The Papua New Guinea government is currently reviewing asylum claims by over 1,000 West Papuans and beginning a registration of all West Papuans living in PNG, many of whom have been there for decades without full refugee status or citizenship.

There are over 10,000 West Papuan refugees currently living in Papua New Guinea who throughout history have been mainly forgotten by the outside world.

Watch national EMTV News’ report on the granting of PNG citizenship for West Papuan refugees here

Radio New Zealand also reported on the news that West Papuan refugees were due to be granted PNG citizenship. Free West Papua Campaign PNG Coordinator, Mr Fred Mambrasar was interviewed by Radio New Zealand and urged the PNG government to help give him and other West Papuan refugees living in limbo some certainty on refugee status. Speaking to Radio New Zealand, Fred Mambrasar said “Sometime the government tok yes we grantem citizenship but only for some people. but like me and other West Papua, not yet.”

The thousands of West Papuan refugees living in PNG are in need of full PNG citizenship and political support as they continue tell our Melanesian brothers and sisters about the ongoing genocide and illegal occupation of West Papua where over 500,000 Melanesians have been killed.

The struggle for self-determination and Independence continues. One day West Papua will be free!

The post PNG government to review West Papuans’ refugee claims appeared first on Free West Papua Campaign PNG.

On February 5th 2016, West Papuans refugees from across Port Moresby held a candlelit church service to commemorate 161 years to the day since Christian missionaries first arrived in West Papua.

They sang West Papuan songs and prayed for unity and the hope for West Papua’s freedom.

Watch EMTV’s report on the service here

In an interview with EMTV News, West Papuan Matthew Hosor said

“We have a God, he has given us this land. Yes we are under Indonesia now but we must not stop believing that our time will time. Whenever it may be.”

He went onto say

“It is One People, One Soul. That is part of our motto, our West Papua motto. We are fighting for our freedom, our self-determination, our Independence.”

The post West Papuans Call on Christians To Pray for Peace for West Papua appeared first on Free West Papua Campaign PNG.

The West Papua Warriors celebrating after beating the Philippines national rugby league team, the Tamaraws, 54-8.

The new Rugby League Team, the West Papua Warriors has played and won their first international match against the Philippines National team, the Tamaraws!

The West Papua Warriors was set up in Papua New Guinea last year and is made up of West Papuans and supportive Papua New Guineans determined to raise awareness about West Papua’s freedom struggle though the power of sport.

The team has received overwhelming support from fans around the world and on 5th February played their first international match in Sydney, Australia. The match was a resounding success for the West Papua Warriors who beat the Philippines Tamaraws 54-8 with a great turnout of Free West Papua supporters.

According to Radio New Zealand, team captain Tala Kami said the day and game couldn’t have gone any better and said the team has also been invited to compete in the USA.

“That was actually the first 13-a-side match this group of boys played together. We were a bit nervous before going onto the field, because we hadn’t had a proper 13-a-side trial match before but all the boys are experienced players so it came together on the day. It was a tough game – I think the scoreline doesn’t reflect the quality of opposition the Philippines was but the boys really did dig deep and they played with a lot of passion. We managed to get on the scoreboard pretty early, which kind of helped us eventually get the win.”

Some Free West Papua supporters at the West Papua Warriors match

A massive thanks to the West Papua Warriors and all supporter for all your incredible commitment and resolve to struggle for West Papua’s freedom!

Sport has the power to change the world and the message of the West Papuan people is growing around the world every day!

The post West Papua Warriors Rugby League team raise awareness for West Papua and win first international match appeared first on Free West Papua Campaign PNG.

We have just received urgent news from occupied West Papua that another West Papuan youth has been reportedly arrested, beaten and tortured by the Indonesian police. According to the report, West Ppauan student Eli Anouw was arrested without clear reason in the Nabire regency and was then beaten and tortured by the Indonesian police. He was taken to the Indonesian police station and is apparently still in police custody to this day.

We fully condemn this heinous Indonesian police brutality and we call on the Indonesian police responsible to be brought to justice and for Eli Anouw to be given the full medical treatment that he deserves,

Such brutal cases highlight further calls for a high level Pacific Islands Forum Fact Finding Mission to be sent to West Papua in order to expose and detail these ongoing human rights abuses.

The continued reports and evidence of ongoing and systematic torture by the Indonesian security forces against West Papuans is beginning to show the world the real situation in West Papua. The Indonesian government cannot continue to hide their litany of torture, rape and murder in occupied West Papua; the world is finding out the truth.

To find out more about how you can help the people of West Papua and the struggle for freedom, please TAKE ACTION HERE. 

