International attention needed – Rallies to take place in West Papua tomorrow

June 13, 2016

Tomorrow the people of West Papua are set to hold important rallies across the country. They will call for their fundamental right to self-determination to be exercised in an Independence referendum (Internationally Supervised Vote). They are also rallying to support the Pacific Islands Forum Human Rights Fact Finding Mission to West Papua as well as rejecting Indonesia’s false promises of an Indonesian led human rights investigation to West Papua. Other calls to be made at the rallies include: West Papua to be supported at the upcoming meeting of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) in Fiji and full MSG membership to be granted to the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) as their representative body.

The Free West Papua Campaign therefore calls upon the international community to please stay alert and to follow the situation in West Papua closely. The West Papuan people desperately need international advocacy for their struggle for self-determination. Last month over 2000 West Papuan people were arrested simply for joining such peaceful pro-Independence rallies as will be held tomorrow. The situation in West Papua is becoming increasingly dangerous with Indonesian militia groups now rampaging across West Papua as they did in Timor-Leste (East Timor). These militia groups are beating West Papuan people, burning West Papuan flags and trying to cause as much chaos as possible in an attempt to stop West Papua becoming free.

We will continue to update the situation in West Papua on our website as well as our Facebook and Twitter sites, #FreeWestPapua so please do follow these for the latest news from occupied West Papua.

Please watch closely and support the people of West Papua as they risk their lives to to tell the outside world that they need help. You can find out how to help support the West Papuan people and their struggle for freedom here.