Bintang Papua, 29 July 2011
[Much abridged in translation by TAPOL]
ILWP Summit Meeting should not be politicised!
The Summit Conference to be held in Oxford on 2 August has drawn a response from Franzalbert Joku, chairman of the Customary Authority of the Sentani people, when asked for his opinion about the event.
He said that the Summit Meeting (KTT) has been deliberately designed to promote the struggle of Benny Wenda in the UK. This because any NGO without such a commodity as Benny Wenda will find it difficult to keep alive and secure financial support.
'This meeting which it being reported widely in the mass media is just about that,' he said.
However, Ignasius W. Mimin Amd who was approached separately said that the Indonesian government should take measures to stettle this matter and not see it as nothing. He said that the thing that had triggered the event waa the failure to implement the Special Autonomy Law. To add to the confusion, he said, 'there is the dualism in having two MRPs, one for the province of Papua and one for the province of West Papua'.
However, the National Committee for West Papua (KNP
in the district of Biak Numfor said that it supports the 2 August conference in Oxford. They intend to hold a peaceful action with speeches about the aspirations of the Papuan people who want independence for the people of West Papua. The events will start with a meeting of the district parliament on 1 August, while on 2 August, there will democratic actions , including worship at the Aidoran building . These events will commence in the morning and continue for the day.
Speaking at a press conference on behalf of the KNPB, Edy Hanasbey said that they would 'raise the question of a referendum which is what the Papuan people want, not dialogue between Papua and Indonesia.' He said that these events would have the support of the TNP/OPM in Biak. They said that during these actions, the kejora (morning star) flag would not be flown. 'We only want to have worship together.' He said that people from all the surrounding kampungs would be taking part, and the finances for this has come from the Papuan people.
Hanasbey said that a referendum is the final offer by the Papuan people, because they do not accept Pepera which was legally flawed. He said that the KNPB was very confident that the Oxford meeting will produce results that the Papuan people want. 'We choose freedom, not dialogue between Papua and Indonesia.'
Speaking for the TNP/OPM, Lieut.General Mikha Awom said that they want to express their thanks and say prayers for the success of this international-level meeting.