The post West Papuan youth tortured by the Indonesian police in Nabire appeared first on Free West Papua Campaign PNG.

Dear everyone,

On Monday 21^st December, the Indonesian Defence and Foreign Ministers met with the Australian Defence and Foreign Ministers in Sydney and warned Australia and other countries to “respect its sovereignty over West Papua”.

Not only that but also they boasted about strengthening military ties with Australia, on the very same day that 22 year old West Papuan Marvel Doga was shot dead by the Indonesian military for protesting against a palm oil company. Such state killings and brutality are always the only ‘Christmas presents’ we West Papuans get from the Indonesian government.

What is there to be proud of for killing youths that challenge the corporations destroying their land?

The Indonesian government is clearly very worried about the growing international support for West Papua’s freedom and more evidence of this was witnessed when Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said,

“I would like to close on this point. It is a point that is very troubling for Indonesia, because Indonesia never meddles in the affairs of other countries, and likewise, we don’t want others to meddle in ours, or try and divide us. With regard to Papua, certain countries are meddling, and we don’t like it,”

He went onto say “For us, Papua is [part] of the united Republic of Indonesia. The united Republic of Indonesia extends from Sabang to Papua. There is no other solution, that’s it, that’s the way it is,”

Let me tell the Indonesian Defence Minister now,

West Papua has never been and will never be part of Indonesia.
Indonesia is the problem. Independence for West Papua is the solution.

The Indonesian Defence Minister is an inherent part of this problem because he is responsible for the more than 40,000 Indonesian soldiers illegally occupying West Papua. He has no right to talk about West Papua and can talk about Indonesia from Sabang to the Moluccas because that is where Indonesia’s real borders belong but West Papua is a Melanesian nation that has nothing to do with Indonesia.

Most commentators would agree that the reunification of Melanesian people is something to be praised and in fact the Melanesian nation of Vanuatu has been praised for encouraging Melanesian unification as part of supporting West Papua’s freedom.

However, the Indonesian government is also clearly very worried about the reunification of the Melanesian and Pan-Pacific Islander family because having issued a warning to Australia and other countries, Ryacudu then insulted our Melanesian brothers and sisters in Vanuatu and attacked Melanesian sovereignty when he said
“Vanuatu persists in encouraging Melanesian people to reunite. That’s not right, and I disagree with it.”

I response to this, I say

Indonesia has no right to meddle in the internal affairs of Melanesia. We Melanesian Pacific Islanders do not need Indonesia’s permission to reunite.

Melanesian and Pan-Pacific unity flows in every river, whispers up every tree and floats upon every wave of the Pacific Ocean. It surges through our very souls as Melanesian people. We continue to yearn and continue to strive to reunite with wantoks; with all our brothers and sisters so that one day we will be one free family again.

The Indonesian Defence Minister might be warning countries around the world not to support a Free West Papua but let me warn the Indonesian Defence Minister

Through peaceful struggle, we West Papuans are ready to set ourselves free from the oppression of Indonesian rule. Indonesia’s colonialism will come to an end very soon.

This Defence Minister once infamously said that the killers of West Papuan Independence Leader Theys Eluay were “heroes”.

Who are the real criminals in West Papua when military generals like Ryacudu continue to approve of such killings and continue to orchestrate this ongoing genocide which has left over 500,000 West Papuan people dead?

Not only did Ryimizard Rycaudu warn Australia, Vanuatu and other countries over West Papua, he went onto say that Indonesia had “never disrupted or caused disruptions in other countries” and it expected the same of other nations regarding Papua and its long-running independence movement.

As a West Papuan, a Melanesian and a Pacific Islander I am outraged that such malicious threats and outright lies continue to be blurted out by Indonesian government ministers about the lives of my people and countries that support us.

Indonesia invaded West Papua, invaded East Timor and earlier this year executed Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumuran. They even threatened to go to war with Vanuatu because of its support for West Papua’s freedom.

We West Papuans (living just 250km North of Australia) have been suffering under a secret genocide and the illegal occupation of our country since West Papua was illegally annexed by Indonesia in the 1969 so called Act of Free Choice; (known to West Papuans as the Act of NO Choice.) During the resulting long decades of torture, it is estimated that over 500,000 people (in 3 West Papuans) has died because of this military occupation.

Earlier this month, the Human Rights Commission Komnas HAM has found that human rights violations have increased in West Papua this year, documenting over 700 West Papuans who were persecuted by the Indonesian State in 2015. Only last week on 19^th December, 23 West Papuans were arrested and locked up just for peacefully demonstrating against the illegal Indonesian occupation.

