of West Papua, Free Papua Movement, and the armed wing of the independence movement.
Indonesian militia elements target ULMWP. This is because it is the cementing block for indigenous Papuans who have formed under one umbrella group. It is also a threat considered by Jakarta as having traction and therefore reinforces the arguments for West Papua to separate from the unitary Republic of Indonesia.
And, Indonesian militia elements are assigned to stop this option for West Papua and ensure the conversation is only about West Papua remaining part of the territory, and an integral part of Indonesia.
In doing so, or to validate Indonesia’s claim to sovereignty over West Papua especially at a time when the internationalisation of the independence movement has peaked propaganda has been stepped up with programmes run by NGOs, academics, churches, students, and other tactical scripts produced in Jakarta.
In the latest developments, the strategy involved stepped up propaganda in which the armed wing of the independence movement is being coached into siding with the script from Jakarta.
It is the same version to play down the inalienable right to self – determine for indigenous Papuans since the 1960s. However, the extremist or hardline position of the armed wing since the unilateral proclamation of independence made by the OPM on 1 July 1971 is being manipulated so that it defeats the purpose of the case for a new UN sponsored referendum pushed by ULMWP which runs tandem to the case for independence put by the Dutch colonial administration to the UN in the 1960s.
The farcical Act of Free Choice held in 1969 therefore is being challenged by ULMWP which includes the role played by Indonesia as the temporary administration under the New York Agreement.
The point to be made about ULMWP’s internationalisation of the West Papua issue is that Indonesia’s claim to sovereignty over West Papua is illegal. This is supported by several tenets. Firstly, historical documents and data show clearly the fraud. Thus, on July 14 – August 2, 1969 based on the New York Agreement there was a referendum which was to provide indigenous Papuans the opportunity to choose self-determination [one person one vote] or not.
Due to the heavy involvement of militia elements sponsored by Indonesia the option for indigenous Papuans to have their say was never expressed under the terms of international best – practice. Instead, during the farcical referendum also called PEPERA the whole voting population of West Papua did not vote.
The New York Agreement provided that all indigenous Papuans above 18 years old were to vote which was the international best – practice guideline called universal suffrage. Only 1025 people comprising both indigenous Papuans and non – indigenous Papuans were hand – picked to represent the entire population of West Papua.
This history is to be rectified because the farcical referendum resulted in the current status of West Papua as a territorial region or part of the unitary Republic of Indonesia.
Secondly, the ULMWP has already set in motion elements of a strategy to revisit the history of West Papua’s integration into the unitary Republic of Indonesia. This caused a reaction from the militia, which is sponsored by Indonesia to undermine the moves by ULMWP since it was formed in 2014.
The International Lawyers for West Papua or ILWP with the support of Vanuatu as a state actor in the international system has made significant progress to challenge the legality of the integration of the former Dutch colony into the unitary Republic of Indonesia.
Among the crucial evidence being compiled is the unilateral proclamation of independence on July 1, 1971 in which the Free Papua Movement or OPM proclaimed the State of West Papua.
The noble intention has never been recognised by the international community. Meanwhile, local militias financed by Indonesia infiltrated the OPM network after the leaders who issued the proclamation went into exile in other countries.
Thirdly, while living in exile overseas, original leaders of the independence movement were able to maintain solidarity needed for the struggle to stay alive, and remain insulated and free from the activities of local militias and importantly continued to fight so that West Papua would gain independence one day.
Fourthly, in the era of a ‘democratising’ Indonesia steps were taken to address the West Papua issue highlighted by the OPM Second Congress or Musyawarah Besar or MUBES held in 2000.
This led to the birth of special autonomy. But, it was a within – system option that contained the independence aspiration in which case the status of West Papua was contained within a special arrangement with the Indonesian state called special autonomy.
However, the catch is this. West Papua was still part of Indonesia.
This process did not question Indonesian claim to sovereignty over West Papua. And, the indigenous Papuans continued to be categorised as slaves. It gave the local militia an excuse to force the Indonesian identity on Melanesian Papuans with no respect for the ideals of the ancestral land, and ideals of the Papuan race for independence from the Indonesian occupying forces.
Finally, ULMWP since its birth in 2014, has filled the vacuum and therefore the need for a united platform for independence. Despite the effort of the local militia, and the advice from Jakarta to stop ULMWP from internationalising the West Papua issue, the Free Papua Movement or OPM has successfully withstood the test of time and scrutiny.
