WPRRA Port Moresby

Featured

WPRRA Chair: Elimar Gombo Congratulates the ULMWP Achievements

The Chairperson of the West Papua Refugees Relief Association (WPRRA) based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea congratulates the achievements of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) at the 50th Pacific Islands Forum Summit in Tuvalu this week.

West Papua Refugee relief Association Chairman Elimar Gombo with Blue Shirt and Deputy Chair Soni Yoissi holding his child (red shirt with hat)

Speaking to some of the refugees in Port Moresby, Mr. Gombo stated Hon. Benny Wenda was one of the refugees, hosted here at Gerehu Stage II. At that time, Hon Powes Parkop, MP, Governor of NCD Port Moresby was Wenda’s lawyer, organised his passport and got him to the United Kingdom with a promise, “When I get something out there, I will bring back the results of my hunting, so that we can share together back home”.

A week before the PIF Summit, Hon. Governor Parkop and Hon Wenda visited the Solomon Islands Prime Minister and the Opposition leader to secure support for the West Papua cause.

Mr. Gombo continues that has been made so far shows clearly to all of us that all Melanesian leaders and Pacific leaders are supporting West Papua. Only Australia is not fully supportive because it has various agreements with Indonesia that it tries not to violate.

All West Papuans also indicated their full support to what the ULMWP is doing in Tuvalu, which indicates once again that all West Papuans are “One People – One Soul”, ONLY Indonesian Negara Kolonial Indonesia (NKRI) that always spread hoax and propaganda saying that West Papuans are factionalized, divided, and potential to kill each other because of tribal root of conflicts.

Mr. Gombo added, West Papuans today are modernized peoples, we know what we are doing and we will achieve, Indonesia will get out from West Papua. Melanesians are standing together with us. We are all Melesians, and Indonesians are occupying Melanesian home-land.

Featured

Ucapan Selamat dan Ucapan Terimakasih dari ULMWP dan WPRRA Port Moresby

Congratulations and Appreciations from ULMWP POM and WPRRA

Benny Wenda adalah salah satu pengungsi West Papua yang diselamatkan keluar dari pulau New Guinea karena dikejar oleh Negaera Kolonial Republik Indonesia (NKRI). Kami kirim dia keluar tahun 2002, dan sepuluh tahun kemudian dia balik, menggunakan paspor Inggris. Sekarang salah satu dari pengungsi West Papua ini mendapatkan penghargaan oleh negara lain.

Tuan Elimar Gombo, paling kiri (berkumis tebal) dan berikutnya Soni Yossi (baju merah dengan anak kecil)

Itulah antara lain kata-kata dari Soni Yossi, Wakil Ketua West Papua Refugee Relief Association (WPRRA) bermarkas pusat di Gerehu Stage 2, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

Turut hadir sejumlah perwira dari West Papua Revolutionary Army (WPRA) dan juga aktivis Papua Merdeka bertempat tinggal di Port Moresby.

Dengan mencucurkan air mata, Soni Yossi mengatakan,

Saya dulu sudah punya bayangan hal-hal ini akan terjadi. Dan ini pintu terbuka, maka pintu-pintu lain lagi akan terus terbuka, dan terbuka, terus terbuka. Sampai akhirnya pintu kemerdekaan West Papua terbuka. Dia hanya tunggu kita orang West Papua sendiri yang harus mempersiapkan diri untuk menerima kemerdekaan. Ulur-ulur waktu selama ini terjadi bukan karena orang luar tidak mau menyerahkan kemerdekaan, tetapi kami orang Papua sendiri belum siap menerimanya.

Disambung lagi oleh Ketua WPRRA, Tuan Elimar Gombo bahwa penghargaan ini mengandung arti besar bagi banga Papua, bagi nasib bangsa Papua, bagi perjuangan Papua Merdeka.

