Sekjen PIF berjanji isu West Papua akan didengarkan oleh pemimpin PIF

Sekretaris Jenderal PBB kedua, Dag Hammarskjold

Jayapura, Jubi – Sekretaris Jenderal Forum Kepulauan Pasifik (PIF), Dame Meg Taylor, berjanji kepada demonstran yang berdemo dihadapan pemimpin dan delegasi PIF lainnya bahwa suara mereka tentang West Papua akan didengar oleh para pemimpin yang menghadiri Pertemuan Pemimpin PIF ke-48 minggu ini.

Dame Meg menyampaikan janji itu saat dia secara pribadi menemui para demonstran di depan Hotel Samoa Sheraton Aggie Grey, Senin (6/9/2017) pagi.

“Papua Barat mungkin tidak memiliki kursi di meja Forum Pemimpin Pasifik minggu ini namun mereka tidak dilupakan oleh orang Samoa,” kata pemimpin demonstrasi tersebut, Unasa Iuni Sapolu, Kamis (7/9/2017).

Unasa yang merupakan seorang pengacara terkemuka di Samoa mengatakan para demonstran adalah anggota Serikat Pekerja Selandia Baru, Serikat Petani Samoa, Pejuang Iklim Pasifik dan para pendukung Free West Papua, bergabung untuk berdemonstrasi di luar pertemuan PIF.

“Sekretariat Forum Dame Meg Taylor secara pribadi menemui para demonstran sebelum berangkat ke Sheraton,” kata Unasa.

Para demonstran meneriakkan “Freedom for West Papua” dan menyanyikan lagu-lagu perjuangan dari Mau.

Para demonstran menyampaikan pesan mereka dengan keras dan jelas kepada para delegasi, para pemimpin dan delegasi lainnya saat anggota PIF berangkat ke Sheraton untuk memulai hari pertama perundingan resmi setelah pembukaan malam sebelumnya.

Namun karena para demonstran ini tidak memiliki izin berdemo, polisi setempat meminta mereka mengurus izin terlebih dulu.

Jerome Mika dari Serikat Pekerja Selandia Baru lalu berbicara dengan Unasa dan setuju untuk meninggalkan daerah tersebut sampai ijin dapat diproses.

Kelompok demonstran ini datang kembali sore hari untuk melanjutkan aksi mereka setelah izin didapatkan.

“Jika ada masalah legalitas aksi kami maka kami akan meminta polisi untuk mengkonfirmasi secara tertulis dan menyebutkan apa tindakan kejahatan yang tidak boleh kami protes,” kata Mika. (*)

September 7, 2017 0

Victor Yeimo: Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Mulai Hari ini di Apia, Samoa

Hari ini pertemuan Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) ke-48 dimulai di Apia, Samoa. West Papua tidak luput dari mata agenda pembahasan Forum. Para pemimpin ULMWP akan hadir bersama delegasi Solomon Islands. Bersama dengan puluhan organisasi masyarakat sipil dan gereja telah mendesak para pemimpin negara-negara pasifik bawa West Papua ke PBB. Fokus ULMWP jelas, memastikan negara-negara Kepulauan Pasifik satu suara untuk memimpin resolusi di UNGA untuk mendorong sebuah referendum dalam pengawasan internasional di West Papua.

Di West Papua, kita solidkan barisan persatuan, memperkuat sumber daya perlawanan melawan kolonialisme Indonesia. Karena kita tetap yakin perjuangan ini harus berpusat dari dalam negeri revolusi, West Papua. Pastikan rakyat Papua tidak buang energi pada strategi perpecahan dan adu domba dari pihak mana pun. Bangun solidaritas tanpa akar faksional. Yakinkan pada rakyat pejuang di seluruh dunia bahwa nasionalisme bangsa Papua adalah satu kesadaran terhadap realitas penindasan dan satu cita-cita pembebasan bangsa.

Untukmu kawan sejalur, warnah darah kita merah, bintang yang kita perjuangkan hanya satu. Profesi kita hanya satu: Lawan! Karenanya, mari satukan barisan perlawanan rakyat! Sebab, pada leluhur tulang putih, pada ratapan doa, dan harapan anak cucu esok hari, telah kita berjanji: lebih baik mati dalam perlawanan, dari pada pasrah dan punah. Kita adalah generasi penentu dari nasib bangsa Papua. Kemarin adalah sejarah. Besok sebuah misteri. Hari ini penentu.

Sayang rakyat!

Source: https://www.facebook.com

September 4, 2017 0

Miss Pacific Islands contest starts in Samoa

November 29, 2016 The National Main Stories

The Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (MPIP) in Apia, Samoa, started with a church service on Sunday.

The contestants were given a rousing welcome by a gospel choir during the service.
Miss Papua New Guinea Kellyanne Limbiye was the first to introduce herself to the church congregation and expressed how inspired she was by the choir’s “angelic singing”.

The service was followed by press interviews and selection of topics to be presented by the contestants on Thursday.

Limbiye chose to speak about health.

Topic presentation is one of the highest scoring categories in the pageant won by Papua New Guinea’s Abigail Havora last year.

Each contestant will be given five-minutes to present their view on the chosen topic.
The other categories are sarong wear and traditionally-inspired dress.

Eight contestants are vying for the crown this year and they are Miss American Samoa, 19-year-old Antonina Keka Lilomaiava; Miss Cook Islands, 21-year-old Tepaeru Helen Toka; Miss Fiji, 24-year-old Anne Christine Dunn; Miss Nauru, 19-year-old Lucina Detsiogo; Miss PNG 23-year-old Kellyanne Marie-Lisa Limbiye, Miss Solomon Islands,

23-year-old Camilla Grossmith; Miss Samoa, 26-year-old Prisilla Olano and Miss Tonga, 21-year-old Laura Melaia Renae Lauti.

