The 77th Unite Nations General Assembly 2022 brought many leaders to the Big Apple to speak to the world about things their countries had done since the last session. Some changed their tunes, others announced new diplomatic, while some accused each other of violating their ‘territorial integrity.’ But the majority bragged about meeting specific goals. We noticed that while countries accused Russia and China of the war in Ukraine, the ongoing human rights crisis in West Papua was ignored. Even the leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) and Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), were silent. No one even mentioned the four indigenous West Papuans who were murdered, and their dismembered stuffed in trash bags and thrown in the river by members of the Indonesian Elite Force. There was no condemnation even from our traditional supporters in Melanesia. It was just another day in New York. If the victims were Arabs or Europeans, the world would have heard about them; their names all day all week.
Why MSG/PIF?
We looked to the Pacific Islands because they not only know what is going on in West Papua, we are part of the Melanesian and the Pacific family. Our Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia families are one, and our struggle for our democratic rights is the struggle of all democracies. Our quest for self-determination stems from our desire to reunite with our Melanesian family. In 1988, Dr. Thom (founder of our ‘Nonviolent Movement’) declared West Papua the Independent state of West Melanesia, and taught that West Papuans aren’t Indonesians, we are Melanesians. For that declaration, he was arrested, jailed, and eventually murdered. We are the stolen Melanesian nation, and it is heartrending to witness such abject rejection from our fellow Melanesians and Pacific Island leaders. The silence was deafening.
Herman Wainggai, CEO of West Papua Human Rights Center (Left), standing next to the Marshall Islands Ambassador to the UN and the US, H.E. Amatlain Kabua, at the Marshall Islands Embassy in New York City, October 4, 2022.
The Republic of Marshall Islands Remains Committed
The Marshall Islands is an exception. The President of Marshall Islands David Kabua pressed the UN to not give up on its goals. He reminded the UN of its obligation to the organization’s 2030 goal of “Leave no one Behind.” It was a powerful reminder and a direct repudiation, in our opinion, of the Human Rights Council, that it cannot selectively implement its global goals. In other words, the UNHRC cannot let powerful countries such as China and Indonesia off the hook when it comes to human rights violations and deprivation. The president also reminded the UN that part of that goal is for the UN to instigate an investigation into allegations of human rights violations in West Papua.
Our center believes that by the end of 2030, many people will be left behind by an organization dominated by some of the world’s greatest violators of ‘Human Rights.’ If violators of Indigenous people are not being called out or challenged, this UN goal is compelled to doom.
On Wednesday (October 4), we visited some of our Pacific Islands’ embassies in New York City and listened to their views on the issue of West Papua. It was an eye-opening experience. Most of the embassies told us that they understood and sympathized with our cause and the struggles of West Papua. However, their governments are prioritizing other things at this point.
We understand their sovereign right to prioritize their own domestic issues. We thank them for their support, but we also reminded them that our people need them.
We also stopped by the Marshall Islands’ embassy to thank the ambassador for her president’s speech and asked her to convey our gratitude on behalf of the people of West Papua to President Kabua. It was great to meet with the Ambassador and her team and to know her commitment, not only to support West Papua but all oppressed people of the world. This is an enormous position we wished the other Pacific Island nations considered. They cannot speak of liberty, freedom of expression, religious freedoms, the UN Charter, democratic principles, respect, etc. while ignoring the massacres that are happening next door in West Papua. Ironically, some Pacific Islands countries accused Russia of invading Ukraine, yet they are taking money from some of the countries that are brutalizing indigenous people and refusing to speak up for even their brothers and sisters in West Papua.
Open up West Papua
The UN is led by developed and powerful countries whose records on ‘Human Rights’ are horrendous. Yet, they are allowed to participate in forums that deal with ‘Human Rights violations’ and global peace protection. This is a mockery of the UN Charter itself, and the conventions on the rights of all human beings. Indonesia is one such country.
In 2019, following the outbreak of protests throughout West Papua against racism and police brutality in which two dozen people were murdered by Indonesian police and soldiers, the Commissioner of Human Rights requested to travel to West Papua to impartially investigate the riots and the allegation of mass killings and abuses. This would have cleared Indonesia of issues such as murder or human rights abuse. But that request was rejected, which is a sign that the Indonesian government was hiding something. It wasn’t the first time, and certainly not the last.
Today, the Indonesian government continues to brutalize our people in West Papua, and no one is able to stop them. Worse, there’s no condemnation of Indonesia at the UNGA or the Security Council. To add insult to injury, the democratic world is funding, training, and arming the Indonesian military and police with deadly weapons that the Indonesian police and soldiers are using on innocent people. They are in fact complicit in the killing of our innocent people.
We call on the Indonesian government to open up West Papua, and for all democratic countries including Australia, Britain, and the United States to stop funding and arming the Indonesian military until a team from the Office of Human Rights is allowed to enter West Papua and investigate all allegation of human rights violation there by the Indonesian military. Doing so makes any call for countries to respect human rights and individual freedoms laughable!
Free West Papua
Herman Wainggai
CEO, WPHRC