This statement has been released by Benny Wenda on behalf of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, of which he is the Spokesperson. A Bahasa Malay/Indonesia translation can be found below

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) just held its extraordinary summit in Jakarta from 6 to 7 March, with the theme “Independence is the right of all nations”. The Government of the Republic of Indonesia reaffirmed its support for the independence and sovereignty of Palestine. In fact, through a bilateral meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas, Indonesia stated it had already opened an Honorary Consulate of Indonesia in Ramallah which will be inaugurated this March. The commitment of the Indonesian Government to support Palestine is in full accordance with its own Constitution of 1945 which stipulates that all colonialism must be abolished in this world.

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 nearly 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 supports 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 communiqué. 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 communiqué 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. Manasseh 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 are hopeful that the Government of President Joko Widodo will join to seek a peaceful solution to the independence and sovereignty of the nation of Papua.
3. We also sincerely hope that 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

SIKAP POLITIK ULMWP

Indonesia Dukung Kemerdekaan Palestina? Bagaimana Dengan West Papua?

Konferensi Tingkat Tinggi KTT Organisasi Kerja Sama Islam OKI sudah berlangsung pada 6-7 Maret di Jakarta, dengan thema “kemerdekaan adalah hak segala bangsa”. Pemerintah Republik Indonesia menyatakan dukungan bagi kemerdekaan dan kedaulatan Palestina. Bahkan,  melalui pertemuan bilateral bersama Presiden Palestina Mahmoud Abbas, Indonesia menyatakan sudah membuka dan akan meresmikan Konsul Kehormatan Indonesia di Ramallah bulan Maret ini. Komitmen Pemerintah Indonesia mendukung Palestina adalah perwujudan UUD 1945, bahwa penjajahan diatas dunia harus dihapuskan.

Disaat yang sama, Pemerintah Indonesia menyembunyikan dirinya dari konflik politik West Papua, sebuah teritori yang direbut paksa tahun 1962, dicaplok secara illegal pada tahun 1969, dan kini masih terus dikuasai dan dijajah dengan praktek kolonialisme yang militeristik dan menyebabkan krisis kemanusiaan akut, perusakan lingkungan, penggerukan Sumber Daya Alam besar-besaran, serta migrasi penduduk Indonesia ke West Papua secara besar-besaran.

Sejak 1961, bangsa Papua telah berikrar untuk berdiri sendiri sebagai sebuah bangsa dan Negara. Sejak saat itu, rakyat West Papua telah berjuang dengan penuh pengorbanan mencari kemerdekaan dan kedaulatannya selama hampir setengah abat tanpa solusi damai antara West Papua dan Indonesia. Bila pemerintah Indonesia berkomitmen untuk mewujudkan kemerdekaan dan kedaulatan Palestina, pertanyaanya bagaimana dengan West Papua yang telah kehilangan hak kemerdekaan dan kedaulatannya?

Kami sebagai organisasi yang berasosiasi dalam payung perjuangan bangsa Papua Barat yakni United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULWMP), yang juga anggota observer di organisasi sub-regional MSG (Melanesian Spearhead Group) memandang bahwa sesunguhnya semangat membebaskan Palestina dari pendudukan Israel harus juga disertai dengan semangat mendekolonisasi West Papua. Bagaimana bisa Indonesia mendukung kemerdekaan dan kedaulatan Palestina, sementara bangsa Papua masih menjadi wilayah jajahan Indonesia? Bagaimana bisa Indonesia terlibat aktif dalam penyelesaian damai Palestina di PBB, sembari menolak segala bentuk penyelesaian status politik West Papua secara damai?

Bila Indonesia ikut mendorong kemerdekaan Palestina di OKI, seharusnya juga Indonesia sebagai Anggota Asosiasi MSG mendorong hak penentuan nasib sendiri bagi West Papua sesuai hasil komunike MSG pada than 2013 lalu. Bila Indonesia ikut mendorong OKI dalam berbagai Tim Pencari Fakta di Palestina,  mengapa Indonesia sebagai “mitra dialog” Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) tidak mau membuka akses bagi Tim Pencari Fakta dari Negara-negara Pasifik Selatan ke West Papua sesuai hasil kesepakatan tahunannya di Port Moresby, September 2015? Dan lagi, mengapa Pemerintah Indonesia terus menolak desakan ketua MSG, Menasseh Sogavare untuk berdialog dengan ULMWP.

Oleh sebab itu, atas nama rakyat West Papua, kami menyampaikan kepada pemerintah Republik Indonesia, dan seluruh anggota Organisasi Kerja Sama Negara-negara Islam (OKI) bahwa:

1. Kami mendukung upaya penyelesaian damai OKI terhadap konflik politik yang berkepanjangan di Palestina dan Israel.
2. Kami berharap Pemerintahan Presiden Joko Widodo untuk ikut mencari penyelesaian damai bagi kemerdekaan dan kedaulatan bangsa Papua.
3. Kemi juga sangat mengharapkan anggota Negara-negara OKI untuk ikut mendorong Indonesia menghentikan pendudukan illegalnya di West Papua, dan bersama-sama ULMWP menyelesaikan status politik West Papua secara damai.

 

Port Numbay, 7 Maret 2016

Benny Wenda
Juru Bicara United Liberation Movement for West Papua.(ULMWP)

Contact:
Benny Wenda Phone: +44 7411 053 953