An
academic from University of Goroka noted today during a forum organised
by the National Research Institute that Papua New Guinea has not done
much at all to help its closest neighbour, West Papua in its fight for
independence from Indonesia.
“PNG being part of Melanesia Spearhead Group and the big brother in
Melanesia has not done much to help our brothers in West Papua,” says
Donald Gumbis, a political science lecturer from the University of
Goroka.
West Papua was annexed by Indonesia from The Netherlands in 1969 and is the western half of the island of Papua New Guinea and smaller islands to its west.
Since the annexation, the indigenous group formed the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) that fought for freedom over the years till today, resulting in thousands of lives lost.
Despite news and images of bloody killings of the West Papuans
allegedly by Indonesian soldiers, the PNG government has kept silent.
The reason for which, Gumbis notes, is to maintain bilateral relations
between PNG and Indonesia.
This however breaches one of the core pillars of the MSG, that is to
prevent citizens of MSG member countries being dominated by others.
An
academic from University of Goroka noted today during a forum organised
by the National Research Institute that Papua New Guinea has not done
much at all to help its closest neighbour, West Papua in its fight for
independence from Indonesia.
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