{"id":1184,"date":"2015-08-21T04:41:13","date_gmt":"2015-08-21T04:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/scriptorum.imagicity.com\/?p=1184"},"modified":"2015-08-21T04:41:13","modified_gmt":"2015-08-21T04:41:13","slug":"a-very-melanesian-solution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/village-explainer.kabisan.com\/index.php\/2015\/08\/21\/a-very-melanesian-solution\/","title":{"rendered":"A Very Melanesian Solution"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manasseh Sogavare explains how he helped bring West Papua into the MSG<\/strong><\/h3>\n

“It’s all under the water now, so we can actually say it: It came down to 3-2.”<\/p>\n

This is how Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare described the situation in Honiara in June of this year, when he played a central role in brokering an historic agreement finally to bring West Papua into the MSG fold.<\/p>\n

This week marks Mr Sogavare\u2019s first visit to Port Vila since Solomon Islands took over the chair of the Melanesian Spearhead Group at that fateful meeting in June. He took some time to give an exclusive interview to the Daily Post.<\/p>\n

In it, he looked back at the events leading up to the decision to include the United Liberation Movement for West Papua. He also offered some frank observations about the road ahead for the MSG under his chairmanship.<\/p>\n

Asked how he could square the circle of embracing both Indonesia and the West Papuan independence movement, he said, \u201cI guess that\u2019s where the true Melanesian spirit of arriving at decisions comes into play.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt came down to 3-2,\u201d he continued. \u201cIf we\u2019d gone down the path of democratic voting, it would have gone through. But if we did, it would have caused serious division amongst the group, and we don\u2019t want to go down that path.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing that an all-out push for full membership for the ULMWP wasn\u2019t achievable, Mr Sogavare decided to apply a more Melanesian approach, and to broker a compromise.<\/p>\n

He described how he presented his solution: \u201cWe have a history of making consensus decisions, and we would like to maintain that\u2026. The bottom line is that we would like to bring West Papua into the fold of the MSG. How can we achieve that?\u201d<\/p>\n

About the result: \u201cThat\u2019s what it came down to. Observer status as a first step toward associate and then full membership. At the same time we compromised to\u2026 you know\u2026 to elevate Indonesia.\u201d<\/p>\n

The issue of West Papuan independence has been around for decades, he explained. In fact, he said, it was one of the issues that drove the decision to create the Melanesian Spearhead Group. \u201cThat\u2019s how it got its name,\u201d he said with a knowing smile.<\/p>\n

According to Mr Sogavare, the MSG was envisioned by its founders as a political grouping designed to drive the agenda of decolonisation for Kanaky, specifically via the FLNKS, and freedom for the people of West Papua.<\/p>\n

He noted that the MSG has progressed of course, and has taken on other priorities, including economic issues and trade issues. \u201cThose are relevant and good,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But the bottom line was that the politics of freedom and self-determination for all Melanesian peoples remains paramount. \u201cThat was the reason we established ourselves in the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

But decolonialisation and self-rule are not simply neighbourhood matters, he insisted. \u201cWe would like to make a statement to the world as well.\u201d West Papuan independence, and the vestiges of colonialism generally, \u201cwill remain a thorn in the side of everyone. Of leaders of developed countries and of the United Nations. They\u2019ve made very powerful statements and [taken] very powerful stands on human rights. And not only that, they\u2019re willing to spend billions and trillions of US dollars to fight wars.\u201d<\/p>\n

He paused for a moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the name of democracy,\u201d he continued, emphasising the last word. \u201cIn the name of human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked if he saw a useful role for the United Nations in all this, he agreed. \u201cEventually, the issue of West Papua has to come to the United Nations. They neglected them back at the very, very beginning. It\u2019s a sad story.\u201d<\/p>\n

He harked back to the words of Father Lini: \u201cIt was with the permission and full knowledge of the United Nations that we gone down that path\u2026. And eventually we\u2019ve got to remind them of our slogan, Melanesia will not be free….\u201d He trailed off, treating it as a slogan we all know by heart.<\/p>\n

The slogan, he said, lives in the heart of every Melanesian. \u201cAnd this is the mandate of every leader in Melanesia.\u201d<\/p>\n

So what is the way forward for the MSG under Solomon Islands leadership? \u201cWe\u2019ve made it very clear,\u201d he said. \u201cAlthough the idea of sovereignty is debatable from the very beginning. Because [the Indonesians] invaded. They invaded West Papua when they were about to celebrate independence.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo the argument of sovereignty is a very weak argument. But nonetheless the United Nations has recognised West Papua as part of Indonesia. And the independent states in Melanesia are members of the United Nations. So it would be silly to contradict them.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut nonetheless, the United Nations has recognised the right of people to self-determination. That\u2019s very clear in the United Nations charter as well. We will simply remind them, as members of the United Nations, that we need to address this.\u201d<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t promise to be a simple or easy process, he admitted. \u201cThe road forward is to do this in very very close consultation with Indonesia. That\u2019s been made very clear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey will obviously put walls and barriers all over the place,\u201d he said with a smile, \u201cto stop us from getting to where we would like to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Manasseh Sogavare explains how he helped bring West Papua into the MSG “It’s all under the water now, so we can actually say it: It came down to 3-2.” This is how Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare described the situation in Honiara in June of this year, when he played a central role in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1186,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,8,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-journamalism","category-reporterage","category-soft-core"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/village-explainer.kabisan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/village-explainer.kabisan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/village-explainer.kabisan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/village-explainer.kabisan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/village-explainer.kabisan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/village-explainer.kabisan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1184\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/village-explainer.kabisan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/village-explainer.kabisan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/village-explainer.kabisan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/village-explainer.kabisan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}