The Indonesian government is doing all they can to try to stop the truth from coming out of occupied West Papua and Human Rights Watch recently released a 74 Page report detailing how foreign journalists are still being effectively barred from working there. On top of this, a few weeks ago the Indonesian President even ordered all International NGO’s to leave West Papua by the end of 2015, a move obviously proving that the Indonesian government has something to hide.

The Indonesian President Joko Widodo is also planning to visit West Papua before the end of 2015 but he is certainly not welcome. We West Papuans know that such visits are merely publicity stunts attempting to show government care about West Papua whereas actually the Indonesian President is visiting West Papua to further impose Indonesian state control over West Papua. This means more Indonesian soldiers and more deals with multinational corporations like Freeport McMoran that exploit and destroy our ancestral land. We firmly believe that his visit will only bring more trouble in 2016, more bloodshed of West Papuans.

West Papuans are Australia’s closest neighbours and we West Papuans look to Australia as our big brother in the region. Therefore on behalf of my people I appeal to the Australian government not to forge more military ties with this human rights abusing government.

Why deal with a government that is committing genocide against your closest neighbours?

It has been revealed that Australian supplied military helicopters have previously been used to bomb West Papuan villages and so any new military ties between Indonesia and Australia send shivers down our spines. These new military ties terrify West Papuan villagers who do not know if they will be the next victims of this brutal genocide.

The Indonesian government has already failed to convince the world of all their moral, political and legal arguments over their continued occupation of West Papua and the only channel they have left is their so called ‘economic diplomacy’. The world needs to be aware that this is the only tactic the Indonesian government can use now.

Therefore I urge the Australian government and parliament to please look to the suffering of your closest neighbours in West Papua, and help to promote human lives over money from Indonesian “economic diplomacy”.

We desperately need the support of our big brother Australia to please help us against this secret genocide and the ongoing military occupation of our ancestral lands.

Please do continue to support my people, to write to your representatives and tell as many people as possible about West Papua.

Neither the threats of the Indonesian government nor the bullets of the Indonesian military will break the spirit of my people and our resolve to struggle for full freedom through self-determination.

We are certain that one day we will finally be free.

Benny Wenda
West Papuan Independence Leader
Spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua
www.freewestpapua.org
www.bennywenda.org

The post Benny Wenda responds to the Indonesian government, “West Papua will never be part of Indonesia.” appeared first on Free West Papua Campaign PNG.

Following the actions of Free West Papua Campaign – PNG on International Human Rights Day, FWPC PNG coordinator, Fred Mambrasar was interviewed by Caroline Tiriman on Radio Australia’s Tok Pisin service on the importance of the PNG government giving citizenship to all West Papuan refugees as they said they would.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW HERE

He said that although there was much talk about PNG citizenship being given to West Papuans on paper, there was still much to be done in reality. There are now over 10,000 West Papuan refugees living in Papua New Guinea and some of then have been here for over 40 years.

Free West Papua Campaign PNG Coordinator, Fred Mambrasar

He also spoke about how after nearly 55 years of Indonesian illegal occupation it is now time for the PNG government to change their policies to support their brothers and sisters in occupied West Papua

Citing the ongoing killings, Fred Mambrasar also dismissed the promises of the Indonesian President Joko Widodo to develop West Papua and talked of how West Papuans do not want “autonomy” but only Independence and that this was the only way in which Indonesia could really help West Papua.

He said how he was confident that the world is beginning to support West Papua and especially across Melanesia but one of the key problems is the need for support from Papua New Guinea. Fred Mambrasar talked of how earlier this year, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill announced that he would support PNG’s brothers in West Papua and so therefore he must follow up with action to truly help and support the West Papuan people.

West Papuan refugees in Kiunga calling for full MSG membership for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP). There are over 10,000 West Papuan refugees in PNG

The Pacific Islands Forum recently agreed to send a Fact Finding Mission to West Papua and asked Prime Minister Peter O’Neill as Chairperson to help facilitate with this. Fred Mambrasar therefore urged the Prime Minister to talk to the Indonesian government to allow this human rights fact finding mission full access to West Papua. He called for a real Human Rights Fact Finding Mission, not to Jakarta or just the capital city of Jayapura to meet with bureaucrats but to meet with real West Papuan people all over West Papua.

Free West Papua Campaign – Papua New Guinea remains fully committed to campaigning for the right to self-determination for the people of West Papua.

The post Free West Papua Campaign PNG Coordinator interviewed by Radio Australia appeared first on Free West Papua Campaign PNG.

