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The Vanuatu West Papua
Support Group, based in Port Vila, is organizing a petition in support of the
mission by the visiting West Papua Independence campaigner, Benny Wenda, being
signed by chiefs from all the 63 inhabited islands of Vanuatu.
Link: http://www.dailypost.vu/content/public-petition-government-support-west-papua-full-msg-membership
Representative of the group and well known
activist, Hilda Lini says it is planned to present the petition to the Members
of Parliament current in session and the Government of Vanuatu.
“The petition will request the Government to
provide strong leadership and support for West Papua to become a full member of
the MSG this year,” Ms Lini said.
“The MSG leaders’ summit will be held in June
this year which means that after we present the petition, we should monitor the
situation to make certain that Vanuatu’s support for West Papua’s application
for full membership is upheld by the Government right up to that time,” Ms.
Lini who is also First Political Advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture said.
The idea of a petition is the result of local
support expressed at a public meeting that West Papua international activist
Benny Wenda held at the Chiefs’ nakamal in Port Vila on Tuesday evening.
Overwhelming public sentiment was evident at the
meeting for the Government of Vanuatu to give its full backing to West Papua’s
application for full membership of the MSG.
In his address Mr Wenda spoke of the desperate
situation facing the Melanesian population in West Papua and made an emotional
appeal to the people and Government of Vanuatu to continue to show their strong
support for the independence of West Papua.
“Vanuatu is our only beacon of hope at the
moment and I appeal to you to continue your strong support for us by first
getting us into the region through full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead
Group for West Papua,” Wenda said.
Mr Wenda left the country Thursday morning after
five days in Port Vila during which he addressed Parliament members, met other
dignitaries and visited and spoke to people from a wide cross section of the
communities.
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