PORT VILA: Vanuatu continues to stand alone in the Pacific on the issue of extensive human rights abuses allegedly wielded on West Papuans at the hands of the Indonesian military.
At the same time, West Papuan activists have expressed frustration that Vanuatu Prime Minister and chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Edward Natapei, did not bring up the issue at this week’s leaders’ meeting in Port Vila.
“We are deeply disappointed because [Natapei]… has failed to take a decisive role to facilitate the aspirations of the people of West Papua and Vanuatu,” read a statement released yesterday by the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL).
“For too long the West Papuan issue has been swept under the tapa mat of Forum meetings, but if the forum is to truly represent all Pacific peoples it must confront the occupation of West Papua.”
Many of the 2.5 million West Papuan population are demanding independence from Indonesia, as well as international action on gross human rights violations reported in their community. The colony is about the size of Papua New Guinea – with which it shares a border – and rich in natural resources.
Local activists were supported last week in a letter signed by 50 members of the US congress calling for President Obama to make West Papua a “high priority”.
Little support
However, the Pacific Islands Forum did not discuss the issue despite the Vanuatu Parliament passing a bill in June for the government to sponsor a move to grant observer status to West Papua at the PIF.
At a media conference last night, indigenous advocate Dr John Otto Ondawame said the lack of support for neigbouring countries’ fight for independence was a “dilemma” in the Pacific.
“West Papua is a rich country, we can play an important role in the region,” he said.
Along with fellow West Papuan colleague Rex Rumakiek, he made his statements immediately official statements on the forum’s communiqué made by PIF Secretary General Tuiloma Neroni Slade, chair Edward Natapei, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and chair for the Ministerial Contact Group to Fiji, Tongan Prime Minister Dr Feleti Sevele.
“At this very moment as we speak, the Indonesian military is conducting operations in the highlands of West Papua,” said Rex Rumakiek, one of the spokesmen for WPNCL.
Human Rights Watch reports that the Indonesian army has responded to separatist movements in Papua with “a strong troop presence and often harsh and disproportionate responses to non-violent dissent or criticism.”
The report adds the government restricts foreign human rights monitors and journalists, making further investigations “extremely difficult”.
Dr Ondawame and Rumakiek are calling on the PIF to send a fact finding mission to West Papua to monitor the situation.
However, forum chair Natapei said dealing with the West Papua issue would take time.
“[West Papua] is a major Melanesian country. There are millions of Melanesian West Papuans who are affected by human rights issue,” he said today.
“Before we can give it any definite [timeframe] we will need to discuss it with the MSG and then bring it to the other countries of the forum. The last thing we want to do is for Vanuatu to go with it alone and fail miserably”.
No support from NZ, PNG
But he added that if Vanuatu did not take up the issue “no one will".
West Papuans cannot look forward to support from New Zealand, nor their closest neighbour Papua New Guinea.
“It didn’t come up in the forum… With the issues West Papua face, we respect Indonesia’s rights to exercise territorial authority,” New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said yesterday.
Papua New Guinea – West Papua’s nearest neighbour – holds the same position.
“West Papua is an integral part of Indonesia and they have their own issues with their own government and if one of our members is pushing it, then that’s a matter of discussion later on,” the PNG Minister for Physical Planning and District Development, Paul Teinsten, told the media in Port Vila.
Meanwhile, Rumakiek appealed to the general public to act despite the stances of their governments.
“My message is governments come and go but the people remain,” he said.
Their coalition will move to table the case at the September session of the United Nations General Assembly, and then refer in to the International Court of Justice.
Josephine Latu