Elimar Gombo menyerukan kepada seluru orang Papua di manapun Anda berada untuk segera bersiap-siap dan saat ini kami sudah siap untuk mendata semua orang Papua yang ada di luar negeri, dalam rangka mengurus hak-hak semua orang West Papua yang ada di luar negeri karena banyak orang West Papua belum mendapatkan layanan hak-hak sebagaimana mestinya seperti dijamin oleh Deklarasi Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa maupun aturan-aturan nasional dan internasional yang berlaku di seluruh dunia.

Terutama di Papua New Guinea, banyak orang West Papua masih hidup tanpa identitas, tanpa status kewarga-negaraan. Alasannya bukan karena tidak mau, tetapi karena tidak tahu bagaimana mendapatkan hak-hak yang seharusnya bisa dimiliki oleh orang West Papua di seluruh dunia.

Dalam acara ini juga disinggung tentang rencana penggabungan kegiatan Walk for Life Port Moresby dengan Free West Papua Campaign yang diselenggarakan setiap hari minggu subuh. Gubernur NCD Port Moresby Powes Parkop telah diberitahukan dan telah berjanji untuk memberikan ucapan selamat dan terimakaish yang sama dalam waktu dekat.

Wasiat dan Nasehat Fernando Ortiz Sans

[wasiat]

Pada 6 September 1969, Ortiz-Sanz melaporkan kepada Sekretaris Jendral PBB: “dengan menyesal saya mengungkapkan keraguan saya mengenai penerapan Pasal XXII dalam Perjanjian, terkait dengan berbagai hak, mencakup hak kebebasan berbicara, kebebasan bergerak dan berkumpul, bagi para penghuni di wilayah Papua. Meskipun saya telah terus menerus berusaha, pasal yang penting tersebut tidak juga diterapkan secara penuh dan Pemerintah memberlakukan kendali politik yang sangat ketat terhadap penduduk di sana sepanjang waktu.”

Laporan utusan PBB Fernando Ortiz-Sanz menunjukan ada hal di luar kewajaran selayaknya sebuah jajak pendapat yang disebabkan oleh “kendali politik”. Namun laporan ini tidak didengar, sebab semua tahu ada Amerika dibalik lahirnya resolusi No. 2504.

Pada 1999 Ortiz Sanz memberi pesan: “Saya telah mengusahakan otonomi seluas mungkin bagi mereka (rakyat Papua). Tapi ini tidak membuat saya mengesampingkan bahwa, di masa depan, penduduk Irian Barat akan kembali memiliki kesempatan untuk menentukan nasib mereka sendiri. Saya katakan kepada mereka: bersabarlah. Saatnya akan tiba; jangan takut. Tuntutlah ilmu, pelajari segala hal yang perlu diketahui tentang prinsip demokrasi dan jalan akan terbuka bagi Anda. Itu saya kira adalah sikap yang sehat.”

Catatan:
Pasal XXII (1): UNTEA dan Indonesia akan menjamin sepenuhnya hak-hak tersebut, termasuk: hak kebebasan berbicara, kebebasan bergerak dan berkumpul, penduduk dari daerah. Hak-hak ini akan mencakup hak-hak yang ada dari penduduk wilayah pada saat penyerahan administrasi ke UNTEA.

Source; Taufik Sobari

Indonesia’s Independent Declaration and World’s Recognition

Sukarno, accompanied by Mohammad Hatta (left), proclaiming the independence of Indonesia. Jakarta, Java (17 August 1945)

The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence (Indonesian: Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Indonesia, or simply Proklamasi) was read at 10:00 in the morning of Friday, 17 August 1945.

The wording and declaration of the proclamation had to balance the interests of conflicting internal Indonesian and Japanese interests at the time. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of the Indonesian National Revolution, fighting against the forces of the Netherlands and pro-Dutch civilians, until the latter officially acknowledged Indonesia’s independence in 1949.

