On 30th August 2017, the West Papuan People’s Petition and the Global Petition for West Papua was taken to the United Nations in Geneva after being swum for 28 hours across the 69km of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. The Global Petition was launched by the ULMWP at the Britiish Parliament in Westminster in January while the West Papuan People’s Petition was launched by the ULMWP in Port Numbay/Jayapua in May.
Both petitions read: “We call on you to urgently address the human rights situation in West Papua and to review the UN’s involvement in the administration of West Papua that led to its unlawful annexation by Indonesia ‐- and the human rights abuse that continues today. We call upon you to: – appoint a Special Representative to investigate the human rights situation in West Papua; – put West Papua back on the Decolonisation Committee agenda and ensure their right to self‐determination ‐- denied to them in 1969 -‐ is respected by holding an Internationally Supervised Vote (in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolutions 1514 and 1541 (XV)).”
At the United Nations, ULMWP Spokesperson Benny Wenda stated: “Today, we carry the bones. There is 500,000 bones of West Papuans that have been killed by Indonesia over the last 50 years. Now we are carrying this burden. We stand here. We will carry these bones to the United Nations.”
The total number of signatures of the West Papuan People’s Petition will be announced in New York later in September. The Global Petition was submitted as it stood on 26th August with 156,933 signatures from 185 countries however, it has been decided that the Global Petition will run until mid-September and until then can be signed here.
ULMWP would like to convey it’s greatest thanks and respect to the Swim for West Papua team and everyone who has signed the Global Petition and helped to take part in this incredible international action.
ULMWP would also like to convey its greatest thanks and respect to all the people of West Papua who took part in this historic manual signing of the West Papuan People’s Petition, the first time in our history. For the first time, this show the direct aspirations of the West Papuan people.
ULWMP is fully confident that this petition will act as firm evidence for the people of West Papua’s will and desire to peacefully exercise their fundamental right to self-determination through an Internationally Supervised Vote on Independence.
More details and information around both the West Papuan People’s Petition and the Global Petition for West Papua will be announced soon.