The theme for this year’s Miss Pacific Islands Pageant is ‘Celebrating our history and embracing our future’.

The crowning will be on Friday 2 at Gymn 1 in Tauanaimato, Samoa.

November 29, 2016 0

American Samoans appeal for US military clean-up

The American Samoa Power Authority is calling for public support to get US military funding to clean up fuel that has seeped into the ground and run off into the sea at Aua.

Authority Chief Engineer Jason Jaskoviak is urging residents to reach out to politicians and military leaders to not let the US Navy walk away from the contamination that it left behind

In the era of naval administration, a fuel tank farm was located in Aua with underground pipes from the tank depot to the canneries.

Mr Jaskoviak said there had been efforts over the years to clean up and mitigate against contamination but the situation had driven up costs of infrastructure projects in Aua and villages in the eastern district.

Pago Pago Harbour, American Samoa Photo: AFP / Michael Runkel / Robert Harding Premium

The US military said there was no human risk so it was not providing any further assistance.

But Mr Jaskoviak said it was not good enough.

“I can’t put a pipe in the ground and then throw dirty, contaminated soil on top of that pipe. It reacts with that pipe, it could break down the pipe over time, so I have to buy more expensive pipes. I have to handle that contaminated soil, haul it away, treat it. Water that comes into this hole, now I have to treat that, because it has got oil in it. Everybody that works here is going to get hit. The taxpayers are essentially going to end up footing the bill,” he said.

November 22, 2016 0

Samoa mo Samoa, mo West Papua. Why?

By Malia Patea-Taylor – October 22, 2016 3:28 PM , http://www.samoaplanet.com/

Samoa mo Samoa! West Papua! Why?

Samoa is no stranger to resistance. As most of us know, the Mau movement was and still is significantly a powerful Samoa, stating and standing in her rightful place of self-determination. The resistance not only released the colonial power grip – it showed that independence is achievable through unity and solidarity of Ā’iga and Nu’u, in Samoa, in the Pacific.

I ask that today we unite in solidarity with our Pacific Ocean Ā’iga, West Papua. I ask that Samoa respond in support for her independence and freedom. I ask this because West Papua is under genocide attack. This means that as you read this, her people are being tortured and killed, women and children are raped, villages are burnt to the ground and survivors are forcibly removed and displaced from their lands to undergo a military enforced operation of language and cultural assimilation. West Papua’s perpetrator is the Government of Indonesia and her business partners, the USA, Australia and the U.K

Why are they doing this? Because West Papua is a land and ocean rich resource in gold and minerals, the government of Indonesia does NOT want you to know of their genocide attack on the people so they can access the gold and minerals. They want power and control over the people so they can continue to take their land to fulfill the business contracts they have with their business partners. The Indonesian military is in all ways, the insurance security for these contracts. On a daily basis they violently remove the voice and action of independence from the people of West Papua. They don’t want us to see the pictures, and the stories of their brutality. What is happening in West Papua has been labeled the ‘forgotten war – Unwanted people.’ We know the story now because of the brave people who have escaped, so that you and I can assist them to bring these crimes against them to account. These brave men and women know that they may never enter back into their homeland while Indonesia is still in power. Their sacrifice means they may never see or hear from their ā’iga again.

So why should Samoa support? Because we know and understand first hand the struggle for independence is real and it is painful, but that also that it is absolutely achievable. We know it is West Papua today, it could be us again tomorrow, we would want the world around us to unify and help us. We know that we cannot turn a blind eye to this kind of evil. We know we have the power to resist this together as Pacific nations.

We need to continue finding out more about the West Papua struggle. We need to share the story of West Papua with our ā’iga, village, nu’u, church. Tell the Government of Samoa to support West Papua resistance, by officiating our solidarity with them (Vanuatu and other smaller island nations have already done so). We need to be vocal and seen supporters of ‘PAPUA MERDEKA’ (Free West Papua) Talk and Share! The more we share and reveal, the more pressure on Indonesia and their partners. The links below provide more information about the struggle. Stay informed. Know that when you do any of the above and more, you are actively resisting the genocide attack on West Papua people. Know that you are actively helping the people of West Papua to one day soon, become free of oppression, free of violence and be restored their rightful place as indigenous peoples of their lands. Know that as a Samoan you stand with West Papua mo West Papua!

Tulou lava

October 22, 2016 0

Samoa looks into supporting West Papua

RNZI reporter Johnny Blades interviewing Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi Photo: Govt of Samoa

Samoa says it will be looking into supporting a West Papua request for membership in the Pacific Islands Forum.

RNZI reporter Johnny Blades interviewing Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi — RNZI reporter Johnny Blades interviewing Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi Photo: Govt of Samoa

The Samoa Observer reports that Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi made the assurances to the general secretary of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Octovianus Mote last week.

Mr Mote who the Observer reports is in Fiji this week to lobby for support ahead of West Papua’s upcoming bid for membership to the Melanesian Spearhead Group also met with Tautua leaders and the Council of Churches in Samoa who also expressed their full support for West Papua.

According to Mr Mote, when West Papua gained independence in 1961, Samoa was one of the few countries represented at the celebrations.

United Liberation Movement for West Papua secretary-general Octo Mote. Photo: Supplied

Speaking to the Observer, Mr Mote said that the population of indigenous West Papuans, which was once 1.5 million, is down by 48 percent and his people are a minority in their our land.

He said should the trend continue, in 2020, the population will be less than 23 percent.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz

June 17, 2015 0