In 2005, the Netherlands declared that it had decided to accept de facto 17 August 1945 as Indonesia’s independence date, which has been interpreted by Indonesian media as an official acceptance and recognition of the independence date. However, on 14 September 2011, a Dutch court ruled in the Rawagede massacre case that the Dutch state was responsible because it had the duty to defend its inhabitants, which also indicated that the area was part of the Dutch East Indies, in contradiction of the Indonesian claim of 17 August 1945 as its date of independence.

In a 2013 interview the Indonesian historian Sukotjo, among others, asked the Dutch government to formally acknowledge the date of independence as 17 August 1945.

Before the statevisit of King Willem-Alexander (and Queen Máxima) of the Netherlands to Indonesia in 2020, a small group represented by Abdul Halik wrote to him with a few other relatives. As far as they were concerned, the king was not welcome as long as the Netherlands does not legally recognize the Indonesian independence date, 17 August 1945. “We ask for recognition of that date and for apologies. Those who have made mistakes should apologise to those who have suffered.”

The United Nations (193 countries) recognizes the date of 27 December 1949.

The document was signed by Sukarno (who signed his name “Soekarno” using the Van Ophuijsen orthography) and Mohammad Hatta, who were appointed president and vice-president respectively the following day.

The date of the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence was made a public holiday by a government decree issued on 18 June 1946, it is called Independence Day.

Komnas HAM sampaikan temuannya di Kabupaten Puncak ke Pemprov Papua

Kepala Kantor Komnas HAM perwakilan Papua, Frits Ramandey (tengah) bersama pengungsi di Puncak – Dok Komnas HAM perwakilan Papua

Jayapura, , Jubi – Komisi Nasional Hak Asasi Manusia atau Komnas HAM perwakilan Papua telah menyampaikan temuannya mengenai kondisi pengungsi di Kabupaten Puncak, kepada Pemerintah Provinsi (Pemprov) Papua.

Kepala Kantor Komnas HAM perwakilan Papua, Frits Ramandey mengatakan pihaknya melihat langsung kondisi pengungsi dari sejumlah kampung di Puncak pada awal pekan ini.

Sebanyak 3.019 pengungsi dari 23 kampung, kini berada di Ilaga, ibu kota Kabupaten Puncak dan ibu kota Distrik Gome. Pengungsi ini berasal dari sembilan kampung di Ilaga Utara, empat kampung di pinggiran Ilaga, lima kampung di Distrik Gome, dan lima kampung dari Gome Utara.

Ribuan warga kampung itu mengungsi lantaran memanasnya konflik antara aparat keamanan dan kelompok bersenjata di sejumlah wilayah Puncak, beberapa waktu lalu.

“Saya sudah bertemu Pemprov Papua dan Kapolda, menyampaikan gagasan ini dan direspons baik oleh Kapolda dan Pak Sekda, untuk mengambil langkah langkah. Terutama terhadap para pengungsi,” kata Frits Ramandey kepada Jubi, Kamis (3/6/2021).

Ramandey mengatakan, kondisi keamanan di Puncak sudah berangsur pulih. Aktivitas ekonomi sudah berlajan baik.

Akan tetapi, Komnas HAM perwakilan Papua menemukan dua masalah utama pengungsi, yakni kebutuhan air bersih dan terbatasnya tenaga kesehatan yang memberikan pelayanan.

“Mesti ada tambahan tenaga medis, sehingga bisa melayani pengungsi di dua titik pengungsian besar, yakni di Distrik Ilaga dan Gome,” ucapnya.

Ia berharap Pemprov Papua membantu Pemkab Puncak menyelesaikan masalah pengungsi. Memulangkan warga ke kampung asalnya. Sebab kondisi keamanan di sana sudah mulai pulih.

“Ketika mereka tingga di pengungsian, itu menimbulkan masalah kemanusiaan. Baik dari aspek kesehatan, beraktivitas, makan dan lain sebagainya. Sekarang yang mesti dilakukan adalah memulangkan pengungsi ke kampung mereka, agar mereka bisa kembali beraktivitas,” ujarnya.

