1) West Papuan suffering will go on if NZ doesn’t take stand, says Rosa Moiwend

2) Tonga urged to continue its support for West Papua’s struggle for independence at the UN

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https://asiapacificreport.nz/2019/07/06/west-papuan-suffering-will-go-on-if-nz-doesnt-take-stand-says-rosa-moiwend/?fbclid=IwAR0qec0IXaDHwnE8gPn3q84IiJhSfG4-Z9xOVe921e1uUNTvNHm3UM7iQSg

1)  West Papuan suffering will go on if NZ doesn’t take stand, says Rosa Moiwend

utube interview

By Michael Andrew - 

  

July 6, 2019

Michael Andrew’s Pacific Media Watch interview with Rosa Moiwend of West Papua. Video: Pacific Media Centre

By Michael Andrew

West Papuan human rights defender Rosa Moiwend was in New Zealand this week, speaking about the need for more countries to challenge Indonesia on its human rights abuses in her homeland.

Her New Zealand tour featured talks in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland where she discussed West Papuan resistance to expanding Indonesian military and business interests.

She told Pacific Media Watch contributing editor Michael Andrew about Indonesia’s confiscation of indigenous land for oil palm developments and its attempt to isolate West Papua from the rest of the Pacific.

“Land has been taken away from the indigenous people,” she says in this video report.

“And this massive food project is a kind of third wave of taking people’s land without permission.”

Moiwend also says there needs to be stronger media coverage.

“To get the information, maybe they are not well informed, that’s my assumption,” she says.

“Or, the second thing is, maybe they don’t have access to get into West Papua. Again, it is really important that the New Zealand government talks to the Indonesian government and asks them that they should open up to the media.”

• Tonga urged to continue support for West Papua
• More West Papua stories

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https://kanivatonga.nz/2019/07/tonga-urged-to-continue-its-support-for-west-papuas-struggle-for-independence-at-the-un/?fbclid=IwAR2b4dgc4liaZov3cNx3Bo69aQwEOBDPBsAc6CA7D1fYtognZB6SZ823r3U

2) Tonga urged to continue its support for West Papua’s struggle for independence at the UN

Kuo ui e fefine taukave ma’a e Totonu ‘A e Tangata’ mei UesiPāpua ko Rosa Moiwend ki Tonga ke hokohoko atu pe ‘ene poupou ki he’enau feinga tau’atāina mei ‘Initonēsia’. Na’e lea ‘a Moiwend ‘i ‘Aokalani, Nu’u Sila ‘anepō pea na’a’ ne fakahā ai ki he Kaniva’ ‘oku hokohoko atu pe feinga ‘a UesiPāpua’ takimu’a ai ‘a Vanuatu i hono teuteu ha tu’utu’uni ‘a e Pule’anga Fakatahataha’ ke fakakau ‘a e fonua’ ni he āseniti ‘a e Kōmiti ‘A e Pule’anga Fakatahataha’ ki Hono Vete’i E Ngaahi Fonua Fakakolonia’i’. Ko Tonga ‘a e fonua’aki hono fitu he Pasifiki’ kuo nau lea ‘o poupou ki he totonu ‘a UesiPapua kuo fakaehaua’i ‘e ‘Initonēsia’. Ne ‘asi hake poupou ‘a Tonga ko ‘eni’ hili ia ha me’a ‘a e ‘Eiki Palēmia’ ‘Akilisi Pōhiva he 2015 ‘o ne pehē 'i ha fakataha tonu 'a e Pule’anga Fakatahataha’ ke nau fai ha me'a ki hono ngaahi kovia ‘e ‘Initonēsia ‘a e kakai ‘o UesiPapua’ ta’u ‘eni ‘e onongofulu tupu. 

By

 Philip Cass

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02/07/2019

West Papuan human rights activist Rosa Moiwend has asked Tonga to continue its support or her people’s struggle for independence.

She told Kaniva news it was important to support Vanuatu’s effort to prepare a resolution to have West Papua placed on the agenda of the United Nations Decolonisation Committee.

Moiwend, who has been on a speaking tour of New Zealand and last night addressed a meeting at the St Columba centre in Auckland, said there had been a continuing effort to have West Papua put on the list of countries under consideration by the committee.

Last year the committee refused to accept a petition, reportedly supported by70% of West Papuans, asking the UN to appoint a special representative to investigate human rights abuses by Indonesian soldiers and police.

The petition called for the UN “to put West Papua back on the decolonisation committee agenda and ensure their right to self‐determination … is respected by holding an internationally supervised vote.”

Indonesia’s representative to the UN, Dian Triansyah Djani, is a vice-chair of the Decolonisation Committee.

Moiwend said Tonga was one of seven Pacific nations which spoke out on behalf of West Papua at the UN General Assembly in 2015.

The seven nations which form the Pacific Island Council on West Papua, are Tonga, Vanuatu, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and Solomon Islands.

Speaking to the General Assembly that year, Prime Minister ’Akilisi Pohiva called on the UN to help West Papua, whose people have suffered under a brutal Indonesian occupation for nearly 60 years.

“Tonga does not condone the injustice, cruel violation of human rights and dignity and brutal treatment in West Papua,” Hon. Pohiva said.

“The United Nations has a duty to closely follow up this West Papua case and [take] necessary action to stop these brutal and inhumane activities.”

He said world leaders should work together against what was happening in West Papua.

Humanitarian

As Kaniva news reported at the time, West Papuan representative Rev Socratez Yoman praised Hon. Pohiva, saying: “These are humanitarian issues and he is concerned. He sees with his heart and knows it is not a good situation. As the leader of an independent state he should support West Papua.”

Last year Indonesia launched a multi-million dollar programme to influence Pacific nations, including a trade expo which open in Auckland on July 11-14.

Radio New Zealand has reported that Tonga’s Deputy Prime Minister, Semisi Lafu Kioa Sika is expected to attend. 

New Zealand

The New Zealand government’ attitude toward the West Papuan issue remains uncertain. 

West Papua Action Auckland described the situation in West Papua since the Indonesian take-over in 1963 as ‘slow genocide,’ but said the New Zealand government was all but silent on the mounting crisis.  

While Labour MPs Jennie Salesa and Carmel Sepuloni met with Rev Yoman when he visited New Zealand in 2016, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters, said last year New Zealand recognised West Papua as part of Indonesia.

The main points

• West Papuan human right activist Rosa Moiwend has asked Tonga to continue its support or her people’s struggle for independence.
• Moiwend told Kaniva news it was important to continue supporting effort to have the West Papuan issue properly acknowledged  by the UN.
• She said Tonga was one of seven Pacific nations which had spoken out on behalf of West Papua at the UN General Assembly in 2016.

For more information

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