West Papuan Independence Leader Benny Wenda has written this statement on International Human Rights Day about the deaths of up to 4 West Papuan villagers in Yapen who were shot by the Indonesian military and police for raising the West Papuan flag on 1st December 2015. Benny Wenda is available for media inquiries: Email office@bennywenda.org, Telephone +44 7411 053 953

Office of Benny Wenda

Dear everyone,

I am full of grief to learn reports that 4 more West Papuan people were killed and 8 more shot in cold blood by the Indonesian military and police in Yapen last week. According to recent reports, on 1st December the Indonesian military raided Wanampompi village in the Angkaisera district on Yapen Island. The villagers were simply raising the West Papuan national flag and peacefully commemorating West Papua National Day, which is marked internationally with a Global Flag Raising. But while hundreds of people around the world were able to freely raise the West Papuan flag and show their support for West Papua’s freedom, West Papuans were arrested beaten and killed just for doing so.

Unconfirmed information says that at 07:30 on 1st December, the Indonesian military and police arrived at Wanampomi village and stopped in front of the house of Adraibi Herik, where the West Papuan flag was raised. The Indonesian authorities asked Andraibi to come out and then suddenly they opened fire, instantly killing 4 West Papuans and injuring 8 more. The exact details of all the victims is not yet known.*

It breaks my heart every time I hear such news of yet another human rights atrocity committed by the Indonesian authorities against my people. How can the raising of a national flag justify the shooting and killing of innocent people?

It is very clear that the Indonesian government’s intention is to wipe out the people of West Papua from the face of the Earth. Last month, 2 days ago, we West Papuans mourned on the Anniversary of the notorious Paniai Massacre when 5 West Papuan children were brutally killed and 17 others shot by the Indonesian military at a peaceful demonstration. In fact only last month, West Papuan Independence Leader Rihko Wambu died from his injuries after being brutally tortured by the Indonesian police in August. This combined with other serious human rights abuses such as the shooting and beating of West Papuan students in Jakarta, adds to the escalating human rights crisis facing West Papuans.

Indonesia has been praised for becoming a democracy but while there may be democracy in Indonesia, there is still no democracy in occupied West Papua.

We are not free to raise our national flag without fear of being given a 15 year jail sentence or even shot.
Is that democracy?

We are not free to peacefully demonstrate for Independence without fear of being tortured and locked up.
Is that democracy?

We are not free to express our desires for our future by exercising our right to self-determination and are demonised and targeted just for calling for this fundamental right to be recognised,
Is that democracy?

There is increasing Indonesian state violence against my people and only yesterday the Institute for Research, Study and Development of Legal Aid (LP3BH) in Manokwari described how the intensity of the violence perpetrated by the Armed Forces and police in terms of serious human rights violations has increased this year.

This human rights crisis in West Papua, just 250km North of Australia cannot be ignored. The world needs to know the truth about the ongoing killing against the Melanesian people of West Papua which has already resulted in the deaths of over 500,000 people. The simple truth:

Indonesia is committing a secret genocide in West Papua

This is exactly why we West Papuans desperately need a high level Fact Finding Mission to West Papua, organised by the Pacific Islands Forum, as agreed at their recent leaders meeting. There is a 21st Century genocide still being committed against Pacific Islanders and yet the world remains blind. We desperately need these human rights abuses to be investigated and stopped before it is too late. Earlier this year, the International Association of Genocide Scholars found that Cold Genocide was being committed by Indonesia in West Papua. In fact just last month, the Governor of West Papua said how he was worried that in 10 to 20 years time West Papuans would vanish completely.

Therefore on behalf of my people, I call upon the Melanesian Spearhead Group, the Pacific Islands Forum and all relevant bodies to please help to from such a human rights fact-finding mission and to discover and help to stop the ongoing genocide against Melanesian Pacific Islanders to this day.

I also call upon human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights watch to please continue to investigate the gross human rights abuses still being committed in West Papua.

I appeal to the worlds media to please also report about the situation in occupied West Papua. There has been a media blackout for the last 50 years because the Indonesian government has effectively barred all foreign journalists from reporting in the country. The world’s public have a right to know the truth about what is happening in West Papua and I urge all journalists available to please investigate the real situation in my country.

And I appeal to you, people of the world to please look at the terrible situation my people are facing. In 30 or 40 years, there may be no more West Papuans left in West Papua. As human beings we cannot leave our fellow human beings to perish in this way. The world needs to know about this 21st Century genocide in occupied West Papua.

Please join with myself and my people in condemning these terrible attacks happening against innocent Melanesian people just 250km North of Australia. Please spread the word about the situation in occupied West Papua and together let us put an end to the worlds longest running genocide. Together, we will Free West Papua.

