The International Parliamentarians for West Papua was launched at the second Annual General Meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on West Papua (APPGWP) which was chaired by Andrew Smith MP. The second AGM of the All Party Parliamentary Group on West Papua elected Andrew Smith MP as its chairman, Lord Harries of Pentregarth to be the vice chairman and Lord Avebury as the secretary of the APPGWP.

The launch of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua was attended by Hon Moana Carcasses Kalosil MP representing Vanuatu parliament, Lembit Öpik MP (UK Parliament), Jeremy Corbyn MP (UK Parliament) and Mr. Benny Wenda, West Papuan Independence Leader in the United Kingdom. This event was witnessed directly by West Papuan representatives from the Netherlands, university students (from Oxford, Exeter, Reading, and London) and UK based human rights and environmental groups. Main speaker of the official launch of IPWP was Ms Melinda Janki (international human rights law expert) who presented a paper on West Papua’s legal rights to self determination. Speakers from international parliamentarians for West Papua include Andrew Smith MP (UK), Lord Harries (UK), Lembit Opik MP (UK) and Hon Moana Carcasses Kalosil MP (Vanuatu).


PROPOSED ACTIONS:

West Papuan leaders hope that members of the IPWP will encourage fellow Parliamentarians to join IPWP and support West Papua’s right to self-determination, freedom and a peaceful existence

West Papuan leaders also hope that the IPWP is willing to help with the following actions:

- lobby for a new act of self-determination in accordance with international law in which indigenous West Papuans are freely allowed to choose their international status;

-call for and support the immediate removal of Indonesian troops from West Papua;

-call for an international peacekeeping force for West Papua under the authority of the United Nations;

- request their governments to stop all arms sales to Indonesia until Indonesian troops in West Papua have been replaced by a peacekeeping force;

- conduct a fact finding mission to West Papua;


- encourage their governments to obtain through the UN General Assembly an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on West Papua’s right to self-determination under international law;

- support the creation of a trust fund so that all revenues from current resource exploitation in West Papua are held in trust for the indigenous peoples of West Papua;


- call upon the UN secretary-General to


(i)conduct a review of the UN’s role in the “act of free choice;”


(ii) send a special UN observer to monitor human rights in West Papua;

- call upon the Indonesian Government to

(i) release Filep Karma, Yusak Pakage and all other prisoners of conscience immediately;


(ii) allow journalists free access to West Papua;


(iii) put an immediate stop to deforestation in West Papua since this is destroying the unique ecosystems of West Papua and causing global damage through climate change and the loss of biodiversity;

(iv) observe a moratorium on granting any oil and other mineral concessions until the ICJ has delivered its opinion.



The launch of International Parliamentarians for West Papua was supported by UK MPs, European MPs, US Congressmen, Australian Senators, New Zealand MPs, Vanuatu MPs, Papua New Guinea MPs and Guyana MPs.

Klik hier voor de fotoserie van de launch