More than thousand people attended a rally backed by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) on the grounds of Rusunawa, University of Cenderawasih – Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – Thousands of Papuans held rallied in separate locations on Monday (19/9/2016) to show their support for the Coalition of Pacific Countries for West Papua who will raise the issue of Papua self-determination and human rights violations at the plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly, scheduled to be held on this week.
In Jayapura, more than thousand people attended a rally backed by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) on the grounds of Rusunawa University of Cenderawasih, Perumnas III Waena. They offered prayers and made political speeches to inform attendants about the advocacy process of the Papua political issues in the UN General Assembly.
The Central KNPB represented by Agus Kossay and Mecky Yeimo particularly highlighted on the role of the coalition in endorsing the West Papua issue to be discussed in the plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly.
“This process indicates our struggle would not stop at the Melanesian Spearhead Group. The six countries (Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Tonga, and Nauru) are the countries that would take the self-determination issue of West Papua in front of the UN General Assembly,” he said before the crowds that already come to the scene since 13:00.
According to Kossay, Papuan people have closed relationship in Pacific (Melanesia) long time ago before Indonesia has taken over Papua to become its colony.
“Melanesian race has work together in many aspects including politic and socio-cultural in the South Pacific,” he said.
However, said Kossay, the intensive contacts between them were gradually decrease when Indonesia taken over Papua since 1963 through Referendum 1969 that legally and morally can not accepted. Then Indonesia blocked the communication of Papuan people with Pacific.
He said for 54 years Indonesia used its power to restrict and separate the Papuan people from the contact with the Melanesian in Pacific, whether in the regional or socio-cultural forums.
“Though the relationship has been conducted since 1940s before the independence of Indonesia in 1945. Even the Netherland New Guinea (now West Papua territorial) officially joined in the South Pacific Conference since 1947 to 1962,” he said adding there are spirits to liberate the Pacific regions from imperialism and form their own government in that conference.
Meanwhile, the First Secretary of Central KNPB Mecky Yeimo in the same occasion appealed the Papua people to continue to work hard to fight for self determination as a nation respected by other nations in the world, as well as part of Melanesian and Pacific family.
“We are the people of West Papua also fully support the Pacific Islands Forum with the expectation the leaders of the countries would pay attention to the rights of self-determination for West Papua according to the UN General Council Resolution No. 1541,” he said.
They also urged the United Nations to immediately send the observer team on the Rights of Self Determination according to the Declaration of Westminster on 3 May 2016 in England, “Because the implementation of the people’s voting (Pepera) 1999 could not accepted by law and ethics and violated the principles of act of free choice in the New York Agreement 1962,” asserted Mecky.
The similar protests were also conducted in several regions by doing a rally on the street or oration in the secretariat offices. According to Mecky Yeimo, the protest was implemented smoothly though there are some blockages on the street. “Thousands of people in Yahukimo were done the protest successfully, but 13 people were arrested by the police, 5 were children but they have been released on the afternoon. As many as 82 people were also arrested in Merauke but they have been released at 5 afternoon,” said Yeimo. (*/rom)
