Page 40 - IB December 2023

West Papua

“WE ARE FACING GOLIATH”

Continued from page 31 boycott of all Indonesian products and government programs.
PCC General Secretary, Reverend James Bhagwan said: “Our
in the region is weakening government support for West Pacific church leaders are deeply concerned that the urge by
Papuans. Since 2015, Indonesia has held associate membership our Pacific Island states through the Pacific Islands Forum has
of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) and has been ignored. We are also concerned that Indonesia is using
leveraged this status to advance its agenda in other regional ‘cheque-book diplomacy’ to silence some Pacific states on this
organisations. The United Liberation Movement of West issue. Our only option in the face of this is to apply our own
Papua (ULMWP), represented by Octo Mote in Noumea, holds financial pressure to this cause.”
observer status at the MSG, but has been repeatedly rebuffed The Forum has joined the United Nations to call on the
as it seeks full membership. Indonesian government to allow independent and impartial
In 2021 and 2022, there was no mention of West Papua in monitors into West Papua, to investigate allegations of human
the Pacific Islands Forum communiqué. Recognising Indonesian rights violations such as torture, extrajudicial killings and
sovereignty over the western half of the island of New systemic police and military violence. However, despite Forum
Guinea, Forum Secretary General, Henry Puna met Indonesian calls since 2019 for Indonesia to host a visit by the United
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi in Bali in December Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Jokowi
2022. Puna reaffirmed that the Forum was squarely focused administration has repeatedly refused to accept a UN mission
on human rights—not self-determination—in West Papua (a into West Papua.
rather artificial distinction, given every global human rights Within the MSG, Vanuatu and New Caledonia’s FLNKS
charter lists the right to self-determination amongst its core independence movement have been consistent supporters of
provisions). the ULMWP. Speaking to Islands Business at this year’s Forum
As the Forum delegation travelled to Indonesia last summit in Cook Islands, President of New Caledonia, Louis
December, the Pacific Conference of Churches called for a Mapou welcomed ongoing attempts by the Forum and MSG to
engage with Indonesia on West Papuan rights.
“In 2019, the Forum called for Indonesia to allow the United
Nations to come to West Papua, to observe the situation
on the ground after conflicts,” Mapou said. “Since 2019,
TRADE MARK CAUTIONARY NOTICE IN Indonesia has refused, and they’ve done so again not long
MICRONESIA AND PALAU ago. Now, an MSG delegation has been nominated to go, and
under the Chair of Vanuatu, we all agreed to endorse this.”
Mileage Plus Intellectual Property Assets, Ltd., a
Cayman Islands company, of Maples Corporate Services After being mandated as envoys by the MSG and Pacific
Limited, P.O. Box 309, Ugland House George Town, Grand Islands Forum, Fiji Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka and PNG
Cayman, Cayman Islands, KY1-1104, does hereby provide Prime Minister, James Marape met Indonesian President,
notice that it claims proprietorship of the trade mark Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo on the sidelines of last month’s APEC
summit in San Francisco. Rabuka said: “Given that Indonesia
MILEAGEPLUS
is an important partner for the Pacific Island countries with
in relation to: geographic and ethnic ties to the Pacific Islands Forum and
MSG in particular, the meeting was crucial to foster genuine
Consumer loyalty services for commercial, promotional,
and/or advertising purposes, namely, administration of dialogue at the level of the heads of government.”
frequent flyer program that allows members to redeem Jokowi invited Rabuka and Marape to visit Indonesia, but
miles for points or awards offered by other loyalty the Indonesian President is about to leave office. Presidential
programs. and parliamentary elections will be held across the Indonesian
Air transportation services featuring a frequent flyer archipelago in February 2024, and there’s little, if any time
bonus program. for a Forum or UN human rights mission to travel.
For GKI-TP’s Rode Wanimbo, however, international
Mileage Plus Intellectual Property Assets, Ltd. cautions attention is still crucial. She believes Pacific churches can do
that any use of the trade mark or any confusingly similar
trade mark in relation to any of these services or similar more, contributing public advocacy and concrete support.
services, would be seen as infringement of their rights and “I really hope that we can engage, not only listen,” she
that they will take such action deemed necessary to protect said. “What can the Pacific household of God actually do?
those rights. Because love needs action, faith needs action. As a follower
of Jesus, I know that we have to pay the price, but I’ll go
Mileage Plus Intellectual Property Assets, Ltd. can be
contacted care of their address for service: back with hope. We’d been planting the seeds of hope with
our brothers and sisters here in Kanaky.”
AJ Park, Level 22, Aon Centre, 1 Willis Street,
Wellington 6011, New Zealand, mail@ajpark.com
nicmaclellan@optusnet.com.au

40 Islands Business, December 2023