West Papua Refugee Relief Association Mobilize and distribute resources for the wellbeing of West Papuan refugees who have sought refuge West Papua Refugee Relief Association Inc was formed and registered by Papua New Guineans as a relief charity and advocacy; and non profit organisation charged with the responsibility to mobilize and distribute resources for the wellbeing of West Papuan refugees who have sought refuge in PNG as a result of continuous suppression and oppression of their basic socio-political rights pertaining to colonialism under the Republic of Indonesia.
Our Mission
West Papuan Refugees are treated humanely across the world; their rights to citizenship are recognised; their rights to foods and shelter, proper settlements and housing are met; and their social, culture, political and economic inclusion into the receiving countries are practiced according to the international standards, norms and regulations, particularly the 1951 United Nations Refugees Convention.
Our History
Indonesia’s military actions and policies implemented to secure Irian Jaya as part of the Republic constitutes the material of memoria passionis1 or a collective memory of suffering; impelling West Papuans to flee east into Papua New Guinea since 1962, seeking political asylum. Several monumental events of state need to be mentioned in any history of West Papuan flight into Papua New Guinea.2 Three events occurring in the period 1961-1969 can be described as monumental, each leading to government and military policies deemed oppressive; inciting resistance,3 retaliation and flight to attain asylum.
The three events are: Indonesian President Sukarno’s declaration of TRIKORA (People’s Triple Command for the Liberation of West Irian) on December 19, 1961 calling for a total mobilisation to destroy the intended independent West Papuan nation-state; the New York Agreement of August 15, 1962 when the Dutch ceded control of West New Guinea to Indonesia resulting in a UN transitional authority (UNTEA) present until May 1, 1963 when Indonesia took full control of West Irian, and voting by eight assemblies in the Act of Free Choice (PEPERA) July 14-August 2 1969 resulting in the declaration of West Irian as Indonesia’s seventeenth province.
Events of flight since 1962 cannot be isolated from the monumental historical events listed above. Collective flight to attain political asylum in Papua New Guinea
occurred throughout the period of TRIKORA, UNTEA and PEPERA (1962-69), and in the following decade in reaction to local military activity. Events of flight in these
periods are detailed in Blaskett (1989) and Smith (1991). This essay is concerned with the most recent period of flight occurring between 1984-86 as a background to
the establishment of the refugee relocation camp Iowara, located at East Awin in Western Province, Papua New Guinea.
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WPRRA Port Moresby 