Rest in Peace all those who died in the massacre in Yapen. With your spirits, we will continue to campaign until West Papua is finally free and Independent.

Benny Wenda
West Papuan Independence Leader
Spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)

*It has been reported that the names of those shot in Yapen is Yonas Manitori, Darius Andraibi, Herik Manitori and Julian Robaha Warowai Paulinus, Zacharias Turunat, Yance Manitori, Agus Manitori, Pilemon Ayomi, Alius Karimati, David Ayomi, and Anton Runaweri. Full and exact details are not yet known.

The post Reported massacre in Yapen – “Indonesia is committing a secret genocide in West Papua” appeared first on Free West Papua Campaign PNG.

The Port Moresby based rugby league team, the West Papua Warriors are set to make history in January by being the first International Team representing West Papua and the freedom struggle. They will play their first international match in Brisbane, Australia against the Philippines national team, the Tamaraws.

The West Papua Warriors is a rugby league team made up of Papua New Guineans and West Papuans dedicated to promoting the West Papuan freedom struggle through sport.

Watch EMTV’s news report on the team below

“Team official, Richard Marjen, believes the team’s biggest strength is their passion for the West Papuan Cause. He says, unlike other rugby reams, the management has a different approach towards the players to keep them motivated.”

“Captain, Tala Kami, has appealed to the public that if they wish to sponsor their game next month, to contact the team on the ‘West Papua Warriors’ Facebook page or email westpapuawarriors@gmail.com”

We hope all our brothers and sisters in PNG as well as wantoks living in Australia will support the West Papua Warriors continuing to spread the #FreeWestPapua message in Brisbane on January 16th!

The post West Papua Warriors set to make history in first International Match appeared first on Free West Papua Campaign PNG.

Yesterday marked International Human Rights Day and Free West Papua Campaign – Papua New Guinea organised a Free West Papua march to Boroko, ending up in the EMTV Studios. West Papuans from FWPC PNG were interviewed about the rights of our people, including for the more than 10,000 West Papuan refugees currently living in PNG.

Along with other West Papuans, Free West Papua Campaign Coordinator, Mr Fred Mambrasar said “As I’m speaking I don’t know what my status is. The talk about refugee status in PNG is all about the refugee centre in Manus. What about us?”

Video below

According to the Government Immigration Department, over 2700 West Papuan refugees have been interviewed for PNG citizenship and out of this, the first bat

Free West Papua Campaign PNG was also interviewed about the continuing human rights abuses and genocide being committed by the Indonesian authorities in occupied West Papua. One West Papuan interviewed said

“In Papua, we remember our mothers and young women who have been killed raped and abused.”

We continue to appeal for advocacy and investigation about West Papua from the media in PNG, as well as the government, civil society and most importantly, all our wantoks and brothers and sisters, the people of Papua New Guinea.

We walk down the long road to freedom together! #FreeWestPapua! #WanGiraun

The post Free West Papua Campaign PNG marches on Human Rights Day appeared first on Free West Papua Campaign PNG.

2 days ago, West Papuans mourned the Anniversary of the Paniai Massacre, remembering 8th December 2014 when 5 West Papuan children, were shot dead and 17 others injured by the Indonesian military.

A West Papuan who took part in this Mourning ceremony said “With one heart, we young West Papuans abroad in PNG light candles, hold hands and pray for the 5 Papuan students who were shot in Paniai on 8th December 2014. Hopefully there will be justice for them.” 

There has been still no justice after the cold blooded murder of these 5 children who were killed mercilessly with 17 others injured when the Indonesian military opened fire on a peaceful demonstration.

To find out more about the Paniai Massacre, please watch this video made by Minority Rights Group International
Please note, some people may find this footage distressing 

The Free West Papua Campaign continues to stand with Minority Rights Group International, Amnesty International and others in demanding that a full and thorough investigation be held into the massacre and that full justice be carried delivered. We demand an end to all human rights violations in West Papua and a withdrawal of the Indonesian military.

We ask people everywhere to please continue spreading the message about the secret genocide and illegal occupation of West Papua and not let the terrible massacre  of West Papuans continue. We continue to call upon Pacific Island leaders to help facilitate a high level Pacific Islands Forum Fact Finding Mission to West Papua, to research and help to uncover the human rights violations against Pacific Islanders in the region.

Please visit the Take Action part of our website to find you how you can help more.

Rest in peace, all those who died in the Paniai massacre. We will continue to campaign until West Papua is one day finally free at last.

Stop the Genocide! Free West Papua!

The post West Papuans in PNG mourn on Anniversary of Paniai Massacre appeared first on Free West Papua Campaign PNG.