Intelligence expert Susanigtyas NH Kertopati – tempo.co
Jayapura, Jubi – As a country founded on the principle of diversity, Indonesia should not joined a race-based group of countries such as the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), said intelligence expert Susanigtyas NH Kertopati on Monday (20/6/2016) in Jakarta.
Susaningtyas followed the participation of the Director General for Asia-Pacific and Africa of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Desra Percaya at the MSG ministerial meeting held in Lautoka, Fiji on Thursday (16/62016).
At the meeting, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) participated in an MSG Forum for the first time. Its presence in the meeting prompted a protest from Desra, who argued that his delegation was the official representative from Indonesia, which includes Papua.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday (17/6/2016) said in a statement that ULMWP is a separatist movement.
“ULMWP is a separatist movement in a sovereign state. This movement has no legitimacy and does not represent the West Papuan people,” said Desra said in the MSG Ministerial Meeting.
Though she agreed with Percaya’s statement, Ms. Kertopati regretted the decision taken by the Government of Indonesia to participate in the meeting.
“The presence of the Indonesian delegation was able to be played at the international level unilaterally,” Kertopati as beritasatu.com cited.
She warned that specific foreign policy such as the MSG case could be sued to the Constitutional Court because it is considered unconstitutional. If not careful, according to her, the government could be considered violating the Article 2 of the Law No. 37/1999 on Foreign Relations.
“Since it violates the third principle of Pancasila. It said the foreign relations and policies is based on Pancasila, Constitution 1945, and the Guidelines of State’s Policy,” she said.
Indonesia, she further said, is a pluralistic country; therefore it could not join the race-based organization. “As the third biggest democratic and pluralistic nation, we shouldn’t being trapped into the politic of race. We must be careful,” she said.
Indonesia has intensively lobbied several full member MSG countries to fight the attempt done by ULMWP to gain a full member of MSG. But the supports from grassroots communities in the Melanesian countries for West Papua self-determination and the international diplomacy on Papua issue are growing stronger. (Victor Mambor)
