Jayapura, Jubi – Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavere said he did not know if his ambassador to Indonesia recently visited Papua.
“Really? I don’t know. But it’s good though. I hope there’s a progress in the settlement of human rights cases,” said Sogavare, who’s also the Chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Groups (MSG), told Jubi in Honiara.
In May, ambassador Salana Kalu visited Papua at the invitation of at the time Coordinating Minister of Politic, Legal and Security Luhut Pandjaitan.
The minister also invited Kalu along with the ambassadors of Fiji and Papua New Guinea to meet at his office to discuss the settlement of human rights cases in Papua.
According to the minister, his invitation was to show to the international community that Indonesia is serious about solving human rights cases.
Sogavare said he had sent a letter to Indonesian President Joko Widodo to discuss human rights issues in Papua but Joko had not yet responded.
“We have sent the letter to Jokowi. At first, it was to propose Indonesia and ULMWP to sit together to discuss about Papua issue in the MSG because now both are the associate member and observer. Secondly, to let me as the Chairman of the MSG to be able to talk with the President Indonesia for addressing the Papua issue together. But we don’t have any response so far,” said Sogavare. (*/rom)