Ramandey mengatakan, Pemprov Papua mesti membantu Pemkab Puncak menangani pengungsi, sebab di wilayah itu sedang ada konflik. Selain itu, pemkab memiliki keterbatasan fasilitas dan anggaran.

“Terpenting, pemkab dan pemprov berkolaborasi. Konfliknya sudah mereda, apalagi ada jaminan dari TPN-OPM. Mereka juga tidak ingin melanjutkan kekerasan yang terjadi selama ini di Puncak,” kata Ramandey.

Sementara itu, satu di antara advokat Papua, Oktavianus Tabuni berharap pemerintah memberikan perhatian khusus bagi para warga sipil yang mengungsi karena konflik bersenjata di Puncak.

“Karena pengungsi semakin bertambah, dan mereka tidak mendapatkan perhatian khusus,” kata Tabuni.

Ia menegaskan negara memiliki kewajiban untuk mengurus para pengungsi di Kabupaten Puncak, termasuk dalam memenuhi hak konstitusional mereka sebagai warga negara.

“Banyak anak-anak kecil yang tidak mendapatkan haknya, termasuk hak hidup dan hak atas kesehatan,” kata Tabuni. (*)

Editor: Edho Sinaga

Dag Hammarskjöld, Sekjen PBB yang ingin Papua jadi bangsa merdeka (1)

Berjiwa mardika. Berdiri lantang di antara dua raksasa perang dingin.

Pria itu berbicara pada forum terhormat di jantung Amerika yang sibuk, New York, 8 Maret 1960. Panjang lebar dia urai, bagaimana negara-negara yang baru merdeka akan memperoleh manfaat dari dana khusus PBB yang dirancangnya. Forum itu bernama mentereng; Economic Club. Ini organisasi nonpartisan yang suka membahas isu sosial ekonomi dan politik.

Dia itu punya nama rumit dieja; Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld.

Pada tahun itu, dia sudah jadi Sekjen Perserikatan Bangsa-Bangsa (PBB); Ia telah merancang suatu proyek yang dinamakan OPEX; menempatkan pejabat PBB di negara-negara yang baru merdeka, selama jangka waktu maksimal 6 tahun.

Hammarskjöld sudah menerapkan program itu di Afrika. Pada 1961, ia berencana memasukkan Papua sebagai salah satu negara-negara yang dimaksud sebagai bangsa Papua. Sebuah program yang sangat berani pada masa perang dingin.

Dikutip dari laman resmi PBB (un.org) Hammarskjöld lahir Jonkoping di Swedia, 29 Juli 1905. Ayahnya, Hjalmar Hammarskjöld, adalah Perdana Menteri Swedia selama Perang Dunia I. Pada 1925, ia menyelesaikan studi Linguistik, Sastra dan Sejarah di Universitas Uppsala, Swedia. Ia melanjutkan studinya di universitas hingga menggondol gelar Bachelor of Laws pada 1930.

Tiga tahun berikutnya, 1933, ia meraih gelar doktor dari Universitas Stockholm, dimana ia mengajar dan jadi Asisten Profesor Ekonomi Politik.

Sejak mula, Hammarskjöld menyatakan dirinya sebagai sosok independen. Dia tidak pernah bergabung dengan partai politik mana pun. Dia mengabdi kepada Pemerintah Swedia. Kurun 1941-1948, ia menjabat Ketua Dewan Bank Nasional. Pada 20 Desember 1954, ia jadi anggota Akademi Swedia – badan yang memberikan Hadiah Nobel Sastra, dimana ayahnya juga pernah menjadi anggotanya.

Hammarskjöld lantas ditunjuk sebagai Sekjen PBB oleh Majelis Umum pada 7 April 1953, atas rekomendasi Dewan Keamanan. Dia mendapat suara bulat,karena dianggap paling independen. Dia bahkan terpilih lagi pada jabatan yang sama pada September 1957.

