Parkop backs W. Papua, B’ville independence

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By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop is pushing for Bougainville and West Papua to gain independence from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia respectively.
Parkop said this in no uncertain terms during a West Papua forum in Port Moresby yesterday.
Northern Governor Garry Juffa, who was also present, expressed similar sentiments.
“The Government must give political independence to Bougainville,” Parkop said. “Likewise, Indonesian government should also give political independence to the West Papua province.
“Both of these people have struggled bitterly for independence for a long time, resulting in widespread deaths. The governments of both countries should not deny these respective people’s rights.”
Parkop said Bougainvilleans would be given the opportunity to determine whether they wanted to remain as part of PNG, or go separate.
“We are not afraid and I’m not afraid,” he said. “If Bougainville chooses independence, they will not move the island of Bougainville to Europe or another place in the world.
“They will still be there. We are all inter-married now. There are family and tribal relationships been bonded already.
“We might have a better future because if you look at the history of PNG, because of Bougainville, we were political and economically shaped.”
Parkop said the same message must be told to Indonesia.
“Indonesian must know that if West Papua becomes independent, they will not move the land to the United States,” he said. “They will still stay there. The people speak Bahasa. They are intermarriages already been forged and established with people from other parts of Indonesia.
“Economically, they can be integrated. Socially, they can still move around in Indonesia. I don’t think the West Papua freedom movement will remove Indonesian investments. They must overcome their fear.”

4 comments

  • National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop should be congratulated for his commitment to the democratic and human rights of the peoples of West Papuan and Bouganville .

    The people of Bouganville are ethnically related to the people of the Solomon Islands and West Papuans are Melanesians and not Asians.

    It is interesting that the Governor mentioned that if West Papua became free, it would not be moved to America. The fact is that Indonesia has control of West Papua largely because of the US. In the early 1960s when the Dutch government of the day was involved in a decolonisation process to give independence to West Papua, the US president John Kennedy intervened and demanded that it become part of Indonesia. The only link between the two countries was that they had both been colonised by the Dutch.

    The 1969 Act of Free Choice observed by UN officials was anything but fee or democratic. the Indonesian military (TNI) set up a very dodgy process and committed great brutality against those who protested.

    Governor Parkop is correct when he states that many have died. Human rights organisations estimate that since the TNI occupied West Papua in 1962 that about half a million people have died and sickening crimes have been committed because of the absolute brutality of the TNI. Basically, genocide is occurring in West Papua.

    Because of its crimes in West Papua along with those committed East Timor (now Timor-Leste), Acheh and Indonesia itself, many view the TNI as the largest terrorist force in the SW Pacific and SE Asia.In addition, none of the TNI officers responsible for the crimes has been brought to justice and none of the victims of its brutality has received compensation from Indonesia.

    The UN and the community of nations should not allow this situation to continue.

  • A petition signed by 1.8 million Papuans has been delivered to the UN. It demands investigation into the human rights abuses which have been inflicted on the Papuans people for decades. The Papuan people demand a properly conducted and supervised referendum, not like the sham of 1969.

    Congratulations to Governor Parktop. Congratulations also to the government and people of Vanuatu, constant, courageous and principled supporters of the human rights of the Papuans.

  • I commend Powes Parkop for his fearless support for freedom of our brothers across the artificial border dividing the two people. PNG both government and people need to wake up now and support Powes Parkop Vanuatu and Solomon Islands to liberate our brothers and sisters to free themselves. It is sad that over fifty years we have been turning a blind eye to our brothers next door. How would you feel if the situation had been reversed? Its time we the people of PNG rise up and take lead in the push for independence for the people of West Papua.

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