Jakarta – In a National Webinar with the theme “Benny Wenda’s Efforts Failed at the MSG Summit”, International Relations Expert at Padjadjaran University, Bandung, Prof. Dr. Teuku Rezasyah also agreed with the MSG forum’s rejection of ULMWP membership. It is believed that Benny Wenda is only trying to attract sympathy by bringing the Free Papua campaign to various world forums.
“Benny always brings signs of Papua’s greatness to the world and attracts world sympathy. “This figure can be said to be a lobbyist because he is trying to make the world aware of the problems he is facing,” said Prof. Rezasyah.
The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Summit program in Port Vila, Vanuatu, has gone extraordinary because it succeeded in thwarting the mission of the Chairman of the West Papua Liberation Movement (ULMWP), Benny Wenda, to join. Apart from that, Indonesia’s hard efforts should also be appreciated because it was not influenced by Benny Wenda’s movement which insisted on separating Papua from Indonesia.
Indeed, Benny Wenda’s speech contained a feeling of being unethical for Indonesia because it seemed as if ULMWP had succeeded in entering the MSG. Even though Benny Wenda’s steps to claim Papuan independence have been repeatedly rejected by world forums. However, Benny continues to use the smallest forum to express his ideas about liberating Papua.
“He has been active for a long time and is able to use ULMWP as a forum to express it to the world. “And as if demanding that the sooner the better, so that Papua can be separated from Indonesia and always equate itself with Papua New Guinea,” he added.
According to him, too much energy will be wasted if we continue trying to ward off Benny Wenda, therefore it is better to make improvements from within the country. Efforts to neutralize Benny Wenda’s Free Papua Movement can be done by eliminating its criticism of Indonesia, namely that there is no more discrimination and it is not true that there has been a genocide in Papua.
Prof. Reza continued, there are several things that the Indonesian government needs to address, including empowering education, technology, recruiting Papuans to lead their own region, building a culture of peace, and taking a firm stance towards foreign parties who want to provoke them.
“This figure is very active in the world of mass media, he always tries to gather strength to be able to face Indonesia. “So the Indonesian government is very sensitive and gives strong resistance to all its movements,” added Prof. Reza.
The government must be able to develop the economy in Papua as well as various indigenous Papuan products, supported by good infrastructure development, because development in Papua is environmentally friendly. Apart from that, Indonesia must also be firm towards foreign parties so that the country is free from various crimes, including freedom from the crimes of Papuan civilization, cyber crime, human trafficking and so on.
“Development in Papua must be carried out by the government in a sustainable manner. There must be a strong focus to be able to truly defend Indonesia’s sovereignty and this is something important and must be supported by all parties. “Therefore, development must be systematic and include inviting the Papuan people themselves,” concluded Prof. Reza.
Meanwhile Prof. Imron Cotan said that the MSG could not accept the UMLWP because it was not a political entity of a sovereign state, stating that a sovereign state could only be recognized if it had territory, a sovereign government, a people and was able to establish international relations with other countries. And ULMWP does not fulfill all of these requirements at all.
“MSG cannot accept the UMLWP because it is not a political entity of a sovereign state, has territory, government, people and is capable of establishing international relations. “ULMWP does not fulfill these requirements at all,” said Imron.
