No matter what the Indonesian ambassador to Fiji might say, West Papua is not and will never be an internal matter for Indonesia.
West Papua is a colonised country, not a province of Indonesia. In 1961 we celebrated our Independence Day, raised our flag, and sang our national anthem. West Papua was set to become the first free Melanesian state. Even after Indonesia invaded we were promised a referendum by the UN. Indonesia knew that we would vote overwhelmingly for independence; that’s why in 1969 they violated the terms of the New York Agreement by forcing 1026 elders to vote against freedom on behalf of more than 800,000.
The only long-term solution is for us to be allowed a genuine act of self-determination through an internationally-supervised vote. Because our issue was born at the UN, it can only be resolved through the UN.
This is not a political issue, but a matter of history and international law. Self-determination is the heart of the West Papuan struggle. Its continual violation is at the heart of every injustice we suffer, from the destruction of our forest to the replacement of our people through transmigration. Every political action we take is directed towards fulfilling this fundamental right. If the world wants to know what a real referendum would look like, they should look to the 2017 People’s Petition. Over 1.8 million West Papuans – more than 70% of the Indigenous population – signed the Petition, demonstrating the sincere and universal demand of West Papuans for liberation. Though we come from many different tribes and political perspectives, the West Papuan people speak with one voice in demanding our freedom. Every West Papuan yearns for Merdeka.
Indonesia should follow the example set by MSG nations. Was Bougainville an internal matter for Papua New Guinea? Or Kanaky for France? In both cases referendums have been held in recent years.
The Ambassador’s comments reflect Indonesia’s terror of a unified Pacific standing behind their Melanesian family in West Papua. They know that all Melanesians support our peaceful struggle and want to see us become full members of the MSG. That is why Indonesia practices their chequebook diplomacy, offering Melanesian countries generous aid packages and trade deals to ensure their silence on West Papua. But they will ultimately fail. In the end, the Pacific will do the right thing, just as they did by supporting Kanaky.
Indonesia wants to pretend that West Papua is a done deal. West Papua is a righteous anti-colonial struggle that the whole world should support. The answer to Indonesia’s media blackout is to give West Papua a voice at the MSG. The answer to colonisation is self-determination.
Benny Wenda
President
ULMWP
