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Lawmakers condemn foreign interference in Papua
Jakarta Globe - May 6, 2016
"It is final; Papua is part of the NKRI [Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia]. This position has been affirmed by the UN [United Nations], so the IPWP [meeting] is an act outside of the law. This meeting should be condemned by the world and by the British government," the House said in an official statement on Friday (06/05).
The House further stated that President Joko Widodo has shown a strong commitment to resolving domestic issues, including the protection of human rights in Papua.
"Within the first one-and-a-half years of Jokowi's administration, eastern Indonesia's economic growth has surpassed that of the western part of the country," the statement said, referring to the president by his popular nickname.
The House also rejected the IPWP's proposal of establishing a fact-finding mission to investigate the issue of Papuan independence, saying that Indonesia wishes to resolve its domestic conflicts without compromising its sovereignty.
"In addition, the House also fully supports the Indonesian government's new diplomatic strategy to extend and strengthen partnerships with Pacific nations," said the statement, signed by House Commission I deputy chairman Tubagus Hasanuddin and lawmakers I Mahfudz Siddik, Tantowi Yahya, Irene Roba, Charles Honoris, Tuti Roosdiono and Eva Sundari.
The leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, called for a UN-supervised independence vote in West Papua during Tuesday's IPWP meeting in London.
The cause has gained support from West Papuan separatist leader Benny Wenda, who has been living in exile in London since 2003, and Australian Senator Richard di Natale, who is the leader of the Greens minority party.
In a string of tweets on Friday, the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra disputed claims by the campaign and reaffirmed the government's plan to revitalize infrastructure in Papua.
The embassy also rejected the London meeting, calling it a "publicity stunt" on behalf of Benny and the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULWMP), which came a day after hundreds of Papuan activists were arrested during protests in Indonesia.
Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/lawmakers-condemn-foreign-interference-papua/.
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