(1) Indonesia can stop the Free Papua Movement or OPM from inside because liberated zones are fast taken over by non – indigenous Papuans or Indonesian trans migrants in a government programme controlled by Jakarta referred as ‘slow – motion’ genocide by some academic researchers.
But, the internationalisation of the West Papua issue in recent years paid off with the birth of ULMWP. Generally, although there may be exceptions, the fact is OPM is ULMWP. And, ULMWP is OPM. Chairman of the ULMWP is the Chairperson of the OPM.
(2) Any within – system strategy endorsed by Jakarta included the 2000 OPM Second Congress or MUBES. But, since then there has been considerable consolidation of the independence aspiration especially with internationalisation of the West Papua issue.
(3) The OPM and its modus operandi is built into, and not outside the ULMWP sphere of influence in international politics and diplomacy to push the argument for UN intervention in West Papua.
(4) The ULMWP is insulated from the local militia and its Jakarta military advisers and will challenge the Indonesian claim to sovereignty over West Papua through internationalising the facts about its illegal integration into the unitary Republic of Indonesia.
(5) Indigenous Papuans may or may not be subjected to deals, and compromise, and therefore used as scapegoats to prolong the Indonesian version of West Papua’s integration as part of Indonesia.
It is time to say enough is enough.
(Photo Caption: ULMWP Chairman Benny Wenda – first Melanesian to receive Freedom of Oxford Award recently, non – violent approach to internationalisation of West Papua issue recognised globally; MSG – West Papua‘s application by ULMWP for full membership is still on the table, vocabulary of decolonisation in the Pacific has changed; West Papua – MSG intervention means it is no longer Indonesia’s ‘internal’ problem or matter of economic development; PNG’s Prime Minister James Marape – PNG is currently Chair of MSG but will hand over to Vanuatu this year, 2019; PNG’s word on West Papua carries a lot of weight, natural proxy to West Papua; John Tekwie – former Sandaun Governor, West Papua‘s freedom is a household topic in PNG; Benny Wenda ULMWP Chairman – due for Order of Logohu or Star of Melanesia Award)
Source: Facebook.com
By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK, The National PNG
POLICE Minister Bryan Kramer, on legal advice from State lawyers, has instructed Gari Baki to vacate the police commissioner’s office as his contract had expired in May.
He has appointed Deputy Commissioner Francis Tokura, currently the Bougainville Police Service commander, to be the acting police commissioner.
Tokura will be assisted by assistant police commissioners Joanne Clarkson (administration) and Peter Guinness (operations).
Kramer said Baki’s contract had expired on May 7 thus “he was illegally in office” as there had been no gazettal notice authorising him to act in the position.
“I got the advice from the Attorney-General’s office (last) Thursday and that made me instruct him to leave the office (last) Friday,” he said.
He informed Baki in writing.
“My letter to him was based on the advice I got from the Attorney-General’s office. The advice was that there was no existing appointment (to let Baki continue as commissioner),” Kramer said.
“Former Police Minister Jelta Wong never extended his (contract in an) acting position. Baki himself told me that the National Executive Council had never reappointed him. He made reference to some gazette notice which I’m not aware of.”
Kramer also welcomed Baki’s plan to take the matter to court.
“Even he goes to court, that would not put him back in the office,” he said.
“He is over the (retirement) age and he is no longer a member of the force.”
Kramer said the terms for deputy police commissioners Raphael Huafolo (administration) and Jim Andrews (operations) expired on July 4.
“He (Baki) himself issued the notice that both his deputies’ contracts have expired.”
Meanwhile, Baki plans to take the matter to court.
“The reason for my decision is because as far as the senior police leadership and I are concerned, due and established processes for appointments were not followed by Police Minister Bryan Kramer (in the appointments of Tokura, Guinness and Clarkson),” Baki said.
“At the outset, let me state for the record that this action is not intended in any way to discredit the three officers who have been appointed in acting capacities.
“They are experienced police officers who are more than qualified to occupy these offices.
This action is taken to protect them as well as the other senior officers of the constabulary.”
Baki questioned why the Government did not appoint Tokura, Clarkson and Guinness to substantive positions instead of in acting capacities.
“All appointments whether temporary or substantive shall be made by the Head of State, acting with and in accordance with the advice of the National Executive Council given after consultation with the Public Service Commission and any appropriate Permanent Parliament Committee, which in this case is the Permanent Parliament Appointments Committee,” he said.
