ACP and West Papua – and PNG’s Foreign Policy on West Papua?

The 79 Member States of the Africa Caribbean Pacific (ACP) group passed a resolution at last week’s 9th ACP Summit of Heads of State and Government calling for urgent attention to be paid to the ongoing human rights crisis in West Papua.

PNG and ACP 110th Summit – West Papua’s Time Has Come.

Last week PNG’s Foreign Minister Patrick Pruaitch successfully chaired the110th Africa Caribbean Pacific (ACP) Council and 9th Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 6 – 10 December 2019.https://dailypost.vu/…/article_9e25a50a-1ebe-11ea-bd79-3758…

However, the rigorous scrutiny on West Papua began on the floor of Parliament which was an explosive examination of
old questions that were left on the table for decades since PNG attained self – rule in 1975.

Opposition Leader and Vanimo Green River MP Belden Namah on the 11 October 2019 asked a series of questions relating to West Papua.

He wanted the Prime Minister to inform this Parliament if he has advanced West Papua human rights issues at the United Nations, APEC, or any Pacific islands Forums or any other global leadership forum.

‘ I heard the Prime Minister only talk about what he dreams of doing in PNG and he has not even spelt out one single foreign policy.’

The Opposition Leader pointed out the contradiction in which PNG was already in the conflict between Indonesia and its role as natural proxy to Melanesian brothers and sisters of West Papua, by default.

He also wanted the Prime Minister to inform Parliament of the Government’s foreign policy on West Papua and human rights concerns in West Papua.

In the aftermath of last week’s international event in which PNG’s Foreign Minister Patrick Pruaitch successfully chaired the110th Africa Caribbean Pacific (ACP) Council and 9th Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 6 – 10 December 2019, West Papua and the momentum it needs to put its case for self – rule has been sustained, shepherded, by men of God, and men of science.

West Papua is approaching freedom.

And, walking in the shadows of Bougainville Referendum 2019.

West Papua represented by ULMWP Chairman Benny Wenda; mass solidarity for West Papua – afforded by social media;1st December 2019, Global Flag Raising Day, Vanimo

(Photo caption: Opposition Leader Belden Namah – asked 6 questions on West Papua, 11 October 2019, Parliament Session; ACP 110th Council and 9th Summit – chaired by PNG’s Foreign Minister Patrick Pruaitch; West Papua represented by ULMWP Chairman Benny Wenda; mass solidarity for West Papua – afforded by social media;1st December 2019, Global Flag Raising Day, Vanimo)

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via IFTTT December 19, 2019 at 09:08AM

West Papua issue internal: Eoe

September 5, 2019, The NationalNational 

FOREIGN Affairs and International Trade Minister Soroi Eoe says the current uprising in West Papua is an “internal Indonesia issue”.

Eoe told Parliament yesterday that it “did not matter how everyone felt” the issue was an internal matter for Indonesia and urged Papua New Guineans to consider how they addressed the issue.

“Our responsibility first and foremost is to the people of Papua New Guinea, as how we address the issue now will also determine our future in the region,” he said.

Eoe said that he understood the issue was about freedom, however, it would be right and proper for the matter to be addressed by the UN Human Rights Council.

He said the plight of the indigenous people of West Papua was discussed at a Pacific Island Forum Meeting as a human rights issue and that a request for a human rights commission to move in and assess the situation had already been made. “That assessment report will be presented at the next Pacific Island Forum Meeting in Vanuatu next July,” he said.

“The Government’s official position remains that West Papua is an internal Indonesian issue.”

Meanwhile, Vanimo Green MP Beldan Namah said the uprising was a “sensitive international issue” that could affect PNG’s security.
Namah asked the Government if it had a counter response plan if the uprising spilled over the border to PNG.
“How ready is our police force and army to combat any spillover effects?” he said.

Namah also asked the Government what was being done to ensure the safety of Papua New Guineans living along the border.

He also called on Eoe and Prime Minister James Marape to ensure the nation was prepared if the situation in West Papua continued to escalate.

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via IFTTT September 05, 2019 at 12:27PM