Lewat program OPEX, Hammarskjöld bermaksud menyudahi sengketa Papua secara damai. Orang Papua akan diberi kemerdekaan dengan menyisihkan kepentingan Belanda dan Indonesia, yang bertikai memperebut besar pulau terbesar kedua di dunia setelah Greenland itu.

Saat itu, masih ada 88 wilayah di bawah pemerintahan kolonial yang menunggu jadi negara merdeka. Hammarskjöld telah berhasil membawa separuh dari negara-negara itu menuju kemerdekaan.

Kamerun misalnya, dengan luas lahan yang sama dengan Papua, dulunya berada di bawah pemerintahan Perancis dan Inggris. Pada Maret 1961 rakyat Kamerun melakukan voting di bawah naungan PBB. Mereka yang berasal dari Kamerun Utara memutuskan untuk memperoleh kemerdekaan, bergabung dengan Republik Kamerun.

“Ia akan mengubah PBB menjadi kekuatan dunia yang penting dan menciptakan sebuah bangsa besar untuk menjadi penyeimbang bagi mereka yang terlibat perang dingin,” tulis Greg Poulgrain, Indonesianis dari Universitas Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Australia pada bukunya yang bikin heboh, “bayang-bayang intervensi; perang siasat John F.Kennedy dan Allen Dulles atas Sukarno” (2018).

Dalam kasus Papua, Hammarskjöld hendak menyatakan tuntutan atas kedaulatan Papua, baik yang diklaim oleh Belanda dan Indonesia adalah tidak sah. Ia mengusulkan untuk membantu rakyat Papua lewat peran PBB.

Hammarskjöld membuat solusi bagi rakyat Papua agar mampu bertahan dari tekanan perang dingin. Sikap Hammarskjöld itu, tentu tidak disenangi blok barat dan timur. Tapi sesuai wataknya, ia tak pernah gentar. Tapi niat baiknya untuk Papua itu dibikin kandas pada Minggu dinihari, 17 November 1961. Pesawat PBB yang membawanya bersama 15 orang lainnya, jatuh ketika hendak mendekati landasan Ndola di Rhodesia (Zambia). Seluruh penumpang dinyatakan tewas. Murni kecelakaan atau konspirasi pembunuhan? (bersambung).

Editor: Angela Flassy

Komando Pasukan Operasi Khusus WPRA Siap Berdoa Puasa untuk Pemulihan Papua

Benny Wenda: Condolences to the Family of Pamela Gerrie

I am truly sadden to hear of the passing of Pamela Gerrie, a devoted Free West Papua supporter and beloved friend to my family and I.

I send my deepest condolences to her husband Phil, daughter Lucy and all the family.

When my family first arrived in the UK, the only way we were able to spread the message of our peoples suffering was through music. It was our dear Pam who made history in 2004 when she organised The Lani Singers first ever live performance.

My wife and I, alongside our 3 year old daughter were able to perform our West Papuan freedom songs on the mainstage at Strawberry Fair, Cambridge UK.

Thanks to Pam’s efforts thousands of British people were able to hear about my people’s suffering and fight for independence for the first time ever. She also held a stall at the fair where she fundraised for the campaign too. This was the first of her many contributions.

Pam was a truly talented woman who used her art skills to put on incredible exhibitions which educated the British public on the current situation in Indonesian-occupied West Papua. For example, In May 2014 she put on a skilful Exhibition which celebrated my life and the people of West Papua. https://www.freewestpapua.org/…/art-exhibition-to…/

A few months later she held another which celebrated Tribal Culture in West Papua and Melanesia https://www.freewestpapua.org/…/exhibition-on-tribal…/. She also used her art to fundraise for the campaign. You can see her beautiful West Papua greeting cards here: https://www.freewestpapua.org/…/west-papua-greeting-cards/. Pam embodied the very meaning of solidarity. She accompanied us to every campaign event, protest and Lani singers gig in her lifetime. It didn’t matter if it was raining or miles away she always made it her mission to stand by our side.

