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Misinformation about support for a referendum in West Papua
TAPOL Statement - October 4, 2010
In the past week, two local newspapers in Jayapura have published reports claiming that a number of countries have expressed their support for a referendum to be held in West Papua. These reports have been welcomed by several Papuan organisations who regard this as a victory for their recent demands calling for a referendum to be held on the status of their homeland.
It comes shortly after the Sub-Commission on Asia and the Pacific of the US Congress held an unprecedented hearing on West Papua, initiated by Eni Faleomavaega, the representative of Samoa in the US House of Representatives, who has for years been one of the most outspoken supporters of the Papuan people in Washington.
This hearing was indeed an event of profound significance for the West Papuan people. It was a major step forward in the campaign to build international support for the legitimate demands of the Papuan people. But any attempts to portray this as being the view of the US Congress as a whole or to arouse expectations that the US Congress as a whole might adopt a decision regarding a referendum is unfounded and only provokes false expectations in Papua. Such allegations reveal a serious misunderstanding of congressional mechanisms that can be used to reflect views and opinions about situations in other countries, in this case in the countries of Asia and the Pacific.
Following in the wake of the congressional hearing, two Papuan newspapers in Jayapura reported that a number of countries now support Papuan calls for a referendum. This is simply untrue.
On 23 September 2010, the tabloid JUBI (the name Jujur Bicara means Speaking Honestly) reported that Mako Tabuni, the spokesman of KNPB, the National Committee of West Papua, said that twelve countries "are ready to support the Papuan people, including New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, Vanwatu (sic), Britain, Papua New Guinea, Japan, South Africa, Fiji, South Korea and Arahuna (?)." The report also alleged that these countries "are prepared the raise the issue at every annual session of the UN General Assembly."
On 27 September, the Papuan daily, Bintang Papua quoted Sebi Sambom of the KNPB as claiming that "of the 199 members states of the United Nations, 101 states have declared their readiness to support a referendum in Papua... and vote accordingly at the UN in 2011 which means that freedom for the people of West Papua and an end to their oppression by Indonesia are ever more likely to happen". This statement was made at a demonstration attended by thousands of people held at the grave of the West Papuan leader, Theys Eluay in Jayapura.
It must be stressed that such claims are completely without foundation and can raise false expectations among the Papuan people, causing widespread confusion and possibly even leading to disputes and discord between Papuan groups through allegation and counter-allegation.
It is likely that the source of this misinformation is a misinterpretation of an internet programme called "Superpower: Play Your Nation" that recently posted a game about a number of major powers discussing the issue of West Papua. It was nothing more than a game.
Any dissemination of false information about the issue of West Papua wittingly or unwittingly trivialises and undermines an issue that is based on the long-standing suffering of the West Papuan people and can be harmful to their struggle. It can distract attention from the continuing and difficult campaign to win international support for the West Papuan people, while playing into the hands of their oppressors.
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