WEST PAPUA PETITIONS DELIVERED TO UNITED NATIONS MEDIA RELEASE, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2019: UN resident coordinator Gianluca Rampolla received two petitions-one by West Papuans and the other by neighbouring PNG citizens demanding the organisation to immediately intervene and address the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Additionally, the petition initiated by NCD Governor Powes Parkop- with the support of his Oro counterpart Gary Juffa, PNG Council of Churches, NGOs and others-also demands the UNO to immediately implement the recent Pacific Island Forum’s resolution on West Papua for Indonesia to invite United Nation’s Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and her technical team for a trip and investigate the allegations of gross abuse on human rights and genocide, and hold those responsible accountable.
General Secretary of PNG Council of Churches Reverend Roger Joseph handed over the petitions to Mr Rampolla on Friday evening in his office after a gathering at Sir John Guise Stadium where the petitions which could have been delivered to the UNO.
It was witnessed by Governor Juffa, Governor Parkop, Noel Anjo of People’s Power Movement, Jeffrey Bomanak of Free Papua Movement (OPM), PNG Union for Free West Papua’s Ken Mondiai and staff of NCD Regional Office.
Reverend Joseph said the people of PNG were sympathised by the humanitarian crisis their neighbours were going through and that they showed their solidarity through the petition which was supported by 12, 490 whose signatures were collected in only five days.
The signatures exclude more than 2000 collected in Mt Hagen, West Highlands Province.
Whilst receiving the petitions, Mr Rampolla said he was aware of many calls which have been made on the UN to step in and contain the situation, adding the organisation was doing what is possible under its capacity.
He cited that last month the UN Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet was calling on Indonesia to establish dialogue with the independence movement leaders to stop the further escalation of violence and to ensure all grievances can be addressed amicably.
Despite her visit, which was resolved at the Pacific Island Forum, was blocked by Indonesia initially due to security reasons, the visit is being renegotiated, he said.
“From our side in PNG, we are working with central government with local authorities, PNG Defence Forces and National Disaster Centre to pave plans to ensure that if refugees coming in, we are well prepared to receive them in a dignified way,” he said.
He assured that he would forward the petitions to the UN Head Office in New York and relay the feedback to the people and the leaders.
During the presentation, Mr Juffa said neighbouring PNG people were obliged to speak against the autocratic rule of Indonesia against the Melanesian people of West Papua.
Governor Juffa called on the UNO to go back to history and fix the 1969 Act of Free Choice Vote under which handpicked only 1026 West Papuans out of over one million people then to have decided their political fate directly undermining UN principles of ‘One Vote, One Person.’
Outside the UN Office, NCD Governor Powes Parkop said the petition was only one of the many strategies for the worthy cause.
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