State urged to do more for West Papuans

TheNational – THE Government has been urged to do more about the plight of West Papuans and to assist them obtain full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop made the call while celebrating the International Humanitarian Day with the West Papuan refugees at Vabukori in the National Capital District on Saturday.

“I call on our people and our Government not to abandon the West Papua people,” he said.

“Let us be brave and allow moral righteousness to prevail by allowing West Papuans to full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.”

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill in May said PNG was concerned about what was happening in West Papua and expressed this directly to Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

He said West Papuans were welcomed in PNG.

“We are equally concerned about what is happening in West Papua,” O’Neill said.

“We have expressed that directly to the highest authority, including the president (Widodo), this year, particularly the human rights issue and for autonomy.”

Parkop said a humanitarian right issue facing PNG was the denial of the West Papuan people to properly and legally exercise their rights to self determination.

“These are fundamental human rights expressed clearly in the United Nations Human Rights Charter,” he said.

December 13, 2016 0

Hon. Powes Parkop, the Governor of NCDC Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea supports a Free West Papua

In a statement, Parkop said Papua New Guinea should be adopting a more moral and humanistic policy on West Papua instead of sticking to the immoral position of continuing to recognize Indonesia Sovereignty over the territory without question or conditions.

Parkop said he will be making submission to this effective to the NEC and will impress on NEC to change our policy.

“Otherwise I will be pushing for such changes in the next Government after 2017 General Election.

“I will be proposing that PNG adopt a position where while we acknowledge Indonesia control over the territory of West Papua, we must question the legality of the integration and call on Indonesia to correct this historical error so as to bring lasting peace and harmony to our region.

“We all know that so called Act of Free Choice in 1969 did not comply with the law as it exist in 1969 or since. We all know Indonesia invaded West Papua in 1962 and had military, political and administrative control of the territory in 1969 when the Vote on Integration was taken.

“We all know Indonesia only allowed 1000 people out of 1.2 million Papuans to vote in 1969. We all know that these 1000 people were selected and subject to undue pressure by the Indonesia.Indonesia is obliged to correct this historical mistake that continues to retard the progress of the Papua People and hinder their freedom.”

Parkop added that although the Government has made progress in addressing the Papuan issue on a bilateral and multilateral basis but our policy has not changed. Our policy to just recognize Indonesia Sovereignty over West Papua without reservation is immoral, outdate and inhuman. It is also against our conscience. It is also against the stand or position of all Pacific Countries including Polynesians and Micronesians.”

Indonesia invaded Timor Leste in 1975 and eventually allowed them to decide their future by a referendum 2000.We all applaud them for correcting that historical mistake. They should do the same with West Papua. Indonesia will be doing a service to humanity and to itself by making this honorable decision rather than to lie.

Parkop further added that as friends of Indonesia, we should not be afraid to speak our mind about the nature of our friendship including pointing out any impediment to a robust friendship.He said the future between PNG and Indonesia will be more robust and enhance if Indonesia relents and agree to allow Papuans to morally and legally decide their future by a properly supervised referendum under the United Nations.
“This is the policy PNG Government should adopt as it is moral, humanistic, legal and honest policy.”

November 1, 2016 0

Parkop urges Government to address West Papua issue

LoopPNG – Freddy Mou, October 6, 2016 – Bational Capital District Governor Powes Parkop has called on the Government to seriously look into the plight of West Papua.

Parkop said he will be making submission to this effective to the NEC and will impress on NEC to change our policy.

“Otherwise I will be pushing for such changes in the next Government after 2017 General Election.

“I will be proposing that PNG adopt a position where while we acknowledge Indonesia control over the territory of West Papua, we must question the legality of the integration and call on Indonesia to correct this historical error so as to bring lasting peace and harmony to our region.

“We all know that so called Act of Free Choice in 1969 did not comply with the law as it exist in 1969 or since.

“We all know Indonesia invaded West Papua in 1962 and had military, political and administrative control of the territory in 1969 when the Vote on Integration was taken.

“We all know Indonesia only allowed 1000 people out of 1.2 million Papuans to vote in 1969. We all know that these 1000 people were selected and subject to undue pressure by the Indonesia.

“Indonesia is obliged to correct this historical mistake that continues to retard the progress of the Papua People and hinder their freedom.”

Parkop added that although the Government has made progress in addressing the Papuan issue on a bilateral and multilateral basis but our policy has not changed.

