ULMWP leaders met with Prime Minister Manele to discuss West Papua’s joining the MSG

By Alfred Pagepitu

Benny Wenda, chairman of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP), visited the country to seek support for its application to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

On Tuesday, Mr Winda met with Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele to discuss issues related to West Papua’s membership of the MSG.

He told SIBC News it was an honour to meet with Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele and discuss issues affecting the people of West Papua.

“I was honoured to meet with the Prime Minister and hear the story of West Papua.”

“I am here to remind our leaders that our quest for full membership has been going on for nearly 10 years and we know that this history began when former Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare approved our application as an observer.”

“So I came back to meet with the current Prime Minister Manele to inform him about the situation in West Papua.”

Wenda’s team is visiting other Pacific Island nations to discuss their issues and consider their appeals.

“My team and I are lobbying for the upcoming MSG meeting as well as the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). They need to reiterate this call and the Prime Minister has assured me that we will discuss this issue before the PIF meeting in Tonga.”

“I hope the discussion will continue and we hope the prime minister will consider our appeal,” Wenda said.

West Papua needs a bold decision from Melanesian leaders to grant West Papua full membership so they can fully participate.

“We have been coming here every year for almost 12 years, going to the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, telling them what is happening in our country.”

Wenda stressed that West Papua is a brother to Melanesian countries in blood, race, culture and geography, and they have the right to become a true Melanesian country pursuing freedom and full membership.

Meanwhile, Wenda and his team will travel to other parts of Melanesia, including Papua New Guinea and Fiji, after visiting Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

The team also met with civil society groups, West Papuan sympathizers and political leaders to tell them that everyone’s support was crucial to moving forward with the MSG bid.

Benny Wenda is a West Papuan independence leader who founded the Free West Papua Movement in 2004. He has worked tirelessly to ensure autonomy for West Papua.

over//