Vanuatu’s leadership role in West Papua’s freedom at risk: Kaloran
While Vanuatu has been outspoken for the struggle for freedom of the people of West Papua nationally, regionally and globally since July 30 of 1980, the current Interim Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP), Mr. Morris Kaloran, has warned that Vanuatu could lose this historical control of the Melanesian Leadership Beacon for the freedom with West Papua to Fiji.
Certainly the Government has provided land and an office for ULMWP International Network in Port Vila, but the ni-Vanuatu Interim Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs said Vanuatu has to do more to drive Father Walter Lini’s political words by kicking the ball through the goal mouth.
He said former Governments had promised the ULMWP delegation more than once to provide financial backing for the Office without keeping the promise. The money was and is needed to equip the current office with the necessary mechanisms to operate as an office. The Office is still waiting for the funding.
Mr. Kaloran said unlike Port Vila, it seems likely that Suva is preparing to spend its financial resources to build an All Pacific ULMWP Headquarters in the Fijian Capital.
Meanwhile, Port Vila may continue to maintain its current status as the original supporter of West Papua Struggle.
But the truth is that Port Vila has to do more than just depending on words of support for ULMWP.
While he fell short of wanting to see Port Vila fund the running of the ULMWP Office, he implied that level of generosity by pointing out that it could be a generous investment.
West Papua is the richest country in the Pacific in terms of both land and mineral resources. This is one of the main reasons why Indonesia is fighting tooth and nail to keep the Western half of Papua New Guinea.
Since Suva seems prepared to spend money to help ULMWP, Port Vila has to follow likewise to prove to West Papua and the world that it is serious in Father Lini’s words that, “Vanuatu won’t be totally free until all colonised people in the Pacific are free from colonial rule”.
According to Mr. Kaloran, the current Prime Minister of Fiji, Mr. Sitiveni Rabuka, who is a no-nonsense Head of the Government, is a well-respected leader who also recognises the importance to step in now to help ULMWP by launching its Pacific Office in Suva, funded by his Government.