“Our policy to just recognize Indonesia Sovereignty over West Papua without reservation is immoral, outdate and inhuman.

“It is also against our conscience. It is also against the stand or position of all Pacific Countries including Polynesians and Micronesians.”

Indonesia invaded Timor Leste in 1975 and eventually allowed them to decide their future by a referendum 2000.

“We all applaud them for correcting that historical mistake. They should do the same with West Papua. Indonesia will be doing a service to humanity and to itself by making this honorable decision rather than to lie.

Parkop further added that as friends of Indonesia, we should not be afraid to speak our mind about the nature of our friendship including pointing out any impediment to a robust friendship.

He said the future between PNG and Indonesia will be more robust and enhance if Indonesia relents and agree to allow Papuans to morally and legally decide their future by a properly supervised referendum under the United Nations.

“This is the policy PNG Government should adopt as it is moral, humanistic, legal and honest policy.”

October 6, 2016 0

Hon. Powes Parkop MP on The Vote of No Confidence

The Vote of No Confidence’

As a leader of a party within the governing coalition government led by Prime Minister O’Neil, and in my capacity as Governor of NCD, I welcome the decision of the Supreme Court to recall Parliament to deal with the Vote of No Confidence. After all the stress that the country has faced in the last nine or ten weeks and the continuous pressure by the opposition to use this mechanism to try to discredit the Government, the decision of the Court will give everyone an opportunity to settle this matter once and for all so that our people and our nation can hopefully heal and move on to address the many issues facing all of us as a nation.

This is an opportunity for the Prime Minister to show if he still has the support of Parliament and the support of the people of our nation. It is also an opportunity for the Opposition to show if they have the numbers to carry out the Vote of No Confidence to change the Government. From here the public will be able to assess for themselves, if the decision to file the motion is genuine and not just a tactical ploy by the Opposition to create instability to the country.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) helped form this current Government and as a party we are committed to remaining in Government. We are also committed to do whatever we can for national interest and for the interest of the people. As far as we are concerned, as members of the coalition government, there are no reasons to change the Government. The issue is with the Prime Minister and as Government of the day; we are still strong and delivering on all the policies that we have set out as mandated leaders and members of parliament.

While welcoming the decision of the Supreme Court, I am concerned as to the extent and implications the decision of the Court may have on future governments. As far as I am aware of the law, the decision of the court is actually breaching on the doctrine of separation of powers, which is the foundation of our democracy. When parliament last met, the Vote of No Confidence motion was not a formal agenda of Parliament. If it was submitted, it was still the property of the permanent parliamentary committee of Private Members Bill. It was not on the parliament notice paper. When parliament was adjourned in the last sitting, we adjourned knowing that the notice for the motion of Vote of No Confidence was not a business of parliament yet as it was not on the notice paper. For the Supreme Court to order Parliament to be recalled and meet on a matter still before a parliamentary committee, who have not deliberated on its merits or demerits, and have not made any report to Parliament, clearly shows that the Court has gone beyond its bounds.

I hope and appeal to both the Opposition Leader and the Speaker not to allow this decision to stand as precedence, as it will serve as a basis for continuous interference by the Court in the legislature in future. It is therefore important, for the sake of future parliaments, that this decision by the Supreme Court is challenged, perhaps at a later date, after parliament has dealt with the business of the motion of Vote of No Confidence this Friday.

Thank you

HON POWES PARKOP LLB LLM MP
Parliamentary leader of Social Democratic Party

August 22, 2016 0

Powes Parkop (NCD Governor) Meetis Lukas Enembe (Papua Governor)

NCD Governor and Sandaun Governor of Papua New Guinea

Today I was honoured to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia. I was invited by the Governor of Papua, Mr Lucas Enambe.

The celebration was simple and straight forward but what was really special was the people of Papua. They are part of the Malenesia family. Being a Free West Papuan activist, I was initially a bit apprehensive, paranoid and reluctant about this trip.

However I also knew that submitting my ego, seeing the bigger picture and making peace with the Indonesian Government and respect the invitation of my fellow brother and Governor was equally as important for the cause we are fighting and most importantly for the freedom of the people of West Papua.

