Published On:Sunday, September 11, 2016
Posted by PAPUAtimes
VANGO Stands in Solidarity With PIANGO on West Papua
The
Vanuatu Association of Non-Governmental Organisation (VANGO) has
expressed its firm solidarity with the Pacific Association of
Non-Governmental Organisation (PIANGO) on West Papua.
The
VANGO support was expressed by the Chairperson of the Vanuatu national
NGO group Ms Lind Peter in an email to PIANGO Executive Director Ms
Emele Duituturaga, who is currently in Pohnpei, FSM, where they have
held the Civil Society Organisations (CSO) Forum on the eve of the 47th
Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting.
In
her media briefing earlier in the week, Ms Duituturaga made PIANGO’s
stand on West Papua clear – that the issue was no long a matter for the
Melanesian Spearhead Group nor the PIF leaders; but rather a United
Nations issue.
VANGO’s Linda Peter says in her email and quoted by Vanuatu reporter covering the Pohnpei PIF meeting Moses Stevens.
“We
Vanuatu Civil Society Alliance is in solidarity with other local CSOs
here in Vanuatu and will continue to advocate locally, nationally and
regionally for the freedom for West Papua in alliance with PIANGO and
the global community.
The
Vanuatu government is also taking a similar stand in their approach to
lobbying support for the independence cause of West Papua.
Director
General of the Prime Minister’s Office (Vanuatu) Johnson Naviti, says
“now that more regional governments have stood out clear on their
support for West Papua, our plans now is to take the mater beyond the
region”.
While
leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (which was formed initially
to spearhead the independence cause of West Papua and Kanaky) have
divided over West Papua, Solomon Islands has taken a clear stand with
the support of Tuvalu and Nauru in their “Pacific Coalition for West
Papua”.
Read more: www.pngfacts.com
