An historic step on the road to freedom for West Papua was made in London today. At a meeting of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua
in the Houses of Parliament, a new declaration was signed calling for
an internationally supervised vote on the independence of West Papua.
Delegates came from around the world to attend this historic meeting
on West Papua’s future. The meeting was briefed by parliamentarians,
lawyers and academics, all of whom discussed and affirmed the West
Papuan people’s fundamental right to self-determination.
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| Photo: David Mirzoeff |
Standing beside West Papuan leaders Benny Wenda, Octovianus Mote and
Rex Rumakiek of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) as
they announced their call for an internationally supervised vote for
West Papua were:
The Honourable Prime Minister Samuela ‘Akilisi Pohiva,Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga
The Honourable Bruno Leingkone, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Vanuatu
The Honourable Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Lands & Natural Resources, Republic of Vanuatu
Ambassador Rex Horoi, Special Envoy for West Papua, Solomon Islands
The Honourable Gary Juffa MP, Governor of the Northern Province, Papua New Guinea
The Road to Freedom for West Papua: A High-Level Political Briefing by Academic and Legal Experts
This first half of the meeting was chaired by Jennifer Robinson, the
Co-Founder of International Lawyers for West Papua and opened with a
thorough briefing by international academics on the history of West
Papua as well as the political and human rights situation.
Firstly, Mr. Norman Voss of the International Coalition for Papua
(ICP) gave a damning report on the evidence of genocide and the
deteriorating human rights situation in West Papua. He described in
vivid detail how the numbers of West Papuans being arrested has
continued to increase year after year with up to 881 people arrested
last year. However, this figure was dwarfed by the 1735 people reportedly arrested on 2nd May, simply for demonstrating in support of the meeting itself.
Barrister Charles Foster then outlined clearly how the Indonesian
government is guilty of committing genocide in West Papua. In graphic
detail he read out some of the most heinous human rights atrocities
committed against the people of West Papua and stated how the situation
in West Papua met all of the criteria for genocide being systematically
perpetrated.
Next, the meeting was briefed by Professor Keith Hyams, Director of
the Politics of Papua Project, University of Warwick which conducts
research and provides informed political analysis to policymakers, in
order to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the conflict in West Papua.
During the meeting, Professor Keith Hyams launched the latest
assessment report of the University of Warwick – Assessment
Report on the Conflict in the West Papua Region of Indonesia: An
Overview of the Issues and Recommendations for the UK and the
International Community.
This report provided insightful and comprehensive coverage of the
situation in West Papua and also made a list of recommendations to the
British government towards helping there to be a peaceful resolution to
the ongoing conflict. The report received considerable endorsement from
several of the delegates present.
The meeting was then briefed by members of International Lawyers for West Papua (ILWP), a
network of legal professionals who recognise that the indigenous
peoples of West Papua have a fundamental right to self-determination
under international law.
Fadjar Schouten-Korwa of International Lawyers for West Papua –
Netherlands, outlined West Papua’s legal right to self-determination,
covering the fraudulent 1969 so called Act of Free Choice, along with
the continued legitimacy of the West Papuan people exercising their
fundamental right to self-determination.
ILWP Co-Founder Melinda Janki then covered legal aspects of proposals
for an Internationally Supervised Vote in West Papua. She made it clear
that the West Papuan people’s struggle for self-determination and
Independence should in no way be considered as separatism or succession
from Indonesia, but instead the restoration of the inherent sovereignty
of the West Papuan people from their colonial ruler.
Meeting of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua: The Political Future of the West Papuan People
Chaired by Co-Founder of the International Parliamentarians for West
Papua (IPWP), the Rt Hon. Andrew Smith MP, this half of the meeting was
opened by the Hon. Prime Minister Samuela ‘Akilisi Pohiva of Kingdom of
Tonga.
Speaking on behalf of his country, Prime Minister Pohiva affirmed
Tonga’s full support for the ongoing struggle of the people of West
Papua. He explained that responsibility for ensuring human rights are
upheld in West Papua lies with the UN and that the Tongan Government
will continue to push for this. He assured the people of West Papua of
Tonga’s commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution to the conflict
in West Papua, one which allows the people of West Papua to exercise
their fundamental right to self-determination.
The next speaker was the Rt. Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP Leader of Her
Majesty’s Official UK Opposition. A founding member of the International
Parliamentarians for West Papua, Jeremy Corbyn spoke of the need for
justice and human rights to be delivered to the people of West Papua. He
stated that the world could either continue having this conflict or
could choose to live in a world of peace and justice which would come
from the recognition of human rights for everybody – a cornerstone of
foreign policy. He reiterated his support for the West Papuan people’s
struggle and spoke of how he would like this to be written into the
policy of the British Labour Party.
Jeremy Corbyn stated “It’s about a political strategy that brings to
worldwide recognition the plight of the people of West Papua, that
forces it onto a political agenda, that forces it to the UN, and
ultimately allows the people of West Papua to make a choice about the
kind of government they want and the kind of society in which they want
to live,”
A statement by the Prime Minister of Guyana, Moses Nagamootoo was
then read by Co-Founder of ILWP, Melinda Janki. Prime Minister
Nagamootoo offered his country’s ongoing support for the right to
self-determination of the people of West Papua. He stated: “Freedom
is the deepest desire of the human spirit. In 1969 Guyana was among a
handful of countries that stood up for West Papua’s freedom after a
controversial self-determination exercise. Once again we stand with West
Papua in our commitment to freedom and the right of
self-determination.”
Speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister and the government of
Vanuatu, The Hon. Ralph Regenvanu (Minister of Lands & Natural
Resources) then spoke of Vanuatu’s long term strong support for West
Papua’s Independence and freedom through self-determination. He spoke of
how the first Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Walter Lini had stated that
‘Vanuatu would not be truly independent while any other Melanesian
country is not’. Hon. Ralph Regenvanu then reaffirmed the commitment of
Melanesian countries to bring West Papua into the Melanesian Spearhead
Group (MSG) and stated that Vanuatu is working for West Papua to gain
full membership of the MSG at its upcoming meeting.
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| Photo: David Mirzoeff |
Next, on behalf of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon
Islands and his government, West Papua Envoy, Rex Horoi outlined their
strategy and key areas of Solomon Islands’ support for West Papua.
This involved: urgency of stopping Human rights abuse in West Papua,
recognising the political identity of the ULMWP and the strategic
engagement of the Solomon Islands Government with neighbours in the
Pacific and around the world. Rex Horoi assured his fellow delegates of
the firm commitment of the Solomon Islands to support the West Papuan
people exercising their fundamental right to self-determination. He also
redefined the importance of the Pacific by renaming the ‘small island
states’ as the ‘big ocean states’.
The next speaker was the Hon. Gary Juffa, Governor of the Northern Province, Papua New Guinea.
Recallinggross violations of human rights in West Papua, Hon. Gary Juffa gave a moving speech of how his father had captained the first boat of refugees from West Papua and how he promised them that he would do everything he could to fight with them for their freedom. He explained how there is a huge, growing solidarity movement in PNG in support of West Papuan freedom and that he will continue to be one of the main political voices of this movement.
Chairperson of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua and former Bishop of Oxford, Lord Harries of Pentregarth then gave a speech remembering how he first met Benny Wenda when he first came to the UK in 2003, how the issue was almost unknown at this time and what a long way it had come today with representatives from the ‘big ocean nations’ championing the cause.
Encouraging the fast growth of solidarity for West Papua’s freedom, Lord Harries of Pentregarth then read out a statement of support by Reverend Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu; “Dear people and friends of West Papua. Please accept, from the southern tip of Africa, the love and blessings of a retired fellow-traveler for justice. Human rights and justice are universal values. It has been very heartening to witness the growth of the movement to secure justice for the people of West Papua. Your call for an internationally supervised vote to determine the will of the people of West Papua has my support. God bless you.”
The next speaker was the Hon. Gary Juffa, Governor of the Northern Province, Papua New Guinea.
Recallinggross violations of human rights in West Papua, Hon. Gary Juffa gave a moving speech of how his father had captained the first boat of refugees from West Papua and how he promised them that he would do everything he could to fight with them for their freedom. He explained how there is a huge, growing solidarity movement in PNG in support of West Papuan freedom and that he will continue to be one of the main political voices of this movement.
Chairperson of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua and former Bishop of Oxford, Lord Harries of Pentregarth then gave a speech remembering how he first met Benny Wenda when he first came to the UK in 2003, how the issue was almost unknown at this time and what a long way it had come today with representatives from the ‘big ocean nations’ championing the cause.
Encouraging the fast growth of solidarity for West Papua’s freedom, Lord Harries of Pentregarth then read out a statement of support by Reverend Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu; “Dear people and friends of West Papua. Please accept, from the southern tip of Africa, the love and blessings of a retired fellow-traveler for justice. Human rights and justice are universal values. It has been very heartening to witness the growth of the movement to secure justice for the people of West Papua. Your call for an internationally supervised vote to determine the will of the people of West Papua has my support. God bless you.”
Finally, West Papuan Independence Leader Benny Wenda addressed the
meeting and described his emotional feelings around being in the British
parliament with such a high level of strong support for his people’s
freedom. He showed his true gratitude and thanks to all those present
and urged everyone to continue their strong support and help his people
to be free before another 500,000 people are killed. Stating that the
Indonesian occupation is illegal and must be ended now, Benny Wenda
finished by announcing the Westminster Declaration for an
Internationally Supervised Vote in West Papua. This Internationally
Supervised Vote on self-determination is to be held to ensure a peaceful
future and conflict resolution for West Papua. It was signed by all
international parliamentarians present.
The Secretary General of The United Liberation Movement for West Papua,
Octovianus Mote then concluded the meeting by thanking everyone
including the various generations of West Papuans represented. He stated
how this was a truly momentous day in West Papua’s history and how the growing international support for West Papua is at an all time high. This
support is being accelerated by the fast growing #LetWestPapuaVote
sub-campaign to raise worldwide awareness and solidarity for an
Internationally Supervised Vote in West Papua.
Westminster Declaration for an Internationally Supervised Vote in West Papua
The declaration reads as follows:
We the undersigned Members of Parliament, being members of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua: I. Declare that continued human rights violations in West Papua are unacceptable. II. Warn that without international action the West Papuan people risk extinction. III. Reiterate the right of the people of West Papua to genuine self-determination. IV. Declare the 1969 ‘Act of Free Choice’ to be a gross violation of this principle. V. Call for an internationally supervised vote on self- determination in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolutions 1514 and 1541 (XV).
We the undersigned Members of Parliament, being members of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua: I. Declare that continued human rights violations in West Papua are unacceptable. II. Warn that without international action the West Papuan people risk extinction. III. Reiterate the right of the people of West Papua to genuine self-determination. IV. Declare the 1969 ‘Act of Free Choice’ to be a gross violation of this principle. V. Call for an internationally supervised vote on self- determination in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolutions 1514 and 1541 (XV).
Palace of Westminster, London, the 3rd of May, 2016
Source : https://www.freewestpapua.org
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