Vanuatu Tourism Instagram tinged with comments of racism, this is the response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu) Teuku Faizasyah assessed that the majority of Indonesians defend anti-racism.

He relayed this in response to comments from various racist netizens on the Vanuatu tourist information Instagram account.

“Can social media be restricted? By commenting, we will convey the maturity of each one. However, I believe that the majority of our nation is anti-racist because we are a plural nation,” Faizasyah told Kompas.com on Tuesday (29 / 9/2020).

As is well known, these racist comments were sparked by Vanuatu’s accusations of human rights violations committed by Indonesia against Papuans at the UN session.

Also read: Take a look at the economy of Vanuatu, a small country that touches on human rights in Papua

The Indonesian government then responded that Vanuatu was not the representative of the Papua people by conveying the right to answer for the allegations of human rights violations that the Pacific nation had brought against Indonesia.

“You are not a representation of the Papuan people and stop fantasizing about being one of them,” said Silvany Austin Pasaribu, a young diplomat representing Indonesia using the right of reply at the UN General Assembly on Saturday (9/26). / 2020).

In the official UN video recording, Silvany said, Vanuatu had an excessive and unhealthy obsession with how Indonesia should act or rule its own country.

Because almost every year in the UN General Assembly, Vanuatu always brings up the issue of the alleged human rights violations experienced by the Papuan community.

This is an accusation that Indonesia considers deliberately raised to support separatism.

Also read: Vanuatu accusations on the defense of Papua and Indonesia at the UN session

“Indonesia will defend itself against any defense of separatism that is transmitted under the guise of an artificial concern for human rights,” Silvany said.

He stressed that since 1945, Papua and West Papua are part of Indonesia, which is a final and irreversible decision.

This has also been strongly supported by the United Nations and the international community since the past decades.

“The principles of the UN Charter that Vanuatu clearly does not understand are respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Silvany said.