By : Noldy Brachman )*
The ULMWP movement carried out by Benny Wenda to achieve independence for Papua and break away from Indonesia apparently does not represent the people of Cenderawasih Earth at all. They are just a small group that continues to try to disrupt the stability of the nation.
One of the final results of the decision at the 2023 Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) High Level Conference (Summit) was that they again rejected the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) which had been continuously trying to enter and become an official member of the MSG.
In a joint communication or joint communique issued on August 24 2023, leaders in all MSG member countries emphasized their position that ULMWP did not meet the criteria for being an MSG member at all and did not meet the criteria for being a sovereign country.
Regarding this matter, Willem Frans Ansanai as Chair of the Papua Deliberative Body in one of the discussion activities organized by the Moya Institute entitled ‘Benny Wenda’s Efforts Failed at the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Summit’, he also emphasized that the ULMWP group itself was absolutely unable to is said to be a sovereign country, because in order to be recognized as a sovereign country, they must have a sovereign people, territory and government.
Meanwhile, for the ULMWP itself, they cannot represent any people at all, in fact they claim to be continuing the aspirations of the Papuan people, even though this is not the case. As for territory, up to this moment the territory they claim is still officially within the territory of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) and they do not have a sovereign government at all.
Furthermore, Willem Frans Ansanai also very firmly explained that the entire Land of Papua is part of the Republic of Indonesia and cannot be separated from it at all. Therefore, it is not surprising why their application for membership in MSG was rejected.
Apart from that, why in the end the decision made at the 2023 MSG Summit confirmed that they again rejected ULMWP’s attempt to join as membership also cannot be separated from the very firm attitude of the Indonesian delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pahala Mansury walked out of the forum when Benny Wenda made his speech.
The Indonesian delegation has also tried to take many steps which are very common in the world of diplomacy to continue to express various rejections. Because, on the other hand, the ULMWP itself is also trying to misuse the MSG forum to justify acts of violence committed by groups affiliated with them, such as involvement in various crimes such as hostage taking, burning schools and killing civilians from the Orang Asli Papua (OAP) community.
Therefore, Reform Politician, Mahfuz Sidik gave great appreciation to the Indonesian delegates at the MSG Forum who had taken very firm and appropriate steps, namely walking out. This attitude can also influence the final decisions of the MSG Summit.
Moreover, it turns out that all this time the parties who have continued to raise the issue of an independent Papua are only a very small group, some of whom do not even live in Papua directly, but they continue to put forward various kinds of ideas regarding separatism.
Discussing how many ideas about separatism are held by members of this small group, Prof. Ambassador Imron Cotan as Observer of Strategic and Global Issues explained that the majority of cases of human rights violations were committed by Separatist and Terrorist Groups (KST) in Papua itself and there were also social conflicts between groups or ethnic groups in Papua.
It is clear that if there is still an opinion that serious human rights violations are alleged to have been committed by security forces, this assumption is completely untrue.
Meanwhile, International Relations Expert at Pajajaran University, Bandung, Prof. Dr. Teuku Rezasyah revealed that it would be too much energy for all parties to be drained in vain if they continued to try to block Benny Wenda’s movements. Therefore, according to him, it would be much better if improvements were made from within the country itself.
It is truly wrong if there is still an assumption or claim that as if the movement or struggle carried out by Benny Wenda and his group in the ULMWP which is trying to achieve an Independent Papua is an action that represents the Papuan people, this is because the people of Bumi Cenderawasih themselves do not feel represented by the movement at all. They and in fact OAP themselves really appreciate the government’s efforts to accelerate development in the new autonomous region.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Bali
