“And for us in the Solomon Islands, speaking as a former Prime Minister and a founding father of the Melanesian Spearhead Group I ask us to be strong, to be determined in bringing the affairs and problems and the cries of our people in West Papua to the United Nations under the Commission for decolonisation. I don’t think if accepting them into the Melanesian Spearhead Group as members would cause any major issues.”

Mr Alebua also said Indonesia will have the opportunity to understand the cry of West Papuans if West Papua is admitted into the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

The twentieth Melanesian Spearhead Group Leaders Summit kicks off in Honiara tomorrow.