The invitation was sent by the Governor who is a Papuan and who had been my guest in 2014 in Port Moresby. I made this trip to reciprocate the goodwill that was shown to me. I also took advantage of the invitation to visit Jayapura and see the situation on the ground and hear from the people first hand. I am glad that I made this trip with my officers from NCD, accompanied by Governor of Sandaun Pronvince Hon. Amkat Mai and his officers from the Sandaun provincial office.

After the celebration, I also had the privilege to meet with the Papuan political leaders inside the system and outside. They were unanimous in their desire for independence. Their plea to us Papua New Guinean, who are their fellow brother and sisters is , “Please don’t leave to just become a land and a story. Our rights as a people must be heard and preserved. Help us to wipe our tears”, this was conveyed by the West Papua leaders including the Governor of Papua himself. He proudly said, ” If I had a choice, I would choose Freedom for the people of Papua”.

My ultimate goal is to get the Papuans and the Indonesian to put the issues on the table and discuss it openly and find resolution as soon as possible. What I hope to achieve is a window in which the winds of freedom can flow through and that window becomes a door and that door becomes a gate and it can’t be stopped anymore.

I assured them of my commitment and dedication to stand together with them to achieve this outcome. This is the same strategy that we are following through to the MSG, Pacific Island Forum and ultimately to the United Nations. I wish to reiterate here that the Indonesians must be part of the solution and not just the problem. They have done that in Timor Leste and Ache Sumatra so I am sure they can do it in West Papua as well.

Together with the Sandaun Provincial Government, we also discussed opening up of the borders so goods and people can easily move in and out between West Papua and PNG. From here the possibilities are limitless including Freedom for West Papua.

August 22, 2016 1

Papua dan NCD PNG Sepakat Jalin Kerjasama

Jayapura, Jubi – Pemerintah Provinsi Papua dan National Capital District Papua Nugini (PNG) bersepakat menjalin sekaligus membuka kerjasama di bidang ekonomi.

Gubernur Papua Lukas Enembe kepada wartawan, di Jayapura, Kamis (18/8/2016) mengatakan penjajakan kerjasama bidang ekonomi sudah dibicarakan dengan Gubernur National Capital District PNG, Powes Parkop.

“Hal ini sesuai kebijakan Presiden Jokowi yang memerintahkan Pemda agar bagaimana membuka akses (barang) dari Papua kemudian dioper ke PNG,” katanya.

Enembe menilai, jika akses sudah terbuka, maka manfaat yang didapat adalah PNG bisa datang mengambil barang di Papua, begitu juga sebaliknya.

“Ini hal positif yang tidak boleh di sia siakan,” ucapnya.

Selain kerja sama di bidang ekonomi, ujar Enembe, kedepan pemerintah provinsi Papua berkeinginan untuk melakukan pertukaran di bidang sosial dan budaya.

“Sehingga harapannya masyarakat di Papua bisa berkunjung ke PNG begitu sebaliknya. Sebab kami tak ingin hanya bicara politik saja, tetapi lebih kepada kemajuan pembangunan di kedua wilayah,” kata Enembe.

Menanggapi itu, Enembe berharap penjajakan kerjasama ini tak berhenti begitu saja, tetapi terus ditindaklanjuti dengan pertemuan serupa yang membahas tentang kerja sama di bidang ekonomi dan sosial budaya yang telah dibicarakan dalam pertemuan itu.

“September nanti kami akan kembali mengundang Gubernur NCD Powes Parkop untuk membicarakan poin-poin dalam draft kerja sama yang akan disusun kedua belah pihak,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Gubernur National Capital District Port Moresby, Papua Nugini Powes Parkop memberikan apresiasi yang tinggi terhadap rencana pembukaan kerja sama perbatasan (open border) antar wilayahnya dengan Indonesia melalui Provinsi Papua di bidang ekonomi, sosial dan budaya.

“Sangat penting bagi saya untuk datang ke Papua dan melihat secara langsung bagaimana dan apa yang terjadi di sini. Namun yang lebih penting lagi adalah bagaimana membuka wilayah masing-masing untuk mempermudah kerja sama di bidang ekonomi, sosial dan budaya,”

kata Parkop.

Dia menjelaskan, pada September 2016, pihaknya akan mengundang Provinsi Papua untuk menghadiri peringatan hari kemerdekaannya, sekaligus membahas dukungan pembangunan di wilayah masing-masing.

