Reply from PM's office to AWPA letter below.

Reply from PM's office to AWPA letter below. 

Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)

PO Box 28, Spit Junction, NSW 2088

The Hon Tony Abbott MP

Prime Minister of Australia

House of Representatives


Parliament House


Canberra ACT 2600

1 May 2014

Dear Prime Minister,

On behalf of the Australia West Papua Association in Sydney I am writing to

you concerning the issue of West Papua.

A researcher for AWPA, Mr Johnson, has been looking into the tragic history of

West Papua and believes that Australia, as a member of the United Nations is

legally bound to the terms of the Charter of the United Nations including the

obligations in article 76 to promote self-government or independence and other

virtues in trust territories. West New Guinea which we call West Papua became

a trust territory when the General Assembly exercised article 85 of the

Charter by making General Assembly resolution 1752 (XVII). As you are aware

the Republic of Indonesia in 1969 conducted an event which it called an “act

of free choice” which the United Nations did not design or endorse, and the

issue of West New Guinea (West Papua) has not been raised at the General

Assembly since the decision in General Assembly resolution 1752 to commence

United Nations administration of the territory.

In light of ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua, and obligations which

Australia and the United Nations have under articles 76, 85, 87, and 88 of the

Charter of the United Nations which are not being satisfied by the activities

outlined in letters written by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on

behalf of the Attorney General and yourself on 7 April 2014 and 15 April 2014,

we urge you to either raise the issue of West Papua and General Assembly

resolution 1752 (XVII) with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon or

raise this with the Trusteeship Council directly by adding the matter to the

agenda of that Council.

As the Trusteeship Council under General Assembly resolution 171 (II) has been

advised and given authority to ask the International Court of Justice for

advice on matters of law, we urge you to facilitate this by rising the matter

of West Papua and General Assembly resolution 1752 with Secretary General Ban

Ki-moon or the Trusteeship Council. If you believe that Australia and the

United Nations have no obligations towards the territory and people of West

Papua under article 76 of the Charter of the United Nations we ask that you

explain the grounds for that belief.

I look forward to hearing from you on this important matter

Yours sincerely

Joe Collins

AWPA (Sydney)