News Stories
Category: Self-Determination
Getting the Facts Straight on West Papua
May 20, 2016
Life in West Papua is very hard. We do not enjoy the freedoms that people in many democratic countries get to experience. We cannot raise our national flag without risking imprisonment. We cannot express our political opinions without risking being found guilty of treason. We cannot hold peaceful protests without
West Papuan Church leader meets with New Zealand MPs
May 16, 2016
On 12th May The Reverend Socratez Sofyan Yoman, Head of the Baptish Church in West Papua visited Wellington and met with several members of parliament from Aotearoa New Zealand. The meeting was hosted by long standing West Papua supporter Catherine Delahunty MP who recently called for a motion in the
Solomon Islands & Vanuatu supporting West Papua for full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG)
May 12, 2016
Just days after the historic Westminster meeting on West Papuan self-determination, there was more historic support for the people of West Papua as yesterday Solomon Islands Prime Minister Hon. Manasseh Sogavare announced that he had met with Vanuatu Prime Minister Hon. Charlot Salwai and that together they had reaffirmed their…
UK Labour leader calls for independence vote
May 6, 2016
Jeremy Corbyn has drawn attention to the plight of West Papuans, saying the recognition of human rights and justice should be the “cornerstone” of the UK Labour party’s foreign policy. The Labour leader made the comments in an address to a meeting of international parliamentarians, supporters and activists in London
Historic meeting on West Papua’s future takes place in British Parliament
May 3, 2016
An historic step on the road to freedom for West Papua was taken in London today. At a meeting of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua in the Houses of Parliament a new declaration calling for an internationally supervised vote on the independence of West Papua. The meeting was attended
Massive rally in Vanuatu calling for West Papua’s full MSG membership
April 29, 2016
Today in Vanuatu hundreds of people marched together in solidarity with their Melanesian brothers and sisters in occupied West Papua. They called for West Papua’s full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). This historic rally comes after Vanuatu Prime Minister Hon. Charlot Salwai and his government announced that they…
Mass rallies held all over West Papua to call for full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group – 44 arrested
April 19, 2016
On Wednesday 13th April, mass rallies were held across West Papua to call for The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP)’s full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). The people of West Papua demonstrated in their thousands and made their wishes heard in Port Numbay/Jayapura, Sorong, Wamena, Biak,…
Press Release: A call to protest against the arrival of Indonesian President Jokowi
April 18, 2016
Dear Free West Papua Supporter, On the 20th April 2016, Joko Widodo President of Indonesia, will attend a business meeting at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Knightsbridge London. This is our opportunity to make it clear to Joko how we feel about his governments ongoing acts of human rights abuses in…
West Papuans arrested, beaten and jailed for supporting full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group
April 11, 2016
On 5th April, West Papuans commemorated what they refer to as the Day of Hope, the day that the West Papuan Parliament was first launched in 1961. Indonesian military and police storming the peaceful West Papuan prayer gathering because West Papuans were praying for full membership…
“Indonesian military operations are more attempts to annihilate the people of West Papua”
March 27, 2016
Dear everyone, During this Easter time of peace, the Indonesian military has made West Papua a land of ongoing military operations. The people of West Papua are in grave danger this season as the Indonesian military is currently undertaking “sweeping operations” in the Central Highlands of West Papua which…