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
WPRRA Port Moresby 