It is time for the United Nations General Assembly to take decisive action on West Papua

 By Frank A Makanuey

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea 24th March 2024 

It is time for the United Nations General Assembly to take decisive action on West Papua

The New York Agreement, upon which the Indonesian government, its bureaucracy, and its populace have leaned for over 60 years to validate the occupation of West Papua, unequivocally does not sanction nor condone the brutal assault inflicted by a fully trained company of soldiers resulting in the tragic demise of an individual citizen.

Let it be clear, the New York Agreement does not endorse nor justify a troop of proficient Indonesian soldiers subjecting an unarmed man to excruciating torment, torture, and ultimately, death.

This defenceless soul, with bound hands, ensnared within a confining drum, stood no chance of escape from his inevitable fate. Such acts of barbarity find no sanction within the confines of the New York Agreement.

Since the ratification of the New York Agreement and Indonesia's prolonged and tumultuous dominion

over West Papua, countless such atrocities have unfolded, claiming the lives of thousands of indigenous Melanesian individuals.

The footage depicting a battalion of Indonesian soldiers callously pummelling an unarmed man confined within a 44 gallon drum, culminating in his demise and death, stands as a stark indictment of crimes against humanity.

Crimes against humanity have been outlawed by the United Nations (UN) since 1948, in the wake of the heinous atrocities committed by Hitler's Nazi Germany and the mistreatment of Japanese prisoners in camps.

Deliberate acts of aggression against the indigenous people of West Papua must cease forthwith.

The breach of the New York Agreement constitutes a legal transgression. This is now a matter of law. I implore the UN General Assembly to promptly reassess the validity of the New York Agreement, declare it null and void, and bring an end to Indonesia's unwarranted occupation of West Papua.

The right to self-determination of the indigenous people of West Papua transcends Indonesia's domestic affairs; it is a matter for the United Nations to address. The UNGA must take decisive action and grant independence to the Melanesian people of West Papua, in accordance with its Charter ratified in 1948.

By Frank A Makanuey

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea 24th March 2024 

---------------------------------------