By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK, The National PNG
POLICE Minister Bryan Kramer, pictured, has accused Police Commissioner Gari Baki of protecting “corrupt politicians” by sitting on their files and not investigating them in the past four years.
He was responding to Baki’s statement yesterday that he had the files of 40 MPs on both sides of the House to investigate.
Kramer said: “He has been sitting on the files and protecting corrupt politicians. And now he wants to investigate them.
Where was he all these years? He has those files all this time. In fact there were more complaints against MPs during his time in office and he has been interfering with and frustrating investigations. He had four years to do that.”
Kramer said Baki should have delegated the investigations of the MPs to other qualified senior officers.
“There are other police officers who can investigate these MPs for alleged fraud or alleged official corruption,” he said.
He said investigation into the 40 MPs “will still proceed”.
Kramer also defended Francis Tokura’s appointment as acting Police Commissioner “in the best interest of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea”.
“His appointment was on merit and to provide stability for a peaceful outcome during the referendum,” he said.
Baki however claimed that the change in police leadership was to “protect those in power”.
“We have investigation files on some 40 MPs in Government and Opposition,” he said.
“This includes a good number of ministers in cabinet. Will the Government give us the support and cooperation to prosecute these cases?.” He said the constabulary was only as good as political masters.
“The issue is political will, determination, genuine desire to fight corruption and support for the constabulary,” Baki said.
He said he and his two deputy police commissioners were preparing to exit the police service.
“We are not fighting to hold onto office. But we want to see the police force and officers protected. We want to see the police force free from political manipulation and interference.”
By MALINDA KALE, The National PNG
POLICE officers must serve the Constitution and not the Government, says Police Minister Bryan Kramer.
He told the 28 cadet officers including six females to be commissioned during a parade at Bomana, Port Moresby last Friday that the Government did not create the positions of police officers.
“The position is created in the Constitution and it is the constitution you should serve,” he said.
He said the Government wanted to improve discipline and command in the constabulary “by depoliticising (it) so that officers can do their job provided under the constitution”.
“I have observed many commissioners and senior officers talking about serving the Government. A police officer is to serve the constitution (which) serves the 8.5 million people of Papua New Guinea,” he said.
“It is the constitution that you will serve.”
He planned to stop political interference into the functions of the constabulary.
“During our term in Government, that practice will change.”
Kramer pointed out that most people were more afraid of the police than criminals.
Preparations are underway in Port Moresby as MSG Secretariat Advance Team led by Mr. Peter Eafeare, Deputy Director General, Mr. Romulo Nayacalevu, Program Manager Governance & Legal Affairs and Mr. Christopher Waiwori, Senior Executive Officer paid a courtesy visit to Ms. Magdalene Moihe Director General Bilateral Division and Mr. Simon Maino, Foreign Service Officer, PNG Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Advance Team are there to finalise the agenda for the Director General Ambassador Amena Yauvoli’s meetings with Honorable James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and Chair of the Melanesian Spearhead Group and key Government Ministers and Officials next week.
Source: Facebook.com
Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern on Wednesday stressed to the UN the need for focus on maintaining peace in Papua New Guinea after an independence referendum in the region later this year.
Mr Ahern met UN secretary general António Guterres in New York to discuss the progress of the peace process in the autonomous region of Bougainville.
Mr Ahern was appointed chair of the Bougainville Referendum Commission(BRC) in December 2018. An independence vote originally planned for June is due to take place in October. The commission has applied for a further extension on the date and it will be discussed at next week’s meeting in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea.
Bougainville was declared autonomous following a bloody conflict that resulted in about 20,000 casualties between 1989 and 1997.
Mr Ahern spoke of the need to create opportunities for economic and social development in the region with a population of about 250,000 people.
Ireland’s Ambassador to the UN Geraldine Byrne Nason as well as representatives from Australia, New Zealand and the European Union were also at the event.
Mr Ahern paid tribute to the UN organisations who are involved on a permanent basis on the ground assisting the process of reconciliation.
Port Moresby – Governor of Oro Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG) Gary Juffa said that the spearhead organization of the Melanesian group or often called the Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG) could be of no use.
The Melanesian Spearhead Group is absolutely pointless if PNG and FIJI..the largest economies continue to turn a blind eye to the injustice by Indonesia and the world brutally dished out to West Papua and its people..— Gary Juffa – Political Agitator for the Indigenous (@hunjara) December 27, 2018
According to him, if PNG and Fiji continue to turn a blind eye to the injustices committed by Indonesia towards Papuans in West Papua, then MSG is of no use.
