This petition will be delivered to The Prime Minister, The Hon. Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama MP, petitioning him and his government to

PLEASE SUPPORT AND STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF WEST PAPUA IN THEIR APPLICATION TO BE FULL MEMBERS OF THE MELANESIAN SPEARHEAD GROUP.

West Papua was colonised by the Netherlands in 1898. At the end of 1961, West Papua held a Congress in which its people declared independence, and raised their new flag – the Morning Star. But within months the dream was dead when Indonesia invaded West Papua and conflict broke out. The UN took control of West Papua in 1962 but one year later gave it to Indonesia through what is internationally known today to be a sham referendum; only a small handpicked Papuans voted. Ever since then, Indonesia’s security forces (and the silence of Pacific governments, except for Vanuatu, and the tacit support of developed countries because of their economic and security interests) have and continues to conduct a brutal campaign of suppression and murder of the West Papuans. It is estimated that around 500,000 West Papuans have already been killed in the brutal genocide and illegal occupation of their land to this day simply because they wish to be free and to politically determine their own future.

In December 2014, after five days of unification talks, the three major groups within West Papua signed an agreement to submit a joint application to the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) to be full members. This was after the MSG leaders rejected their application bids in 2013. A decision on their second application bid will be made at the July MSG meeting in Honiara, Solomon Islands this year.

The application was submitted on the 5th of February, 2015 to the Secretary General of the MSG in Vanuatu. So far, only Vanuatu has officially expressed its support of the West Papuan people’s desire to join the MSG. The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea has publically expressed his view that it is time now for PNG to bring out to the public what has been happening in West Papua.

The people of West Papua now look to Fiji, being one of the influential countries in the region, to SUPPORT AND STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THEM IN THEIR BID TO BE FULL MEMBERS OF THE MSG. Now is the time for us, the citizens of Fiji, to call on our government to officially and publicly express our support and solidarity with their wish to be full members of this Melanesia body; a body that should and ought to represent all Melanesians.

Their full membership in the MSG will be a highly significant step towards realising their dream that one day soon they will be free from oppression, fear and slavery, and to determine their own political future. In Fiji, this cause is already supported by the member Churches of the Fiji Council of Churches that includes the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma, the Catholic Archdiocese of Suva, the Anglican Diocese of Polynesia, the Presbyterian Church, the Salvation Army and the Fiji Baptist Convention. There has been tremendous support also from national and regional civil society organisations, and individuals.

This petition is organised by the Ecumenical Centre for Research, Education and Advocacy, supported by the Pacific Conference of Churches and the Youngsolwarans. Please deliver your signed petition forms to the Ecumenical Centre for Research, Education and Advocacy, on the above addresses.

We the undersigned call on the Prime Minister, Hon. Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama and his government to support the people of West Papua’s application for full membership of the MSG!