“Kami juga akan mendukung pembukaan akses ke berbagai tempat di wilayah masing-masing yang nantinya akan membawa keuntungan bagi kedua belah pihak,” ucapnya. (*)

August 20, 2016 0

PNG Supporting West Papua’s Indepencence

PNGBlogs.com Melanesian support for a free West Papua has always been high. Travel throughout Papua New Guinea and you will often hear people say that West Papua and Papua New Guinea is ‘wanpela graun’ – one land – and that West Papuans on the other side of the border are family and kin.

In the Solomon Islands, Kanaky, Fiji and especially Vanuatu, people will tell you that “Melanesia is not free until West Papua is free”. This was the promise that the late Father Walter Lini, Vanuatu’s first prime minister made.

Ordinary people in this part of the Pacific are painfully aware that the West Papuan people continue to live under the gun. It is the politicians in Melanesia who have been slow to take up the cause.

But that may be changing.

Earlier this month, Powes Parkop, Governor of the Papua New Guinea’s National Capital District, nailed his colours firmly to the mast.

In front of a crowd of 3000 people, Governor Parkop insisted that “there is no historical, legal, religious, or moral justification for Indonesia’s occupation of West Papua”.

Turning to welcome West Papuan independence leader Benny Wenda, who was in Papua New Guinea as part of a global tour, the governor told Wenda that while he was in Papua New Guinea “no one will arrest you, no one will stop you, and you can feel free to say what you want to say”.

These are basic rights denied to West Papuans who continue to be arrested, tortured and killed simply because of the colour of their skin.

Governor Parkop, who is a member of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua, which now has representatives in 56 countries, then went on to formerly launch the free West Papua campaign.

He promised to open an office, fly the Morning Star flag from City Hall and pledged his support for a Melanesian tour of musicians for a free West Papua.

Governor Parkop is no longer a lone voice in Melanesia calling for change.

Last year, Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill broke with tradition and publicly admonished the Indonesian government’s response to ongoing state violence, human rights violations and failure of governance in West Papua.

Moved by 4000 women from the Lutheran Church. O’Neill said he would raise human rights concerns in the troubled territory with the Indonesian government.

Now Governor Parkop wants to accompany the Prime Minister on his visits to Indonesia “to present his idea to Indonesia on how to solve West Papuan conflict once and for all.”

Well known PNG commentator Emmanuel Narakobi remarked on his blog that Parkop’s multi-pronged proposal for how to mobilise public opinion in PNG around West Papua “is perhaps the first time I’ve heard an actual plan on how to tackle this issue (of West Papua)”.

On talk back radio, Governor Parkop accused Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr of not taking the issue of West Papua seriously, of “sweeping it under the carpet.”

In Vanuatu, opposition parties, the Malvatumari National Council of Chiefs and the Anglican bishop of Vanuatu, Rev James Ligo are all urging the current Vanuatu government to change their position on West Papua.

Rev Ligo was at the recent Pacific Council of Churches in Honiara, Solomon Islands, which passed a resolution urging the World Council of Churches to pressure the United Nations to send a monitoring team to Indonesia’s Papua region.

“We know that Vanuatu has taken a side-step on that (the West Papua issue) and we know that our government supported Indonesia’s observer status on the MSG, we know that.

“But again, we also believe that as churches we have the right to advocate and continue to remind our countries and our leaders to be concerned about our West Papuan brothers and sisters who are suffering every day.”

In Kanaky (New Caledonia) and the Solomon Islands, West Papua solidarity groups have been set up. Some local parliamentarians have joined the ranks of International Parliamentarians for West Papua.

In Fiji, church leaders and NGO activists are quietly placing their support behind the cause even while Frank Bainimarama and Fiji’s military government open their arms to closer ties with the Indonesian military.

This internationalisation of the West Papua issue is Indonesia’s worst nightmare; it follows the same trajectory as East Timor.

The West Papuans themselves are also organising, not just inside the country where moral outrage against ongoing Indonesian state violence continues to boil, but regionally as well.

Prior to Benny Wenda’s visit to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu-based representatives from the West Papua National Coalition for Independence formerly applied for observer status at this year’s Melanesian Spearhead Group meeting due to be held in Noumea, New Caledonia in June, home to another long running Melanesian self-determination struggle.

While in Vanuatu Benny Wenda added his support to that move, calling on Papuans from different resistance organisations to back a “shared agenda for freedom”.

A decision about whether West Papua will be granted observer status at this year’s MSG meeting will be made soon.

