22 Oct 2015

Papua Governor lukewarm on MSG move

8:05 pm on 22 October 2015

The Governor of Indonesia's Papua province Lukas Enembe says moves to form a Melanesian Brotherhood among five Indonesian provinces is mainly about politics.

The governor was explaining his reluctance to travel to the recent signing of the Brotherhood agreement in Ambong.

It followed July's decision by the Melanesian Spearhead Group to grant observer status to the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.

The Governor of Papua Province, Lukas Enembe, (far left), welcomes the Indonesian President Joko Widodo. In 2014.

The Governor of Papua Province, Lukas Enembe, (far left), welcomes the Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Photo: AFP

The MSG is also considering a role in the group for the five Indonesia provinces which Jakarta says have strong Melanesian ethnic stock: East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, North Maluku, Papua and West Papua.

Governor Enembe says this group is full of political interests.

"I'm part of the Indonesian government in Papua. So I have no interests in talking on politics or even international affairs. Because we don't have right to talk about international affairs. That's Jakarta's problem, it's not our problem. I can't see this point of including the five provinces. Jakarta can just do it on behalf of us. So we don't need to be included."

The MSG's full members are Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia's FLNKS Movement.

Indonesia itself has associate member status at the MSG.