Australia West Papua Association (Sydney)
MSG leaders call for a UN-MSG mission to New Caledonia, why not also West Papua?
Statement 17 July 2024
The Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) congratulations the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leaders for calling on France to allow a joint United Nations-MSG mission to its colony of Kanaky (New Caledonia) to assess the political situation and propose solutions for the ongoing crisis.
Joe Collins of AWPA said, “this proposed visit by the MSG leaders is encouraging. We have all seen images of military hardware and troops arriving in Kanaky which only adds more tension to an already volatile situation”.
(In RNZ article)
One cannot help but compare the situation in Kanaky with West Papua. Although West Papua is no longer on the list of non-self-governing territories, it should be. West Papuans have never accepted the fraudulent result of the so-called act of free choice and are still struggling for their right to self-determination. The West Papuans suffer from ongoing human rights abuses and the exploitation of their natural resources with little benefit to the rightful owners.
West Papua has observer status at the MSG and although it is greatly disappointing that Papuans have not been granted full membership at recent MSG meetings.
It was particularly disappointing that two MSG officials who visited Papua said that "Papua is stable and conducive overall. Economic and social activities are well and normal”. (They seemed to have not read the numerous reports on human rights abuses in West Papua)
https://en.antaranews.com/news/316431/msg-papua-is-stable-and-conducive
Joe Collins said "it’s time the MSG leaders again took up the mantel of West Papua and seriously started discussing the deteriorating human rights situation in the territory with Jakarta”.
The MSG leaders have also agreed for the New Caledonia situation to be discussed at the 53rd Pacific Island Forum leaders’ summit (PIFLM53) next month and proposed "that at least one member of the MSG be part of the Forum mission to visit New Caledonia.
West Papua is on the agenda at the PIF and at the Forty-Sixth Pacific Islands Forum held in Port Moresby in September 2015, "Leaders requested the Forum Chair to convey the views of the Forum to the Indonesian Government, and to consult on a fact-finding mission to discuss the situation in Papua with the parties involved."
Although Jakarta did invite a mission to West Papua by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, so far it has not occurred.
Joe Collins said, “ hopefully the Leaders of the PIF at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum to be held in Tonga in August , will continue to urge Jakarta to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua to investigate the human rights situation in the territory. The PIF Leaders should also consider urging Jakarta to allow a PIF fact finding mission to the territory”.
The leaders are also calling on France "to undertake another self-determination referendum on the issue of independence as part of the implementation of actions called for under the UN Fourth Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism (2021-2030)" due to their "dissatisfaction" with the third New Caledonia referendum, which they called "forceful and unilateral decision by the French State".
At this time it’s unlikely that the West Papuan people will be given the chance of a real referendum but Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states
All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.
Nowhere does it say that a people have only one chance at a referendum and that’s it forever.
Ends.
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