Transcript
WILFRED LUIRAMO: The purpose of the visit was solely based on the Solomon Islands government's new foreign policy draft. So while the government is working on a draft, to make a balance on the relations with Indonesia and the West Papuan issue, because the DCCG (The Democratic Coalition for Change Government) led by Manasseh Sogavare (who was replaced as prime minister in November 2017) was focussing much on the West Papuan issue for human rights and self-determination. But the new government led by prime minister Rick Hou tried to make a balance on the issue, so that Solomon islands can have a good bilateral relation with Indonesia and also put the human rights issue in West Papua as an agenda on the table.The trip to West Papua and Papua was good, as we caught up some CSO members there, heard their sides of the stories... and that is the whole thing, we tried to get a balance on the information. We actually don't get down to the root of it, because there's a big population, but we managed to get information from both sides. Some indigenous and some of the CSOs who were meeting with us in Jayapura.
JOHNNY BLADES: When you say 'CSOs', is that civil society organisations?
WL: Yes, there were also some students that were part of civil society who gave their views, so frmo those information we get, we try to get everything, compile a report and then make a balance on the issue, because at the moment there is still a draft policy on the Indonesian government issue and the West Papuan issue. There's a new foreign policy drafted in place.
JB: When you talk about 'the issue', 'both sides of the issue', what's the issue?
WL: Mostly we are focussed on the issue of human rights. We met with even the military generals, the governors and the CSO people, and tried to ask them what is their view, how is the civil society people doing their role there, and how is the human rights issue there. We keep trying to get a balance on it. Well, they have different views, which is very interesting to be part of the report. From there we try to pick up... which is more important to be part of the issue because the West Papua issue is a sensitive issue in Solomon Islands, and we still want the human rights issue to be fixed.
JB: What do you think, what was the sort of feel that you got from talking to the various people you spoke to in West Papua and Papua?
WL: Personally we are getting closer. We cannot get the whole truth within, but we are getting closer to make a balance. Specifically the benchmark is a foreign policy, but we are getting closer. Not to be one-sided, but there has to be some leverage, both sides of the document.
JB: How did you feel from what you heard from Papuans themselves?
WL: Different Papuans have different views on the issue. Some propose that these things (human rights abuses) happen. Some say that these things happened previously, in the past. So we have been collecting different views from them. All of them are not having the same view, but the issue remains that we try to make a balanced document out of all the information we get. We were just specifically focussing on the human rights issue. But a few of them were raising the issue that they want independence.
JB: Is there a feeling that the human rights problems are still bad, or that they are improving?
WL: According to some of them, they say that there's an improvement, because Indonesia as a country is just coming to democracy in 1998, full democracy. Previously it was military-controlled. So they said there are improvements over time, and even some of the leaders told us, one of the common sayings, that 'we are not a perfect country' which is true. They are changing over time, and even some of the indigenous say that there are improvements within the human rights issue.
JB: There was a lot of discussion (in Solomon Islands) about whether the visit was a good idea or whether it had been publicised in advance. What are your thoughts on that?
WL: My personal view on that is this is a government visit, we were just part of the trip. But most importantly, Solomon Islands as a government must try to make sure that there is a balance on the new foreign policy in place, that our relationship with Indonesia must be built and the human rights issue in West Papua must not be forgotten. It has to be part of the document. And generally, looking through it, Solomon Islands as a Melanesian country, and the West Papuan issue is very sensitive to us, we still feel that more can be done with this issue that was still presented before the government.
JB: So engaging with Jakarta, or having more of a conversation with the Indonesian state, as it were, that's part of that?
WL: Yeah, generally it's true, a more diplomatic dialogue will help fix this issue, because getting around might cause some sort of confrontational issue. So dealing with the issue in a diplomatic approach will be helpful.
JB: What did you think of the place in general?
WL: It's provinces have their very own different environment. But generally, I feel that it is normal. I might not get to other parts where it might be tense, but I don't know, because I'm not getting there. But from where we went and moved around, it's just like in the Solomon Islands.
