Benny Wenda: Welcome new Pacific Islands Forum call for a UN visit

August 30, 2024

As President of the ULMWP and on behalf of the people of West Papua, I welcome the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Communique reaffirming the 2019 call for a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visit to West Papua:

Leaders recalled their decision from 2019 and 2023 and noted the update from the Special Envoys.

The 2019 call was a historic moment for Pacific support for West Papua. Pacific leaders stood up for their Melanesian family by demanding Indonesia be investigated for their crimes in West Papua. West Papuans everywhere will be encouraged to see that Pacific solidarity and support renewed. You are giving us courage in our struggle.

I thank all those Melanesian and Pacific leaders who played a role in this communique, particularly Prime Minister Salwai of Vanuatu, who was so influential to the original 2019 UN call. I also welcome PIF’s reaffirmation of the 2023 call for MSG Special Envoys to visit West Papua, and hope that visit will happen soon and in harmony with the UN Human Rights visit.

The Pacific and West Papuan struggles are deeply connected: the destruction of the Papuan rainforest by the Indonesian state and international corporations directly undermines the Pacific fight against sea level rise. You cannot fight climate change in the Pacific without fighting ecocide and genocide in West Papua.

After five years of delays and refusals, with more than 100,000 West Papuans displaced and over 1000 killed, now is the time for Indonesia to finally let the world see what is happening in our land. They cannot hide their dirty secret any longer.

Benny Wenda
President
ULMWP