EXCLUSIVE NEWS: CLAIMS OF WEST PAPUA PETITION DELIVERED TO UN REVEALED AS FALSE

Chair of Decolonization Committee: "They abused and manipulated my name for their propaganda"

28 September 2017
New York, United States
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Rafael Ramírez Carreño, the Chairman of the United Nations Decolonization Committee

After claiming that a campaigner with the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has delivered a petition to the United Nations Decolonization Committee, the Committee hit back saying that no petition was received.

Ambassador Rafael Ramírez Carreño, the Chairman of the United Nations Decolonization Committee said: 

"I have never received anything nor anybody regarding the issue of West Papua."

The statement comes a day after the ABC and The Guardian reported that Benny Wenda, an ULMWP executive had submitted a petition calling for a referendum for Papua to the Committee.

The Committee has never received any documents pertaining to West Papua. West Papua is not on the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories of the Committee. West Papua is a province of Indonesia and the United Nations have recognized that since many decades ago. 

Ambassador Carreño strongly disapproved and is offended by Benny Wenda and those individuals and parties who have abused and manipulated his name for their own Propaganda.

An Opposition MP and former Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Sato Kilman strongly warned the Government and accused it of being inconsistent on foreign policy.

"The current Vanuatu government of PM Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas has lost its credibility with the international community and its own public."

Sato Kilman further said that the PM's stubborn focus on West Papua issue have exposed Tabimasmas' hypocrisy. 

On the one hand he portrays himself as the champion of "colonized nations and people". 

However he failed to take up the issue of the sovereignty of the Aboriginal people of Australia, Taiwan, and closer to home, the Isatabu Freedom Movement in Solomon Islands.

The PM of Vanuatu is highly dependent on Australia and China for its survival. 

The Vanuatu government depends on Australia's and China's checkbooks to keep its government afloat. 

By supporting China, instead of Taiwan as was in the past, Vanuatu is ensuring that the steady flow of Chinese yuan keeps flowing into Tabimasmas' wallet. 

The cold calculation of the PM trumped whatever principles he had on the issue of "Melanesian brotherhood."

Another reason for PM Tabimasmas perverse focus on West Papua is his dark secret. 

It is widely reported that PM Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas has faced corruption scandals, defections, mutiny, serious health-scare and many votes of no confidence. 

Benny Wenda, wanted for the involvement in the 2000 fatal attacks and murder of West Papuans Petrus Epaa and Markus Padama in Abepura, Papua. He escaped to PNG and then to the United Kingdom where he now lives.

Benny Wenda ordered the murders of police and innocent civilians. Top left: Wenda's armed group. Top right and above right: the remains of police officer and a charred body of a civilian. Above left: burned police station in West Papua

In their desperate move to save their political career, all is fair in politics and principle for Tabimasmas and Benny Wenda.

Nothing can stand in Tabimasmas' and Benny Wenda way, not even principles nor the law. 


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JUST IN: MELANESIAN LEADERS BATMAN AND ROBIN TURN TO RACE CARD

Vanuatu and Solomon Islands PMs are realizing their flawed West Papua case  

23 September 2017
New York, United States
ABCMelanesia

Burt Ward as Robin (left) and Adam West as Batman in the 1960s popular series

Sources inside the Solomon Islands PM office has revealed to ABCMelanesia that leaders of Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) realise that their West Papua case is flawed.

Government officials in those mainly Melanesian countries are conscious that under international law, West Papua is a legitimate and legally part of Indonesia. 

For over five decades, the United Nations have reaffirmed that Papua and West Papua are legally and internationally recognised provinces of Indonesia.

"Using the failing line of argument that Indonesia somehow 'annexed' West Papua half a century ago is not going to fly. The vast majority of the community of nations know that under international law, West Papua is a rightful part of Indonesia. Period." 

The officials is now pushing for another tact. Race purity.

The Guardian reported that "The people indigenous to the province (Papua and West Papua of Indonesia) are Melanesian, ethnically distinct from the rest of Indonesia and more closely linked to the people of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia."

In their recent United Nations General Assembly statements, the leaders appealed to the international community arguing that West Papua is Melanesian like Solomon Islands and Vanuatu while the majority of Indonesia is "Asian".

Anthropological and demographic reality of the region is however not as simple as that.

