Leader of Opposition, Edward Natapei, has said ministers who support West Papua’s stand for political freedom should resign in protest after the acceptance of Indonesia into the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) as an Observer- which did not reflect a recent Council of Ministers’ decision and the national parliament’s stand on the issue.“My understanding was that the Council of Ministers passed a resolution just before the MSG meeting in Suva that Vanuatu will not accept Indonesia into the MSG even in observer status.“It is my understanding also that that Council of Ministers Meeting was chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and the then Acting Prime Minister Ham Lini Vanuroroa.“And then the Prime Minister Honorable Sato Kilman has gone ahead to support other MSG leaders at the Suva MSG meeting in granting Indonesia an Observer status ,” Opposition Leader Natapei told Daily Post yesterday morning.The Leader of Opposition questioned if the Council of Ministers is divided over the issue.“I was assured by two state ministers before the Suva MSG meeting that the Council of Ministers is fully against allowing Jakarta to join the MSG even in the observer status.“But then the prime minister went ahead and supported Indonesia’s application for Observer status in MSG and to me this is totally unacceptable,” Natapei said.“I am questioning the allegiance of the state ministers and the present government as to where they stand- with West Papua or Indonesia.“In fact it is now clear that they are against West Papuan people.
“But if they still support the West Papuan stand for political freedom then they should resign their ministerial posts because Vanuatu has just endorsed Indonesia into MSG,even in the observer status ,” Natapei said.“Vanuatu has just sold the West Papuan Melanesian brothers to Indonesia and we now question our national stand for the people of West Papua.”On the question of why he did not allow West Papua to become an observer in the MSG when he was the then Prime Minister of Vanuatu, the Opposition Leader Natapei replied: “Since the Parliament passed the motion of supporting West Papua, there was one MSG Meeting in Honiara but I was not the Prime Minister then and then the recent Suva MSG Meeting attended by Prime Minister Honorable Sato Kilman who was part of the MSG Group endorsing and granting Indonesia observer status in the MSG ,” Opposition Leader Natapei told Daily Post.By Godwin Ligo
Apr 4, 2011, 14:53
http://www.dailypost.vu/content/opposition-urges-ministers-protest
“But if they still support the West Papuan stand for political freedom then they should resign their ministerial posts because Vanuatu has just endorsed Indonesia into MSG,even in the observer status ,” Natapei said.“Vanuatu has just sold the West Papuan Melanesian brothers to Indonesia and we now question our national stand for the people of West Papua.”On the question of why he did not allow West Papua to become an observer in the MSG when he was the then Prime Minister of Vanuatu, the Opposition Leader Natapei replied: “Since the Parliament passed the motion of supporting West Papua, there was one MSG Meeting in Honiara but I was not the Prime Minister then and then the recent Suva MSG Meeting attended by Prime Minister Honorable Sato Kilman who was part of the MSG Group endorsing and granting Indonesia observer status in the MSG ,” Opposition Leader Natapei told Daily Post.By Godwin Ligo
Apr 4, 2011, 14:53
http://www.dailypost.vu/content/opposition-urges-ministers-protest
via ScribeFire