As I mentioned before she was also a close friend. My family and I will cherish all the memories made together. My thoughts and prayers are with her family right now.

Her Love for my family and my people will always be remembered.

Mengempuni dan Mendoakan Orang Indonesia Adalah Perintah Allah untuk Orang Kristen

West Papua Army

Pada saat Angkatan Bersenjata Papua Merdeka atau West Papua Army berbicara tentang “pengampunan” dan doa untuk pengampunan bagi orang-orang yang membenci dan merencanakan serta melakukan kejajahtan terhadap bangsa Papua, maka tentu saja bisa menimbulkan penafsiran bahwa kita mengampuni Indonesia atas semua hal yang dia lakukan selama ini di Tanah Papua, atas diri dan nyawa bangsa Papua.

BUKAN BEGITU!

Amunggut Tabi, Gen. WPRA mengatakan,

Ini adalah strategi peperangan Rohani, karna kita tidak hanya berperang secara jasmani, tetapi terutama kita berperang secara rohani, untuk memenangkan hati Allah, karena Tuhan hanya berpihak kepada KEBENARAN, dan yang dimaksud “KEBENARAN” di sini ialah KEBENARAN DIA sendiri, bukan kebenaran saya, apalagi kebenadan Anda.

Karena begitu besar kasih Allah akan dunia ini,” *Yohanes 4:16a”, di sini Alkitab TIDAK mengatakan “Karena begitu besar kasih Allah akan orang Kristen”. Apalagi Alkitab tidak mengatakan, “Karena begitu besar kasih Allah akan orang Papua”. Sama sekali tidak!

Allah mengasihi semua orang, orang…

View original post 154 more words

Two Papuans shot dead by Indonesian military personnel

Victor Mambor The Jakarta Post

Two men, Elias Karungu and Selu Karungu, from conflict-prone Nduga regency, Papua, were fatally shot by Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel on Saturday. Locals claimed the two were displaced civilians, while the Indonesian Military claimed the two were members of an armed group.

The father and son were killed when returning to Keneyam district, the capital of the regency, after hiding in forests for more than a year to avoid conflicts between the TNI and an armed group linked to the Free Papua Movement (OPM), a witness who requested anonymity for security reasons claimed.

The witness said that Elias and Selu made the trip with dozens of other displaced locals from Paro and Yengelo districts who were also seeking refuge in the forests.

“The son, Selu, walked ahead of the group and was stopped and interrogated by TNI personnel at a post near Keneyam river. He was also beaten during the interrogation,” the witness told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

He said at the time of the interrogation, Selu was carrying an axe. “He used the axe to cut firewood or to make emergency bridges to cross rivers during the journey.”

Upon hearing Selu’s arrest, Elias went to the military post to pick up his son.

“Not long after I and other displaced people resumed our journey to Keneyam, we heard gunshots,” the witness said. “We knew that Elias and Selu had been shot to death after arriving at the district.”

Read also: OPM says TNI, police shot medical workers in Papua

The Indonesian Military have maintained a strong presence in Nduga regency since December 2018, following the killing of more than 30 workers of state-owned company Istaka Karya in the regency by an armed group linked to the Free Papua Movement (OPM) lead by Egianus Kogoya.

The construction workers were assigned to build a 275-kilometer section of road to connect Wamena and Mamugu as part of President Jokowi’s flagship trans-Papua road project.

The killings led to a protracted security crisis in Nduga, forcing civilians to seek refuge in the neighboring regency of Wamena.

Residents from Paro, Yengalo and Yal districts who had difficult access to neighboring regencies opted to hide in forests in the wake of the conflicts. However, after illness and starvation plagued their hideout they decided to return to Keneyam.

As many as 139 refugees had died from starvation and illness caused by poor living conditions in the shelters, as reported by the Nduga Solidarity Civil Society Coalition in July last year. The government vehemently rejected the figure and claimed that only 53 displaced people had died.