While it is factual to say that West Papua is mainly populated by Melanesian descent, three other provinces of Indonesia are also Melanesian: Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara. Together with West Papua, there are close to ten million Melanesians inside the Indonesian border. 

Most of Southeast Asia and South Pacific heritage trace their origins to the Austronesian and Polynesian group of peoples. 

Australian National University (ANU) archaeologists pointed that although Vanuatu is now populated mostly by Melanesians, 

"The people of Vanuatu today are descended from Asia first of all. Their original base population is Asian. They were straight out of Taiwan and perhaps the northern Philippines." said Professor Matthew Spriggs of the ANU School of Archaeology and Anthropology.

The ANU reported that:

"The study, which was published in the scientific journal Nature, presented compelling evidence that Vanuatu's and Tonga's first people arrived 3,000 years ago from Taiwan and northern Philippines, and not from the neighbouring Australo-Papuan populations of Australia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands."

New Zealand Maori, Tuvalu, Tonga and Samoa on the other hand are mainly populated by Polynesians, a subset of Austronesian peoples. 

Polynesians share the same origins as the inhabitants of maritime Southeast Asia including Indonesia, Madagascar and Taiwan.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is of course mainly populated by African-descent.

Dwayne Johnson as the voice of Maui and Auli'i Cravalho as the voice of Moana in the Disney's 2016 'Moana'. Why PMs of Vanuatu and Solomon Islands did not watch Moana is incomprehensible.

It seems that the leaders of Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, SVG and Vanuatu did not watch Moana, the Disney animation about Polynesian voyage in the Pacific.

PM Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas of Vanuatu and his Solomon Islands counterpart Manasseh Sogavare seems content to play their Batman and Robin roles.

The dynamic-duo made the right step by realising their flawed argument on West Papua. 

However, by using the race card, they are adopting language used by Islamic State (IS).

Tabimasmas' and Sogavare's call to ban Indonesia from the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) and their determination to build a wall around the MSG to preserve the grouping's racial purity are borrowed straight from the IS playbook.   

It seems that Batman and Robin escaped from one trap but fell into another.

The late Heath Ledger as Joker (left) and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two-face in the 2008 The Dark Knight

Now it is not yet clear whether they are the real dynamic-duo or Batman's nemesis Joker and Two-face? Watch this space.


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BREAKING NEWS: SPEAKING TO THE UNITED NATIONS, SOLOMON ISLANDS PM PRACTICES WHAT HE PREACHES?

Solomon Islands PM accused the United Nations complicit of crimes

23 September 2017
New York, United States
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Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare, photo credit SIBC

Manasseh Sogavare, the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands accused the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) of being "complicit in perpetuating the suffering and being blind to justice".

He then called the community of nations to rip West Papua away from Indonesia. 

Echoing what has been said earlier by the PM of Vanuatu, Sogavare reasoned that because there is allegations of rights abuses in West Papua and on the grounds that the two provinces of Indonesia are populated mainly by Melanesians, Indonesia must let go of its two provinces of Papua and West Papua.  

A political analyst commented: 

"Historians are unanimous on the fact that West Papua and Papua are two provinces of Indonesia that historically has been administered by the Majapahit Kingdom in the 13th century that ruled most of what is now Indonesia. The Dutch returned the administration of Indonesia including of Papua back to Indonesia in the post-World War II period. In 1969, the United Nations reaffirmed West Papua as part of Indonesia."

The analyst further said that "It is one thing to call for the respect of human rights, it is quite another to forcibly prescribe separatism as the silver-bullet for all human rights abuses."

That shows that Sogavare either lack the understanding of foreign policy and international laws or is deliberately shifting attention away from his political misfortune.

Unfortunately for Sogavare, "political misfortune" is a gross under-statement.

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Douglas Ete delivered this blunt fact: 

"In 2015, Taiwan gave ten million US dollars to the government of Sogavare. Sogavare used this money to bribe and co-opt his political allies and foes. About six million of it was used to bribe fifty MPs. Less than USD700k was allocated for education and development. Sogavare himself pocketed close to one million US dollars."

Sogavare, who was revealed to be a dual-national of both Solomon Islands and PNG, bought two luxurious properties at Henderson on the eastern outskirts of Honiara, the capital of Solomon Islands using the illicit money.

