PIANGO COMMENDS UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR HIGHLIGHTING WEST PAPUA
Suva – The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Maina Kiai must be commended for highlighting West Papua’s human rights plight with the UN Human Rights Council says PIANGO executive director, Emele Duituturaga.
Duituturaga who was reacting to media reports on Kiai’s speech at the 32nd session of the UN Human Rights Council Plenary in Geneva recently said the world can no longer ignore the suffering of Papuans under Indonesia’s rule of the West Papua.
“He has highlighted the reality of West Papuans’ struggles with the swift demographic and socio-economic changes sweeping through their homeland. Kiai was not afraid to highlight the ongoing discrimination – the domination of a particular culture, language and tradition over the culture of the indigenous people of Papua– this brave act must be applauded,” she said.
“More and more people and leaders are speaking up against Indonesia’s brutal rule of West Papua. Its only a matter of time before they realise their dream for freedom and self-determination,” she said.
Duituturaga said this development has fueled PIANGO’s resolve to see Pacific Leaders implement a proposal urging them to call for UN intervention in West Papua.
She said the Specialist Sub-Committee on Regionalism (SSCR) met recently to assess proposals submitted by PIANGO and other organisations under the Framework for Pacific Regionalism (FPR) Initiative of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
“PIANGO has submitted a proposal which urged Forum leaders to call for the appointment of a UN Special Representative to investigate human rights violations in West Papua,” she said.
The proposal which was submitted earlier this year detailed instances in the past when Pacific leaders expressed their concerns around human rights abuses and the request to the Indonesian government to allow a PIFs fact finding mission to West Papua.
“Given the current impasse with the reluctance of Indonesia to allow the PIF Fact Finding Mission, this initiative to call upon the UN to appoint such a Special Representative, is in keeping with the UN Charter and provides relief to Pacific countries facing difficulty and discomfort in dealing with Indonesia with whom they have bilateral cooperation. “
PIANGO suggested in the proposal that such an initiative would clear the air on allegations as well as end human rights violations and suffering for Papuans.
“Pacific leaders and all Pacific peoples can no longer turn a blind eye to this ongoing genocide in Papua. The failure of Indonesia to address and to stop these atrocious human rights violations and the decade long of expression of concerns by Pacific Leaders without effect, now demand United Nations intervention,” the proposal stated.
“The SSCR will assess, report and recommend to the Forum Officials Committee (FOC) meeting and the Forum Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting, both are to be held in August at the Forum Secretariat in Suva, Fiji,” she said.
These recommendation will also be placed on the agenda for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting to be held in the Federated States of Micronesia in September, 2016.
“PIANGO and its partners are looking forward to seeing the results of this process particularly in the face of increased support for West Papua in the region,” Duituturaga said
ENDS
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