A HISTORIC step on the road to freedom for West Papua has been taken in London.
At a meeting of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua in the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday, a new declaration was made calling for an internationally supervised vote on West Papua’s independence.
It was attended and supported by Samuela ‘Akilisi Pohiva, the Prime Minister of Tonga; Bruno Leingkone, Minister for Foreign Affairs in Vanuatu; Rex Horoi, MSG special envoy on West Papua, Solomon Islands; Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in Vanuatu; Gary Juffa, Governor of Oro District, Papua New Guinea; Lord Harries of Pentregarth, UK House of Lords; Jeremy Corbyn, MP, Leader of the UK Opposition; and Benny Wenda, international spokesperson of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua and several other British MPs.
Tonga’s PM offered his country’s full support for West Papua’s struggle. He explained how it was the UN’s responsibility to ensure human rights were upheld in West Papua and he would continue to push for this.
Mr Corbyn spoke of his personal interest in West Papua and his role as a UN observer in East Timor. He talked of the need for justice and human rights to be delivered to the people of West Papua and stated the world could either continue having this conflict or could choose to live in a world of peace and justice from the recognition of human rights for all — a cornerstone of foreign policy.
He reiterated his support for West Papua’s struggle for freedom and how he would like this to be written in the policy of the British Labour Party.
A statement by Guyana’s PM, Moses Nagamootoo, offering his country’s continuing support of the right to self-determination for the people of West Papua was also read out
Mr Regenvanu spoke of Vanuatu’s long-term support recalling how their first PM, Father Walter Lini, had stated “Vanuatu would not be truly independent while any other Melanesian country was not”.
He spoke of the commitment by Melanesian countries to bring West Papua into the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) and Vanuatu was working for West Papua to gain full membership of the MSG at its upcoming meeting.
Mr Horoi, the special envoy from the Solomon Islands, highlighted the key areas of their support which involved urgency of stopping human rights abuses, recognsising the political identity of the ULMWP and the strategic engagement of the Solomon Islands Government with neighbours in the Pacific and around the world.
He also redefined the importance of the Pacific by renaming the “small island states” as the “big ocean states”.
Mr Juffa also mentioned his personal connection with the people of West Papua; how his father 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 PNG regrettably still recognised Indonesian sovereignty but a large movement in PNG was emerging in support of West Papuan freedom and he would continue to be one of the movement’s main political voices.
Lord Harries said he first met
Mr Wenda in the UK in 2003, how the issue was almost unknown and what a long way it had come today with representatives from the “big ocean nations” championing the cause.
He 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-traveller 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 Mr Wenda declared his feelings saying the Indonesian occupation was illegal and must end now.
He finished by reading out the declaration that was signed by all International Parliamentarians present.
The secretary-general of the ULMWP, Octovianus Mote, rounded it off thanking everyone, including the various generations of freedom fighters for Papua.
The declaration reads as follows —
Westminster Declaration for an internationally supervised vote in West Papua, 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; and
V. Call for an internationally supervised vote on self-determination in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolutions 1514 and 1541 (XV).
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