Fadli Zon Said That The DPR-MSG Meeting Could Correct Papuan Issues Disinformation

JAKARTA - Chairman of the DPR BKSAP Fadli Zon revealed that parliamentary meetings with Melanesian clumpy countries can straighten out misinformation about Papua. These countries are members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), an inter-governmental organization with Melanesia clumps.

"We convey accurate information on developments in Papua or the Papua issue, which I think is that there are many misinformations from them," said Fadli Zon, Friday, July 26.

A meeting with MSG representatives was held in a dialogue on the sidelines of the 2nd session of the Indonesia-Pacific Parliamentary Partnership (IPPP) which was held in Jakarta, Thursday (25/7) yesterday. The forum is an initiative of the DPR to strengthen partnerships in the Pacific region where the first meeting was held in 2018.

At the meeting, the DPR delegation was led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, accompanied by Fadli Zon and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Lodewijk F Paulus. Meanwhile, the MSG who came were the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Fiji, Ratu Naiqam Lalailavu, the Speaker of the Parliament of the Solomon Islands, John Patteson Oti, Papua New Guinea (PNG) MP Johnson Wapunai, to the Director General of MSG who is a figure from PNG, Leonard Louma.

At the meeting wrapped in the parliamentary dialogue session, Puan detailed about the large development of Papua that has been carried out by Indonesia. These Pacific countries are directly adjacent to Papua and they often highlight the Papua issue in international forums, such as the United Nations.

Fadli said the explanation from the DPR regarding the development and conditions of Papua which could actually correct misinformation.

"We represent the people, so we conveyed the development earlier. There is a lot of disinformation, missed information, maybe propaganda that is not true about what happened in Papua," he explained.

"In fact, on the contrary, many civilians are victims of violence from parties who want separatism, so we need to explain to them," added Fadli.

During a dialogue with MSG, Puan revealed that the Indonesian government has prioritized development in the leading regions of Indonesia, including Papua. Puan said that the development improvement in Papua covers thousands of highways to many other infrastructure facilities such as hundreds of schools, several airports, ports, and even distribution of electricity.

To MSG, the DPR emphasized that development in Papua has also been able to increase the Human Development Index and significantly reduce poverty levels. It was also conveyed that the DPR also played an important role in strengthening political institutions, strengthening democracy, and implementing Papua's Special Autonomy.

One of them is by fully supporting the implementation of the Papua Special Autonomy Law through the establishment of the Papuan People's Assembly as an institution for representation of Papuans. The DPR also supports Papua's specificity by authorizing Papua in formulating typical laws in Papua.," We also explain the DPR's support, including the expansion or expansion of provinces from 2 to 6 provinces in Papua. It was also conveyed about the developments there, expansion of roads, infrastructure, health and others by the chairman, "said Fadli.

According to the legislator who also served in Commission I of the DPR for defense, members of MSG admitted that they often received wrong information from certain parties. Fadli said that MSG members were grateful for the explanation from the DPR regarding Papua.

"They appreciate it because they get information that comes from us as parliaments representing the people and they also happen to have a parliamentary system," he said.

For information, MSG is an intergovernmental organization of Melanesia countries in the Pacific region consisting of Fiji, Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS), Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.

Vanuatu is a member of MSG who often accuses of human rights violations against indigenous Papuans, but turns a blind eye to the separatism movement there. At the 76th trial of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) of the Prime Minister (PM) Vanuatu, Bob Loughman in his speech mentioned the lack of progress in human rights in West Papua.

In 2019, Vanuatu smuggled West Papua separatist Benny Wenda to the UN Human Rights High Commission (KTHAM) in Geneva, where Benny submitted a petition for the referendum of independence. Vanuatu often loudly voiced West Papua's independence at the UN forum, although the agenda for the trial did not address the matter.

During the MSG Summit which was held in Vanuatu, the Indonesian delegation who was also present decided to walk out or leave the forum when the West Papua separatist leader and the ULMWP chairman, Benny Wenda, were allowed to deliver a speech.

Not only Vanuatu, Solomon Islands as members of MSG have also been involved in the Papua issue. In August 2023, the country asked Indonesia to allow the UN Human Rights Commission to visit Papua.

The pressure was contained in the 22nd MSG Leader' Summit Adopts Communique document released on the government website of the Solomon Islands. Indonesia itself is part of the MSG Associate Member considering that there are several provinces in eastern Indonesia that enter the Pacific region and there are also Melanesia clumps, namely Maluku, North Maluku, NTT, and 6 provinces in Papua

Therefore, Fadli said the meeting between the DPR and MSG yesterday was quite influential. This approach through parliamentary diplomacy is expected to open a new view of MSG countries regarding Papua, especially since the DPR also invited the Chairman of the Indonesian National Human Rights Commission, Atnike Nova Sigiro at the meeting to provide a report related to Papua.

They really appreciate our statements and they also convey their views but in general they are positive. Moreover, we invite Komnas HAM as an independent institution to report the situation and conditions in Papua," explained Fadli.

Even MSG requested that there be a special forum between the parliaments of MSG countries and the DPR. More than that, Fadli said that MSG countries also want cooperation with the Indonesian parliament.

"They see that there needs to be a more routine forum between Indonesia and the parliament of MSG countries, we agree. There was even a request that there could be an MoU between the DPR and the MSG parliament," said the DPR member from the West Java V electoral district.

"We said we would discuss and follow up. I think it was a very positive thing in the meeting and we hope that there will be further meetings," concluded Fadli.