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Indonesia accuses Vanuatu of 'inexcusable' support for West Papua
The Guardian - October 3, 2018
Vanuatu has long been a supporter of the rights of West Papuans in their movement for independence from Indonesia.
On Monday Indonesia used its second right of reply at the 73rd UN general assembly to mount an excoriating attack on Vanuatu over its support for West Papuan self-determination, calling it "clueless".
"Although being disguised with flowery human rights concern, Vanuatu's sole intention and action are directly challenging the internationally agreed principles of friendly relations between states, sovereignty and territorial integrity," said the Indonesian representative, Aloysius Selwas Taborat.
Taborat said Vanuatu repeatedly supported separatist movements and he questioned its behaviour as "an internationally law abiding" nation.
"This inexcusable support to separatist individuals is clearly shown by the inclusion by Vanuatu of a number of persons with serious criminal records and a separatist agenda in their delegation to the UN."
Taborat said the people of Papua had "once and for all reaffirmed Papua is an irrevocable part of Indonesia" and that it was "final, irreversible and permanent", referring to the 1969 UN resolution that noted the so-called Act of Free Choice.
Many West Papuans consider the move an illegal annexation by Indonesia and a separatist insurgency has run for decades.
The controversial referendum, which saw 1,026 hand-picked individuals vote to remain with Indonesia, is repeatedly dismissed as not being either representative or a free vote.
Vanuatu's prime minister, Charlot Salwai, who has long supported West Papuan self-determination – had last week called for the Human Rights Council to investigate human rights abuses in the region – claims Indonesia denies.
West Papuan activists are routinely arrested and jailed, and there are frequent allegations against Indonesian forces of violence, extrajudicial killings, torture and mistreatment of protesters. Verified information is difficult to obtain as Indonesia does not allow the free movement of press in the region.
Last week the Tuvalu prime minister, Enele Sopoaga, also gave support to West Papuans at the 73rd general assembly, calling for recognition of West Papuans and engagement "to find lasting solutions to their struggles".
Hilda Heine, the president of the Marshall Islands, said the recent Pacific Islands Forum had given support for the "constructive engagement" by forum countries with Indonesia on elections and human rights in West Papua.
"Decolonisation and human rights are both important issues in the Pacific islands region," she said.
Indonesia's vice-president, Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, did not name Vanuatu in his first response but labelled it an "act of hostility" that had "no place in the UN system" and was a violation of UN principles.
"Indonesia will not let any country undermine its territorial integrity," he said. "Like any other sovereign country, Indonesia will firmly defend its territorial integrity."
Last September a banned petition calling for a free vote, signed by 1.8m West Papuans and smuggled out of the region, was delivered to the UN's decolonisation committee, which monitors progress towards decolonisation and independent rule.
West Papua was removed from the decolonisation committee's agenda in 1963.
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