(Note: the official position of the Dutch government until today is, that they
respect the territorial integrity of Indonesia. A correct implementation of the
Otsus should resolve “all” problems.)
Text speech Member of Parliament Joël Voordewind (ChristianUnion) in commemoration of 1 December 2011 in The Hague – The Netherlands .
Translation: Pro Papua.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzhYTWl7_Qo&feature=player_embedded
(in Dutch language)
Dear people,
You would almost think, with this weather, that heaven weeps with you. In any case, Parliament sympathizes with you, today, fifty years of remembrance, and also, one year ago, on October 19th we think of those who have fallen victim and of the torture video’s that can be seen on the internet. And we know that people have fallen victim in the last year and even today, I just heard about three people killed, two people killed, another three people killed, the news reaches us from Papua. And we are weeping with you.
But, dear people, we are not only weeping with you, we are also thinking with you and we will continue to support you, because ten years ago the Autonomy Law was passed. And I think it is scandalous, that this Autonomy Law, together with the whole package of measures included, that it still hasn’t been implemented yet. And that is why Parliament accepted a resolution yesterday to speed things up. That aid organizations can do their work in freedom. Not only aid organizations from abroad, but also the Dutch ones, like ICCO (inter church organization for development cooperation), Kerk in Actie (Church in Action) and other ones must be able to work freely, so that they can support you and your people over there. It is unacceptable that human rights organizations, like Amnesty International, are declined entry into Papua, until the present day.
One and a half year to two years ago, I and my colleagues visited Indonesia and we expressed our desire to visit Papua. Unfortunately, access was denied to us. But we as Members of Parliament, too, will not give in and will continue to insist on a visit to your people. Because, as it was said in former times, your people are my people, and then you all know what I am referring to. As Christian Union Party we will continue to support you, as Members of Parliament, throughout our Party, and this will continue today, but also tomorrow and we pray for peace in Papua, so that you can exercise your cultural and religious rights in all freedom.
Violence and suppression must end and you have a right to a fair distribution of prosperity in your own country. We will continue to support this, God bless you and thank you.
Bregtje Cals (LUX Cosmetics): Oridek, I would like to present this to you, these are all the signatures which have been collected in the Lux-stores in the last few weeks. We will continue to collect signatures because we want to have 40,000 signatures. You can also sign online, so whoever did not sing, give your signature today and spread the word to all of your family and friends in order to sign for a free and independent West-Papua. Besides, these are the signatures collected so far, a total of 3,000 and I would like to present these to you.
Oridek Ap: Thank you, and now I would like to introduce you to mister Van Bommel, from the Socialist Party.
Text speech Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel (Socialist Party) n commemoration of 1 December 2011 in The Hague – The Netherlands .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJRbd-LzkEs&feature=player_embedded
(in Dutch language)
Good afternoon, friends, friends of Papua, people from Papua.
It is good that you are here today to point out that fifty years ago a promise has been made that has never been fulfilled. I am proud that Parliament, this year, almost throughout the entire Parliament, put the Papuan matter on the agenda. It has paid attention to the brutal human rights violations in Papua.
I have paid attention to the punishments demanded and inflicted upon people raising the Morning Star flag. Filep Karma was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in 2004 for raising that flag. This sentence was just recently condemned by the United Nations as a violation of international law. The United Nations call upon the immediate release of Filep. I think that The Netherlands should support this demand in their relations with Indonesia.
Colonialism is a disgrace in Dutch history. The results of this colonialism can still be seen in all former Dutch colonies. But they are probably most painfully visible in Papua. Because there, repression, murder, torture and imprisonment are daily matters. Recently The Netherlands endorsed a Trade Agreement between the European Union and Indonesia. My party, The Socials Party did not approve. We think that human rights violations, committed by Indonesia, in recent decades are so severe, that we do not expect that such a Trade Agreement with a shiny paragraph about human rights will result in respecting those human rights. Not only in Papua, but also on The Moluccas and in Indonesia and other parts of Indonesia itself. Therefore we did not approve of the Trade Agreement between Europe and Indonesia. We think it a shame that The Netherlands and Europe prevail trade interests over human rights.
The Netherlands, and this was made clear during the budget debates last week, The Netherlands no longer focus on human rights as they have done in the past. The Netherlands focus on trade interests, and much later, if time permits we may pay attention to human rights. That is a disgrace and we will not agree with a possible bilateral agreement. An agreement between two countries, The Netherlands and Indonesia, because this also has been put on the agenda. And when president Yudhoyono from Indonesia visits The Netherlands next year and this is very likely, then I hope that I, together with you and the Moluccans, may be here again to demand that the president will respect the international obligations in the field of human rights he entered into. And that he releases the political prisoners, Papuans and Moluccans, immediately, as demanded by Amnesty International. And, in the Papuan matter, he will immediately implements the Autonomy Laws, that a dialogue is started, a peaceful dialogue, because Indonesia and Papua have to find a solution together, but they cannot succeed without pressure from the international community, they cannot succeed without pressure from The Netherlands.
The Netherlands have great responsibility regarding the Papuans and The Moluccans; we have to emphasize this over and over again. Therefore I am happy that Parliament passed a resolution demanding just that from the government. Demanding that human rights are being discussed and demanding many more other matters. My colleagues will no doubt illustrate this further, but I think that the resolution has been accepted by the entire Parliament, no, it has been accepted by the entire Parliament and this indicates that the Dutch Parliament supports you. Thank you.
