Sunday, 3 June 2012

Contradictions with made promises

A lot of events have been happening in Vanuatu over the past few weeks and many more are likely to occur.
The remainding four prisoners are still on the run, the arrival of the first delegates to the ACP/EU meet flew in over the weekend and the usual disgruntling over the politics in the country is forever ongoing.
The latest accusations that are being thrown agains the government concerns the arrests that the Vanuatu Police Force made on  a number of youths who started a peaceful demonstration at the Bauerfield Airport when a Hercules plane arrived with officials from Indonesia.
The Vanuatu government is now seeking relations with the Indonesian government in terms of providing military aid and assistance to the country now that the AFP has been kicked out.
The irony in all this is that Vanuatu and its government has been one of the strong supporters for freedom of West Papua who have been oppressed by Indonesia eversince.
The Vanuatu government has clearly stabbed West Papua in the back with its ties with Indonesia.
Maire Leadbeater representative of the Indonesia Human Rights Committee wrote an official letter to the governement saying how sorry they were to see Vanuatu go back on its word and help.
The Indonesia Human Rights Committee is very concerned to learn that Vanuatu may sign a cooperation agreement with Indonesia which would include Indonesian police and paramilitary training.  There have been demonstrations against this aid and many Vanuatu people have spoken out strongly, expressing their fears that this aid from Indonesia comes with unacceptable strings attached concerning Vanuatu’s West Papua policy.  We share their concerns and express our strong hope that there will be no weakening of Vanuatu’s brave and principled support for their Melanesian neighbours in West Papua.
Vanuatu stands as the only country in the Pacific that supports the freedom of countries such as West Papua, French Polynesia and New Caledonia because it has gone through similar struggles in its fight for independence.
Yet what the founding fathers of Vanuatu's indepence have put in place is now soiled by clouded decisions of people who only hold power for greed and money.
Like many other decisions that it has taken, the Vanuatu government has only proved itself immature in its thinking and more importantly in its objectives towards running the country.