The Radio New Zealand reported that Ete resigned shortly after making those revelations.

Many Pacific political analysts have come to the conclusion that Sogavare's views on West Papua is strongly motivated by his desire to preserve his political future.

"Look, Manasseh Sogavare has been subject to many many votes of no confidence. He rampantly abuses his power and swindle state funds for his own personal gain. Add to that, under his lead, Solomon Islands experienced negative economic growth of eight percent, high unemployment and over-dependency on foreign aid." 

The analyst further observed Sogavare's worsening relations with Australia and China, traditionally two of the largest foreign donors to Melanesian countries. 

"Faced with that kind of political pressure, financial problems and worsening international relations, Sogavare way out was one to accept money from Taiwan and two keep stoking regional conflict with the issue of West Papua." added the analyst.

Papua and West Papua are legally and internationally recognised provinces of Indonesia.

The government of Solomon Islands have been found to commit many human rights abuses. The BBC reported that between 1997 and 2003, 100 people died and 20,000 people displaced on Guadalcanal. The Isatabu Freedom Movement is also seeking to split from the Solomon Islands. 

If Sogavare applies the same logic as what he said at the UNGA 72nd session in New York, he must let Malaita and Guadalcanal a referendum for self-determination.

Clearly, Sogavare applies a double standard when it comes to his own political survival.

Sadly, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare is no Ratatouille.

As Edmund Burke, an Irish philosopher once said, "By gnawing through a dike, even a rat may drown a nation."

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BREAKING NEWS: VANUATU PM UN SPEECH AIMS AT RE-DRAWING INTERNATIONAL BORDERS

At the United Nations, PM of Vanuatu questioned legitimacy of long-recognized international borders

22 September 2017
New York, United States
ABCMelanesia

PM Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas of Vanuatu addresses the general debate of the UNGA 72nd session, 22 September 2017

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has been given a lecture by Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas, the prime minister of Vanuatu a South Pacific nation of 250,000 people.

In a move rarely seen in the centre of global diplomacy, PM Tabimasmas gave a forceful speech in which he questioned the legitimacy of internationally recognized borders in the Pacific region. 

On the grounds of alleged abuses of rights, he demanded the international community to band together to break West Papua from Indonesia. 

West Papua and Papua are two provinces of Indonesia that historically has been administered by the Majapahit Kingdom in the 13th century that ruled most of what is now Indonesia. In 1969, the United Nations reaffirmed West Papua as part of Indonesia.

He called the international community to "..put an end to all forms of violence and find common ground with the nationals to facilitate putting together a process which will enable them to freely express their choice".

A political analyst observed that:

"The Vanuatu PM failed to mention that West Papua exercises free, fair and open democracy recognized by the international community of nations. About 2.7 million voters routinely elect MPs and governments."

The Vanuatu PM, who has faced numerous votes of no confidence since taking office in February 2016, has often spoken about the concept of "Melanesian brotherhood" and his dream of uniting all Melanesian countries into one nation. Countries that has significant Melanesian population includes Australia, Fiji, Indonesia, New Caledonia, PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

South Pacific political analysts view the PM's words in the UN chamber are dangerous to the stability of the region. Joanne Wallis, an Australian analyst, has spoken of the "arc of instability" of the South Pacific.

Applying the same logic that the Vanuatu PM uses, along the lines of race (Melanesia) and human rights, other countries in the region are also threatened.

That twisted logic dictates that the Aboriginal people of Australia should be an independent nation. Bounganville in PNG and Kanak of New Caledonia should be independent. The thinking encourages for the merging of all Melanesian-populated countries into one nation by hook or by crook.

Manasseh Sogavare, the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands is using the same logic as Tabimasmas. 

"When Vanuatu speaks about re-drawing legitimate international borders like in the case of West Papua, all it does is stokes dangerous tensions and insecurity in the region." concluded the analyst.

A screen shot of Vanuatu Daily Post headline on the defection of MPs of Government of PM Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas

PM Tabimasmas has faced corruption scandals, defections, mutiny, serious health-scare and votes of no confidence. Lecturing the community of nations is much easier than delivering good government and services for the people of Vanuatu. 