Oridek Ap: Thank you sir. This was mister Harry van Bommel from the Socialist Party. Before you leave us, I understand you are soon needed inside, so before you leave we, from the Free West Papua Campaign, and on behalf of the Papuan people, would like to hand over this certificate together with the Papuan flag.
Van Bommel: and today, just as Lux Cosmetics is doing, I will put this flag in front of my window.
Text speech Member of Parliament Kees van der Staaij (SGP – Christian party) in commemoration of 1 December 2011 in The Hague – The Netherlands .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEX5FYygexQ&feature=player_embedded
(in Dutch language)
Dear people,
The fact that you are gathered here proves the resilience and tenacity of the Papuan people. That is something to be proud of. The flag is hoisted again. It has been 50 years that the Papuan flag was hoisted for the first time, and I am honored to be able to speak for you today.
The flag shows us the Morning Star, it is the Morning Star-flag, and what strikes me most is that the Morning Star is visible even before dawn is breaking. Even when it’s pitch-dark, we can see the Morning Star. I know that many of you look forward to the Morning Star for a long time, but all you see is darkness and obscurity in Papua. That you have to bear that human rights are being offended, that the world remains silent, that so little respect is shown for your culture, that so little autonomy is admitted and that is why it remains so dark. I want to say to you today, we will peer with you into darkness, we cannot make false promises that we will take care of your Morning Star, but what we can say is that we are with you and we will support you, and we will not forget you.
In our Parliament, during the budget debates, we emphasized more then ever in the last few years what is going on in Papua. We forcefully encouraged our government to stand up for the Papuan people. Plea for their autonomy. Turn against human rights violations. Make sure that Papuan culture is respected. We have emphasized that and we will continue to do so.
Dear people, it was said here, The Netherlands will not forget us, as this boy shows us, (pointing out to a small Papua boy –PP) this appeals to us and we feel it that way. So I say to you, we will not forget your grandfather, nor your mother, and we will not forget you. You can rely on us to uphold Papuan interests in Parliament. You are fighting a just and righteous cause, with dignity and peacefully. And let us look forward from darkness to The Morning Star. I thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Text speech Member of Parliament Wim Kortenoeven (PVV – Party for Freedom)
in commemoration of 1 December 2011 in The Hague – The Netherlands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j6bhkkpTMw&feature=player_embedded
(in Dutch language)
Dear people,
I am honored to stand here in front of you, just as I was honored last week to
speak to you in the building behind you (Dutch parliament-PP). It was an honor
to dilate on your history, it was an honor to wear this flag, the Morning Star,
on my lapel on behalf of you in the plenary debate of the Dutch House of
Representatives. It was an honor, I felt proud, but at the same time I felt
ashamed standing there.
Knowing about your history, not alone those 50 years of repression but foremost
knowing about all the promises that were made by the Dutch government, residing
back there, to your parents, grandparents and to you. Promises, so secure that
a royal decree was necessary. And I would like to, many things have been said
already and I will not repeat everything, but I would like to read this for
you. This is what has been said by the government: “In her Majesty’s name,
in the name of the Governor of Dutch New Guinea, having considered that the New
Guinea Council in accordance with the right given by article 111 of the
government regulation “New Guinea” to submit proposals in order to
establish decrees, has indeed submitted a proposal to establish a decree
concerning a national flag for Dutch New Guinea, consulted the Council of
Advisors and determined in accordance with the New Guinea Council the under
mentioned decree, and this is important; the national flag of Dutch New Guinea
is a rectangle, consisting of vertical red stripe at the side of the flagpole
and seven horizontal blue stripes, separated by six white stripes. In the
middle of the red area there is a white five-pointed star of which one point
points vertically upward. I won’t read the rest of this document, but I
wanted to show you that there are documents. That we are not speaking of vague
promises, but we are speaking of real, real, real firm commitments for the
independence of this people.
The Dutch governments of those days abandoned your people just as they have
done with the people of the Moluccans. I am ashamed for that as a Member of
Parliament in this country. Maybe we cannot set everything right now, but we
have to derive a certain ‘debt of honor’ from this.
Therefore I called upon the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Parliament last week
to acknowledge this ‘debt of honor’ and to act accordingly. And what do I
mean by this, former speakers were referring to this also, implementation of
the Autonomy Law, releasing the prisoners, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has
to call upon the Indonesian government to release all detainees. There have to
be protective measures for the Papuan people. As long as the press and human
rights organizations are banned from Papua everything may happen in darkness
and last week we have seen the results and today we also learned about
casualties in Papua. Protective measures are needed, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs thought this to be a rather stern formulation, but protective measures
can include many different things, and I gave the Minister all possible freedom
to act according to his own judgment, in order to get this resolution passed.
Now this may result in a fragile implementation and this cannot be accepted,
you cannot accept and we cannot accept this. I will urge the Minister, I hope
on behalf of you, to implement the utmost effective measures. International
pressure, United Nations, The Human Rights Council, but also economic
relations, what Harry van Bommel meant to say, the draft agreement with
Indonesia, as you know we opposed to that as PVV party, because we feel that
the European Union should not interfere with foreign politics, but I stated in
Parliament that if we are to have a draft agreement with Indonesia, it should
contain a human rights clause, and as soon as Papuan rights are violated or
Moluccan rights, that the Parliament over here should protest by saying,
withdraw the agreement, suspend all benefits for Indonesia, until Papuan and
Moluccan rights are restored again.
You can count on us for this, you can count on me, but you can also count on my
colleagues in Parliament, because the resolution was adopted unanimously, last
week’s resolution. Finally, I say to you that on the wall of my study
there’s that flag. I wish you God’s blessing and goodbye.