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Indonesia supports Palestinian independence? What about West Papua?
United Liberation Movement for West Papua Statement - March 7, 2016
At the same time, the Indonesian Government is hiding from the West Papuan political conflict, which involves a territory which was taken over forcefully in 1962, annexed illegally in 1969 and which has been occupied and subjugated up until today through militaristic and colonialist practices, causing acute humanitarian crises, devastation to the environment, considerable appropriation of natural resources, as well as the massive migration of Indonesians to West Papua.
Since 1961, the Papuan people have pledged to stand alone as a nation and as a State. And since then, the people of West Papua have waged a struggle filled with sacrifices in their quest for independence and sovereignty for more than half a century, with no amicable solution between West Papua and Indonesia in sight. If the Indonesian Government is committed to help achieving the independence and the sovereignty of Palestine, the question is what about West Papua, which lost its right to independence and sovereignty?
We, as organizations which have come together under the umbrella of the national struggle of the people of West Papua, that is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULWMP), which is also a member observer in the sub-regional organization known as the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), are of the opinion that in reality, if one is passionate about liberating Palestine from Israeli occupation, one should also be passionate about decolonizing West Papua. How can Indonesia support Palestine's independence and sovereignty, while the Papuan People are still colonized by Indonesia? How can Indonesia actively be involved in the peaceful settlement of the Palestine question at the UN, while it is rejecting any form of peaceful settlement of the political status of West Papua?
If Indonesia joins the efforts of the OIC to support Palestinian independence, Indonesia should also, as an associate member of the MSG, promote the right to self-determination of the People of West Papua, in accordance with the 2013 MSG final communique. If Indonesia is also pushing the OIC for various fact-finding teams in Palestine, why does Indonesia, as a "dialogue partner" of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), not want to open access to West Papua for the fact-finding team from South Pacific nations, as agreed in the communique at the Forum's last Leaders' Meeting in Port Moresby, in September 2015? And what more, why does the Indonesian Government persist in rejecting the call of H.E. Mr. Menasseh Sogavare, Chairman of the MSG, for a dialogue with the ULMWP.
Therefore, on behalf of the People of West Papua, we convey to the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, and all members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that:
1. We support the OIC's efforts for a peaceful settlement of the political conflict between Palestine and Israel.
2. We hope that the Government of President Joko Widodo will join us in seeking a peaceful solution to the independence and sovereignty of the nation of Papua.
3. We also sincerely hope that the member countries of the OIC will actively urge Indonesia to stop their illegal occupation of West Papua, and, together with the ULMWP, to resolve the political status of West Papua peacefully.
Port Numbay, 7 March 2016
Benny Wenda
Spokesperson for the United
Liberation Movement for West Papua.(ULMWP)
Contact:
Benny Wenda Phone: +44 7411
053 953
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