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AT next month's Melanesian Spearhead Group meeting
in New Caledonia, leaders from Melanesia will be asked to respond to the
cry for liberation by their brothers and sisters in West Papua.
For the past half century the people of West Papua have struggled
for their call for self-determination to be heard and responded to.
When Dutch colonial rule ended on December 1, 1961, they agreed to grant West Papua self-rule.
When
the Dutch left, they handed West Papua over to the United Nations and
then to Jakarta, in a transfer agreement which stipulated that West
Papuans would be able to decide within six years whether to accept
incorporation into Indonesia.
Many West Papuans saw the Dutch
departure as a chance for complete independence. But within a year,
forces from Jakarta had annexed the region and claimed it as part of
Indonesia
This opportunity came and went — and many Papuans, as
well as human rights groups, have questioned why the region has still
not been allowed a vote for independence.
From the time Jakarta
first annexed the province, there have been sporadic clashes between
poorly armed independence supporters and Indonesian security forces.
Over the years there have been serious abuses committed by the
Indonesian security forces. Accusations of torture and rape persist.
The
Free West Papua Campaign website claims: "Over 500,000 civilians have
been killed in genocide against the indigenous population. Thousands
more have been raped, tortured, imprisoned or 'disappeared' after being
detained. Basic human rights such as freedom of speech are denied and
Papuans live in a constant state of fear and intimidation."
Last
year, Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill broke with
tradition and publicly admonished the Indonesian government's response
to continuing state violence, human rights violations and failure of
governance in West Papua. Moved by 4000 women from the Lutheran Church,
O'Neill said he would raise human rights concerns in the troubled
territory with the Indonesian government.
The Pacific Media Centre
notes "Melanesian support for a free West Papua has always been high.
Travel throughout Papua New Guinea and you will often hear people say
that West Papua and Papua New Guinea is "wanpela graun" — one land — and
West Papuans on the other side of the border are family and kin. Earlier this year politicians in Papua New Guinea also were heard to lend their voice to the cause of a free West Papua.
According
to the Pacific Media Centre in Auckland, Powes Parkop, Governor of the
Papua New Guinea's National Capital District, recently insisted that
"there is no historical, legal, religious, or moral justification for
Indonesia's occupation of West Papua".
Governor Parkop, who is a
member of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua, which now
has representatives in 56 countries, then went on to formerly launch the
free West Papua campaign.
In April, West Papua National Coalition
for Liberation visited Noumea and presented its official application
for full MSG membership to Victor Tutugoro, the executive of the FLNKAS
and the incoming MSG chairman.
According to Radio New Zealand,
"New Caledonia's pro-independence FLNKS has pledged its full support for
the cause of the West Papuan people for freedom and independence".
Mr
Tutugoro said the MSG is only for Melanesia and Liberation Movements
within it, and the FLNKS leadership would be happy to welcome West Papua
as a new member in the Melanesian family. Last week, Solomon
Islands' Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo met officials from the West
Papuan National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL) in Honiara.
According
to the Solomon Star newspaper, during the meeting Mr Lilo "expressed
his support for the West Papuan agenda to be discussed at the MSG level.
He said this would be included in the next Melanesian Spearhead Group
Summit". Mr Lilo said he was aware of the West Papuan struggles, which
is now more than 50 years.
Vice chairman of the West Papuan
National Coalition for Liberation, Dr Otto Ondawame, expressed his
delight after the assurance by PM Lilo. Dr Ondawame said given the
important role that MSG plays in regional politics it is vital that the
West Papuan issue is discussed at the leadership level.
He said
they were also rallying for support in Melanesia and beyond to ensure
that their West Papuan issue was discussed at all opportunities
available at the regional and international level.
Support from
the Solomons and Kanaky seem to be part of a changing tide of political
engagement within Melanesian countries on the issue of independence for
West Papua.
In Vanuatu, opposition parties, the Malvatumari
National Council of Chiefs and the Anglican bishop of Vanuatu, Reverend
James Ligo have been urging the Vanuatu government to change its
position on West Papua.
Last month Vanuatu PM Moana Carcasses and
Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nipake Natapei pledged
Vanuatu's support for the West Papua request to grant and admit West
Papua as an observer status to the MSG.
The issue of West Papua's
Independence was also on the agenda of this year's Pacific Conference of
Churches General Assembly in Honiara, Solomon Islands. The PCC Assembly
resolved to address human rights abuse and independence in West Papua.
It will incorporate the human rights situation in West Papua as a strong
focal point of PCC's programmatic work on self-determination for
non-self-governing territories and communities and peoples who yearn to
be free. Pacific churches will designate an annual Freedom Sunday to
pray for island countries and people who are not free.
Given our
nation's close bond with Papua New Guinea and leadership role in
Melanesia, yet at the same time, its recent strengthening of ties with
Indonesia, Fiji's leadership may have to look beyond the short term and
the government's own interests to support the cause of West Papuans who
only ask for the same rights that the current draft constitution aims to
provide for Fijians. The late Father Walter Lini, Vanuatu's first
prime minister, once said "Melanesia is not free until West Papua is
free". The cry of West Papuans continues to be, if not now, when?
As
the people of Oceania — Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia to continue
struggle for control of their destiny, the plight of West Papua and
Maohi Nui (in what is known as French Polynesia) are reminders that
liberty, justice and peace are not just ideals but are non-negotiables
for every human being. They are rocks from which islands of hope grow.
Those
who physically or spiritually join in the weekly Peace Vigil at Suva's
Holy Trinity Cathedral every Thursday between 12.30pm to 1.30pm may wish
to spend some time reflecting on West Papua as we reflect on our own
political journey.
For more information on West Papua visit:
http://freewestpapua.org/info/human-rights/ or visit the "Free West
Papua Campaign Fiji" Facebook page.
"Simplicity, serenity, spontaneity."
*
Reverend JS Bhagwan is a Masters in Theology Student at the Methodist
Theological University in Seoul, South Korea. The views expressed are
his and not of this newspaper.
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