We, the undersigned, concerned Australian academics and West Papuan researchers, would like to warmly congratulate you for the honorary doctorate that you have just received from the University of Western Australia in Perth.
This prestigious award singles out your outstanding contribution to the academic world. We believe that it is precisely this engagement with leading educators and researchers that will help to strengthen your role as the Vice President of the fourth-largest nation in the world.
In this regard, we would like to welcome your government’s decision to appoint a special envoy to plan peaceful dialogue for West Papua.
We understand that your office is currently managing the relevant decision-making processes. So we would like you to ensure that these embryonic efforts accommodate all important dimensions that shape or have shaped the past, the present and the future of West Papua, including political, historical, cultural, religious, economic and social dimensions.
We hope you can achieve a comprehensive and robust legal framework for dialogue.
We would like to see peaceful solutions through dialogue for West Papua, which is Australia’s closest neighbor, and an end to the ongoing conflicts that have so damaged the lives of the Papuans in their beautiful land.
Chris Sidoti, University of Western Sydney
Chris Ballard, The Australian National University
Jim Elmslie, University of Sydney
Richard Chauvel, Melbourne-based researcher
Susan Harris Rimmer, The Australian National University
J. Budi Hernawan OFM, The Australian National University
Yusuf Sawaki, The Australian National University
Cammelia Webb-Gannon , University of Sydney
Kylie McKenna, The Australian National University
Sri L. Wahyuningroem, The Australian National University
G. Peter King, University of Sydney
John Braithwaite, The Australian National University
Martin Krygier, University of New South Wales
Veronica L. Taylor, The Australian National University