Calling all Melanesians to Action!

The cartoon shows the five leaders of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) asking the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leaders for acceptance.

Unity generates power and blessing and that is what West Papua is now experiencing.  But West Papua needs the help of all Melanesians to get its independence.

As part of West Papua’s freedom struggle, they attempted to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), made up of PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji in 2013.  Achieving MSG membership is seen as a step towards Melanesian support for full independence. But that attempt was rejected by the MSG amidst rumours of Indonesian bribery.  The MSG instead responded by setting the near impossible challenge that the West Papuan freedom groups needed to first unite.


The ULMWP are now in the process of submitting the second West Papuan application to join the MSG.  But the application criteria has changed since the first application.  A new clause has been sighted to the effect that any people group who want to join the MSG must first get permission from their colonial masters.  Once again this is effectively an impossible clause.  Why would Indonesia, with rumours of bribing the MSG, now give permission for West Papua to join?  The incredible irony is that many MSG and pacific nations have had to struggle for their own independence from their colonial masters.  But now it appears that some are using colonialism as reason to retard West Papua’s freedom. 

Nevertheless, with great help from Vanuatu, and Pacify Council of Churches, who are both leading the world on the freedom of West Papua, the West Papuan freedom groups achieved the impossible and did unite under the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) umbrella.  Since unity has been established there has been an incredible blessing as awareness of the West Papuan situation has tripled globally.

Nevertheless, we ask you to join us in the hope that West Papua and the ULMWP can once again achieve the impossible and gain acceptance into the MSG.  A call goes out to all Melanesians to please accept West Papua as your brothers and sisters.  A challenge goes out to all those in the Pacific to get involved in any way possible, some suggestions are as follows:

1. Send a letter or email to the governments or consulates of the MSG nations stating that you request that they accept West Papua into the MSG.
2. Contact all of your Melanesian friends and let them know what is happening.  You could also forward them a link to this article.  Our hope is that every Melanesian will be aware of and supporting West Papua so much so that the MSG leaders will realise that to say ‘No’ to West Papua will be totally against the wishes of the Melanesian people.
3. Contact your local West Papuan independence campaign group and ask them what they are planning.

We will let you know of other ways to get involved as news comes to hand.

Written by Paul & Joy Madden

April 9, 2015

Further reading: 
West Papua resubmits application for MSG membership
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister shows strong support for West Papua