In Australia, Bob Carr may be trying to pour cold water on growing public support for a free West Papua but in Melanesia the tide is moving in the opposite direction.

PACIFIC SCOOP

April 30, 2015 0

Kampanye Papua Merdeka Memasuki Babak Baru per 1 Desember 2013

Mr. Benny Wenda and His Wife, Mrs. Maria H. Wenda

Memperingati hari bersejarah atau hari besar bangsa Papua 1 Desember telah dilakukan berbagai kegiatan oleh bangsa Papua di tanah airnya (West Papua) maupun di berbagai tempat di seluruh muka Bumi. Kegiatan-kegaitan peringatan HUT 1 Desember yang mulai diperkenalkan kepada bangsa Papua sebagai “Hari Kemerdekaan” West Papua itu sejak tahun 2000 telah dilakukan dengan berbagai cara. Cara pertama di awal-awal abad ini ialah dengan pengibaran Bendera besar-besaran dan meluas di seluruh Tanah Papua, bahkan di manapun orang Papua berada Bintang Kejora berkibar dengan bebasnya. Orang Papua menyambut “udara bebas” ini dengan luapan ucapan syukur kepada Tuhan dan dengan genagan air mata kegembiraan. Banyak pemuda dan orang tua tidak sanggup menyaksikan Bintang Kejora berkibar dan bebas berkibar di Tanah Airnya, Bumi Cenderawasih.

Begitu berganti presiden Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia, berganti pula kebijakan. Sejak Megawati Sukarnoputir menjadi Presiden, pertama-tama ia memerintahkan penculikan dan pembunuhan Ketua Presidium Dewan Papua (PDP) Dortheys Hiyo Eluay (Theys Eluay). Tepat 10-11 November 2001 Theys Eluay diculik dan ditemukan tewas di jalan menuju wilayah perbatasan West Papua – Papua New Guinea.

Dengan ancaman dan terornya, NKRI mulai melakukan penengekangan besar-besaran. Banyak aktivis dan tokoh Papua Merdeka dikejar, diburu dan dibantai.

Dampaknya kegiatan peringantan HUT Hari Besar Bangsa Papua sepanjang 10 tahun lebih belakangan ini terjadi secara kecil-kecilan. Ada yang ditandai dengan pengibaran Bintang Kejora, secara terbuka, ada yang secara tersembunyi. Ada yang diselenggarakan dengan orasi-orasi politik dan demonstrasi. Tetapi pada umumnya dirayakan dengan Kebaktian Ucapan Syukur memperingati Hari Besar bangsa Papua ini.

Menjelang 1 Desember banyak sekali aksi-aksi seperti teror dan penembakan terjadi di mana-mana. Menurut pengamatan “The Diary of OPM” kebanyakan merupakan hasil rekayasan NKRi dalam rangka mencari proyek HUT OPM per tanggal 1 Desember dan per tanggal 1 Juli setiap tahunnya. Paling tidak dua kali, atau ditambah HUT Bintang-14 tanggal 14 Desember setiap tahun juga menjadi hari-hari yang mendatangkan reseki atau uang kaget bagi para aparat TNI dan Polri yang bertugas di Tanah Papua. Oleh karena itu, kalau saja OPM dan tentaranya di rimba Papua berupaya memperingati HUT mereka dengan damai, itu hal yang tidak akan terjaid, karena aparat NKRI tidak bakalan mendapatkan uang kaget mereka. Itulah sebabnya tanggal-tanggal bersejarah bangsa Papua selama ini selalu menjadi tanggal-tanggal TNI dan Polri mencari uang kaget dan reseki tambahan.

Untuk tahun ini ada peristiwa penting yang terjadi, tepat 13 tahun setelah Bintang Kejora berkibar di Port Numbay (tepatnya Gedung Kesenian saat ini) di Taman Imbi, kini tanggal 1 Desember 2013, Bendera Bintang Kejora berkibar secara resmi di Kantor Gubernur Daerah Khusus Ibukota (NCD) dari negara orang Papua di sebelah Timur pulau New Guinea, Papua New Guinea. Pengibaran Bintang Kejora ini sendiri dipimpin langsung oleh Fungsionaris Organisasi Papua Merdeka Rt. Powes Parkop, MP, yang adalah Gubernur NCD sendiri.

December 1, 2013 0