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BREAKING NEWS: TONGA PM USED WEST PAPUA TO DEFLECT PUBLIC ATTENTION FROM FAILED POWER-GRAB AGAINST KING

Tongan Government sources reveal 
PM 'Akilisi Pohiva's DARK SECRETS

21 September 2017
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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'Akilisi Pohiva, Prime Minister of Tonga

Last month the King of Tonga fired Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva and his entire government and parliament. Pohiva is only staying on as interim PM until elections are held later this year.

The Speaker of Parliament, Lord Tu'ivankō revealed that Pohiva made a number of unconstitutional decisions which included signing international agreements without the consent of the king. 

'Akilisi Pohiva, Prime Minister of Tonga and Lord Tu'ivankō, Speaker of Parliament of Tonga

Sources from the PM's and the Speaker's office revealed the real motivation behind Pohiva's support of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) including at the United Nations in 2015 and 2016. 

"It was just a show, not a genuine nor principled reason. It (the public show of support for West Papua) was cunningly designed to draw Tongan public attention away from his own dirty laundry." 

The Speaker further said that Pohiva made a power-grab and attempted to remove the king's power to appoint the attorney-general and police commissioner.

As reported in Newshub, in his defence, Pohiva accused the King's and the Speaker's move to dissolve Parliament "was part of a failed coup and an organised attempt to push him out".

Sources in Port Vila, Vanuatu and Honiara, Solomon Islands understand that the governments of PM Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas and PM Manasseh Sogavare are increasingly frustrated at the Tongan government. 

"PM Pohiva has misled us Melanesians, he has sold his soul to the devil in return for meagre political support." 

Vanuatu Foreign Minister Adviser Charles Lini further said that although Vanuatu is the leader on the issue of West Papua, other countries in the region have no guts for real action. He singled out Tonga in particular because it is an Austronesian country and not a Melanesian one. 

George Tupou V, King of Tonga

Aware of his difficult political situation and vulnerable to hypocrisy attacks, Pohiva is keeping his mouth shut on West Papua and is reported to have instructed his diplomats at the UNGA this week to take a low profile.

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BREAKING NEWS: PM SALWAI SAID "PM OF SAMOA IS CHICKEN S**T"

VANUATU GOVERNMENT SOURCES REVEAL: PM Charlot Tabimasmas furious at Samoan PM

21 September 2017
Port Vila, Vanuatu
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PM Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas of Vanuatu speaking at the PIF Summit in Apia, Samoa

Conceding that the issue of West Papua was not successful during the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in Apia, Samoa, PM Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas of Vanuatu said that he is "deeply disappointed at PM Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi for not standing up for West Papua". 

"He is just a lump of chicken s**t!" 

Sources inside the Vanuatu Government confirmed the PM referred the Samoa PM as chicken faeces.

Sources from the Vanuatu PM Office and Foreign ministry said that PM Tabimasmas was furious that the Samoan PM did not follow the leadership of Vanuatu on this matter.

In an interview with Radio New Zealand, Parliamentary Secretary of Vanuatu Johnny Koanapo said that "Vanuatu is the only country in the Pacific that is standing behind the people of West Papua".

PM Tabimasmas, Octavianus Mote and Benny Wenda, two executives of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) is said to be rethinking their regional and global strategies to free West Papua from Indonesian rule.

One of those strategies involved naming and shaming Samoan cabinet members including its PM, the sources said.

PS Koanapo further said that the position of the government of Solomon Islands on West Papua "is inspired by the position and stand the Vanuatu government has taken".

However PS Koanapo and PM Tabimasmas is understood to be worried of the precarious political future of PM Manasseh Sogavare of Solomon Islands.

That is one reason why another strategy of PM Tabimasmas is to form new partnership with another MSG or PIF country in the event that PM Manasseh Sogavare is toppled down on the weight of his unpopularity and wide spread corruption.

Octavianus Mote, Secretary-General of ULMWP meet PM Manasseh Sogavare of Solomon Islands

PS Koanapo understands that PM Tabimasmas is looking at ways to consolidate Melanesian countries in the Pacific and West Papua into his fold and often speak of a Pan-Melanesian supra-nation.

Melanesian countries comprise of those members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group: PNG, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia/FLNKS, Solomon Islands and West Papua/Indonesia.

Clearly Prime Minister Tabimasmas has a lot cut out for him.

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