Gary Juffa is the Governor of the Oro Province in PNG. He is known to be very vocal regarding his solidarity on West Papua issues
Papua New Guinea has set a good example, a civilized model for dealing with independence movement. Bougainville region of Papua New Guinea, or I would like to call it Northern Solomon Islands has been fighting for independence from Papua New Guinea since 1960s. From years of ups and downs in their relations, both parties have learned lessons and have arrived to a peaceful resolution to the conflict that I call a civilized way.
South Pacific Islands Map: Melanesia, Polynesia, Micronesia
1. The subjection of peoples to alien subjugation, domination and exploitation constitutes a denial of fundamental human rights, is contrary to the Charter of the United Nations and is an impediment to the promotion of world peace and co-operation.
2. All peoples have the right to self-determination; by virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.
3. Inadequacy of political, economic, social or educational preparedness should never serve as a pretext for delaying independence.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A)), Article 2. says:
… , no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Everyone, Papuans in PNG and West Papua, Bogainvilleans, Indonesians, all human beings have the same right, without any distinction with any reason at all.
What Indonesia has been campaigning is that West Papuans are just the same of their people in Papua New Guinea, they like tribal battles, they will lead West Papua into another PNG, will make the whole Island become hostile to foreigners. They will turn into head-hunting and cannibalism will become horrifying news in our civilized world. Therefore, West Papua and if possible PNG are better off under Indonesia and Australia rather than getting full independence from both colonial powers.
Jakarta also did not state when the Special Autonomy Status for West Papua will end. If it did then one would know what options are available afterwards This is the most difficult part of the law to understand when anyone tries to grasp what Indonesia is doing with its political solution to the conflict. It can be easily speculated that Indonesia is just playing around wasting the time. It is the Cenderawasih University in West Papua and Gajah Mada University in Java that wrote the draft Special Autonomy Law. These two universities are the top ones in both regions. One can easily blame them for deliberately not mentioning when the status will end, and what will happen after it ends.
This is where PNG has the obligation to teach Indonesia on how to run a modern nation-state and how to deal with independence movement. PNG has to teach Indonesia on how to “behave” as a modern and civilized nation-state. Indonesia should accept the history of West Papua as the basis for building the future of West Papua, peacefully and democratically, openly and transparently. Indonesia should not try to manipulative version of the history and use the unjustified and un-democratic Act of Free Choice as the legal and political basis for its occupation over West Papua.
Another “subject matter” that PNG should teach Indonesia is “referendum” as the way for a modern state to listen to “The Voice of God” for the future of a territory/ people. Military approach, black campaign, campaign on West Papuan backwardness and comparing with PNG as the reason for maintaining occupation over West Papua is not just an uncivilized approach but also humiliating for such a big country that is always boastful to be the fourth democracy on planet.
Yes, Indonesia is appearing in Melanesian politics as a rich, militarily powerful and threatening. Indonesia is offering financial assistance to many Micronesian, Polynesian and Melanesian countries. Indonesia is proud of being giving cars and office resources to the MSG (Melanesian Spearhead Group).
Yes, Indonesia wants to change the “Spearhead” of the Melanesian people into Spoon and Fork, not for gardening and fishing, but just for eating food on the table after it provides them.
Yes, Indonesia for PNG is a big, mighty, fearful and rich country. Yes it is dangerous and deadly to talk about Indonesia. Yes, it is better off not talk about West Papua for the sake of our own security and safety in PNG.
But one thing is important for all Melanesians to know and be convinced, “Indonesia is a militarily-barbaric, inherently corrupt in its government and bureaucracy, and deceitful in its policies and strategies. Indonesia’s politics is mainly based on Javanese culture and politics. You have to behave politely, behave as humble as possible, and wait until the other person passes you, and stab him from back, then you will win.
One must, or at least all Melanesians should be proud now, that we Melanesians know and can solve our problems democratically and om civilized way. And this should become a subject matter that PNG should teach all countries in the southern hemisphere.
Referendum is not a degrading substance to a modern civilized nation-state, but rather a prestigious and worthy attribute that each nation-state should fight for. Referendum should not be seen as a weakness of s nation-sate against independence movement, but rather a strength that will be appreciated and honoured in our human history. To be a democratic nation-state means always listen to “The Voice of God”. Countries that clamp down and ignore the Voice of God should not go around the world proclaiming their country as a democratic one. Surely not as the fourth democracy on earth.
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