The death of Elias and Selu sparked outrage among locals who staged a rally on Sunday near Keneyam airport. “We did not go to the church on Sunday. We took to the street demanding the military hand over Elias and Selu’s bodies,” a local, who also requested anonymity for security reasons, said.

After the military handed over the bodies, Elias and Selu were buried in a cemetery where Hendrik Lokbere was laid to rest. Hendrik was a close aide of Nduga deputy regent Wentius Nimiangge who was shot dead by an unidentified perpetrator on a road in Kenyam district in December 2019.

Col. GN Sunastawa of the Joint Defense Area Command III (Kogabwilhan III) covering Papua and Maluku claimed that both Elias and Selu were actually members of the Egianus Kogoya armed group.

“Military personnel have marked them as targets. They were members of an armed group led by Egianus Kogoya. We have the evidence, guns and ammunition,” Sunastawa told the Post on Monday. (nal) Editor’s note: This article has been updated to clarify the sources’ requests for anonymity and to better clarify the TNI’s claim that the victims were not civilians

This article was published in thejakartapost.com with the title “Two Papuans shot dead by Indonesian military personnel”. Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/07/21/two-papuan-refugees-shot-dead-by-indonesian-military-personnel.html.

Download The Jakarta Post app for easier and faster news access:
Android: http://bit.ly/tjp-android
iOS: http://bit.ly/tjp-ios

Elimar Gombo: Inhuman Treatments not ONLY Done by Indonesian Government

Mr. Elimar Gombo, the Chair of West Papua Refugees Relief Association (WPRRA) based in Port Moresby North, NCD, Papua New Guinea says “Melanesians from West Papua is not only treated badly and in inhuman way by Indonesian officials but we also face inhuman treatments by our own Melanesian countries.”

Many West Papuans are scattered all over Papua New Guinea, most of us without being recognised as human beings that should have recognition as refugees. Papua New Guinea government has done very little about ongoing human tragedy on the already independent half of New Guinea Island. We are called monkeys in the western half, and on the eastern half, we are ignored our rights to be called even as refugees.

Mr Gombo continues

We have been offered a piece of land in Gerehu, Port Moresby North, NCD, Papua New Guinea, but Indonesian agents are stronger, they pay off many government officials and local people, and this have caused us West Papuans who live in Port Moresby cannot get hold of the land, and build our huts, just to be seen by the world that PNG is treating its fellow Melanesians in humane way.

Asked about what happened to the announcement made by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and NCD Governor Powes Parkop on the land, Mr. Gombo says

Many hands coming in, and this confuses the government to decide. A lot of money floating over this issue, to stop Melanesians from West Papua to have a piece of land just to settle for some years while waiting for our independence from Indonesian colonial power.

Mr. Gombo does not give details of what he means and who he is referring to but he says everybody will know sooner or later, what is really happening. But the basic issue is that PNG government has not yet done enough in recognizing Melanesians from West Papua as refugees, let alone to be naturalized or recognized as PNG Citizens.

Mr. Gombo says

We are protesting against what Indonesians Malays are saying to us Melanesians as monkeys, but at the same time, we also need to look into our own house, what is happening here among ourselves. Are we recognizing ourselves as human beings, or are we treating each other the same way as what Indonesians are saying?

He continues,

We have been pre-occupied by fear! We are fearful that doing good to our own identity and integrity is a violation against international laws. We are fearful that giving recognition to West Papuan refugees means insulting Indonesia! We are fearful that insulting Indonesia will result in military operations into PNG. We are fearful….. at every level, at all aspects of life.

We need to stand up with NCD Governor Hon. Powes Parkop, MP that we need to raise up beyond fear, act with bravery defensing the truth. Fear is ruling Melanesian leaders and people and causing us become slaves of our own fear.

Elimar Gombo: Inhuman Treatments not ONLY Done by Indonesian Government was originally published on WPRRA.club